A grazing muzzle that stays on and doesn't rub....

[ann-jen]

......does such a thing exist???
My two are currently in dinky muzzles with fleece on the straps around the face as both girls get rubbed without fleece.
The old mare has worked out how to get the muzzle off by rolling and rubbing it off on the ground. I watched her do it last night and it literally took her 10s flat to get it off.
She was the same with the shires muzzle last year so don't think its the design. YM thinks the fleece might be helping her to get it off by giving her something to push against. So maybe I have to take that off.....but then it rubs her face to the point of making her sore :-(
I don't think her mane is long enough to do the plait over into the forelock thing and I'd also worry that she'd literally just rip her mane out to get the muzzle off having seen what she did last night!
Because she's old I want her out and moving about as much as possible so restricting her time at turnout isn't ideal and the livery yard won't allow strip grazing so I'm a bit stuck without finding a muzzle that works!
Open to ideas! Thanks.

 

[MrsMozart]

Watching with interest! Little Cob runs a mile when he sees his, and then when we do manage to get it on him, it's off within thirty-six hours max. It's checked every day and it can't go any tighter without far rotting him or causing a major issue. The one that stays on has a horrible designed clip that digs into him, so I need another one pronto. The Shires padded was off even quicker then lost. Can't strip graze or restrict grazing area where he is. He's retired with a sacroiliac issue so exercise is limited. Someone suggested dinky pony and someone else said Greenguard.

Sorry OP, don't mean to highjack, just I feel your pain!

 

[ann-jen]

No worries! Think is a common problem. Whoever patents the answer will be a genius and make a mint!

 

[glinda]

I have the same problem- my pony gets a muzzle or head collar for that matter off within seconds

I have tried so many things over the years and nothing has worked until now!! Well he has kept it on for the last 3 days anyway!!

I took a Dinky muzzle and cut the muzzle bit off, then bought him a new head collar which has quite thin straps (espc the ear strap)- I have used a XS pony size head collar (he is 13.2) I attached the muzzle to the nose band of the head collar with baler twine and then did up the head collar quite tightly (round the ear/throat)

So far this has stayed on as I think the thin strap makes it harder for him to rub it over his ears (and he really is VERY good at this normally- can't even be tied up on the yard as he can remove his head collar)

Its the only thing that has stayed on for more than 1 minute and he has been trying to get it off but has now given up and grazing happily.

Not easy- good luck

 

[ann-jen]

Thanks for the idea! Shall try removing the fleece from the headpiece first and see if that makes any difference!

 

[SO1]

I used the best friend grazing muzzle I have the have a heart version with expandable nose but I removed the extra straps that help hold it on as they rubbed.

I put vet wrap round the clip which helps prevent rubbing but I think they all rub at least to start with until the skin hardens and the muzzle softens a bit with wear.

I have two muzzles that I can rotate which are different makes they rub in different areas. I have an old fashioned shires one which I have sewed fleece on.

I have found getting the throat lash part as close to the throat as possible helps.

It is quite stressful that the muzzles rub to start off with but over time they do get better. I put cream on the rubbed areas and this also softens the muzzle somewhat.

My pony wore a muzzle for 7 months last year and he lives out so was wearing it most of the time, he has just started wearing it again as his digital pulses were raised and on day 1 it has rubbed his nose already but from experience I know over time it will get better. Also he knows what to do so he did not make too much of a fuss and just went off grazing.

It is really hard especially when the other liveries are not always understanding but better sore nose than sore feet. My pony does not like being stabled so coming in off for part of the day is not really an option and we cant strip graze.

My pony is in full work but it is not just his weight I am trying to control but also the sugar in take.

 

[Copperpot]

Mine wears a green guard 12 hours a day. He hasn't managed to get it off yet. It did rub slightly under the chin but I put some sheepskin in. Hasn't rubbed anywhere else. I use the greengaurd head collar with it.

 

[ann-jen]

My update is ......
I found that by removing the fleece padding I'd put on around the headpiece the muzzle then stayed on. She was using the extra bulk as leverage to get it off.... However after keeping it on for 3-4 days her muzzle had swollen to twice the size and her lips were ulcerated all the way round... So it had gone way beyond an ordinary rub.
So next step was a shires comfort muzzle, which stayed on the following day and then off the next! On removing the rubber pad from under the headpiece it has stayed on henceforth, the muzzle rubs have dried and and her nose is normal sized. So fingers crossed may have cracked it at least for now!
As an aside the dinky muzzle fits my other horse fine, she never gets it off and has only cause a very small rub on her chin. She also likes that it doesn't cover her nostrils, so it's just finding the right design for each horse I guess!

 

[Fatonfreshair]

Our gelding breaks all the normal webbing muzzles but does keep a GreenGuard muzzle on without it rubbing. We have the GreenGuard head collar with it which I think helps. The only thing our pony now manages to do from time to time is undo the straps which hold the muzzle to the head collar but I solved that with some tape! He hated the webbing muzzles and after snapping three in quick succession I invested in the GreenGuard and it is on its second sprint/summer now. Our pony now follows me around the paddock with pleading eyes in the hope that I remove the muzzle!

 

[twiggy2]

due to not liking the idea of horses wearing anything other than old leather headcollars in the field i cut the straps of my mares muzzle and attached the muzzle to a well fitting but old muzzle it stayed on, a few people have followed suit and it does seem that the horses rub less with the leather and those that still try to remove the muzzle find it more difficult to be successful. another way i have seen is put muzzle on as normal and the put headcollar over the top

 

[Hoof_Prints]

mine are on such rich grass that I have to make sure they don't get the muzzles off as I have one lamanitic and one prone to colic. I tie twine tightly around the velcros and that does the trick. It will come undone if caught but very tricky to get off otherwise! if that fails, I poke a hole in the Velcro straps and tie the twine through that and knot it. Usually do that when my velcros lose stick

 

[ester]

I found Frank with half of his shires one in his mouth this morning - where the new ones are slightly lower cut under the chin.... must do that up tighter!

 

[ann-jen]

Jenny's new one is like that.... no doubt that will be her next trick! She is the Houdini of the grazing muzzle world lol

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I have a velco sheepskin wrap that I do up around the velcro headstrap and I alternate between a dinky and a bucket style muzzle. The bucket is lined with neoprene from bicycle handlebar grips which doesnt rub and doesnt hold water-I've also covered up the side clip on that one-he's a little pony with a wedge shaped head so has to wear a cob sized muzzle. On balance I like the dinky ones better-they seem less stuffy to wear.

 

[ebonyallen]

I use the Greenguard one, and its now in its 3rd year and to date not come off. It did rub a tiny bit down the sides, so I brought a cheap pair of fake sheepskin nose bands and put them down the side, works a treat and now a perfect fit.

 

[rvpeary]

My mare has the dinkys muzzle as she likes that it doesnt cover her nostrils. I keep it on by attaching a fly fringe to the front, to act as a browband would on a bridle and then put a headcollar over the top. This generally seems to work. (touch wood)

 

[RonnieHowe]

I bought a cheap Roma one and (touch wood) it's been the best for I have found and hasn't rubbed.

 

[Sprig]

I had a Shires one and found that if, during the first few weeks of wear, I just spread some Vaseline on any areas that looked like they were starting to rub the after a few weeks it was fine and did not have to Vaseline at all.