At wits end with pony that rolls muzzle off :(

[acw295]

any ideas?

She rolls them off over her ears by rolling on the ground, they come off undamaged and still done up. Not helped by having small ears I think! She gets it off within minutes, desperately need to restrict grazing as she is on terribly rich grass (no choice on grazing but out for 10hrs, stabled with soaked hay rest of the time). Just recovering from surgery and won't be anything like normal work for at least another 8 weeks minimum (starts 15 mins walking soon) so can't burn it off.

I have tried:

Plaiting it in - she now has no mane or forelock in that area now - ripped it all out and it didn't grow back
Headcollar over/under/intertwined - all sorts of combos (she gets it all off in one go, headcollar and muzzle - can't even keep a headcollar on its own on now)

Arrgghhhh!!! She kept it on fine for 3 years, now she has learnt how to get it off it takes her literally seconds So worried I could actually cry.

 

[Taisypops]

snuggy hood over muzzle? didnt work for my mare but worth a try.......x

 

[CobsGalore]

Maybe try a different grazing muzzle??

 

[acw295]

Maybe try a different grazing muzzle??

Tried them all, well part from the Dinky rugs version but the over the head design is the same as Best Friends, Shires & Roma and they were no better. Greenguard failed miserably

I really don't now what else I can do - its so frustrating, not to mention dangerous given she had a lami scare in the past.

 

[Ali2]

I have no advice but I do feel your pain. Our boy has kept his Greenguard on for the past two years quite happily but has now learned to rub it off on the fence and nothing we've tried (plaiting it in, using the extra throat lash, attaching it to his fly rug, using a different model) has worked . I've given up but the grass is knocking off here, he's turnedf out at night only and he's in work so I'm not in as sticky a situation as you. I hope you can find a solution

 

[CobsGalore]

Sorry I know you've said you've tried different combinations, but have you tried putting a fly mask over the top?

 

[acw295]

snuggy hood over muzzle? didnt work for my mare but worth a try.......x

What sort did you try? I'm not sure if I could get one on her (very head shy - can't clip head) but willing to try! Might look for 2nd hand so if she trashes it, won't be so bad.

 

[kiagirl]

My mare used to get hers off with her front feet so I used overreach boots. I also padded the muzzle with sheepskin and fastened as tight as it would go for a couple of sessions and it worked for us

 

[acw295]

Sorry I know you've said you've tried different combinations, but have you tried putting a fly mask over the top?

I've not tried fly mask with headcollar and muzzle actually, did try it with just muzzle and it didn't work but can try again - its all worth a try!

She has little ears so fly masks just sort of hang off her ears and she doesn't like them so tries to get them off, but I could try muzzle, mask, headcollar. Might make it harder at least.

I do appreciate all the ideas just hoping someone has found a wonder cure!

I did wonder if I could fashion something with a bridle as that might be harder to roll off. If someone could patent something they'd make a fortune.

 

[acw295]

My mare used to get hers off with her front feet so I used overreach boots. I also padded the muzzle with sheepskin and fastened as tight as it would go for a couple of sessions and it worked for us

I do mine as tight as it will go and is already padded out with sheepskin, but as her ears are small she just lies down, rubs her head like they do when they roll in mud and its flips over her ear - one side goes and then she just rubs it on floor until the other one goes too. She even gets down and does it in front of me.

If I didn't love her more than life I'd sell her - its not worth the stress any more, we've had the most horrific year

 

[zippo]

Google"Barcoo Bridle"/extended headpiece and get your saddler to add a bit to your muzzle.A nifty invention,from Australia,to prevent horses from rubbing their bridle off,when tied up for long periods in the stockyards or camps.

 

[acw295]

Google"Barcoo Bridle"/extended headpiece and get your saddler to add a bit to your muzzle.A nifty invention,from Australia,to prevent horses from rubbing their bridle off,when tied up for long periods in the stockyards or camps.

Thanks! Can't find any stockists of Barcoo bridles here but found this - is this similar design?
http://www.harnessstuff.co.uk/zilco-extended-throat-bridle-for-harness-racing-7300-p.

I think the bucket part of the muzzle could be attached via the cheeks - worth a try!

 

[Taisypops]

What sort did you try? I'm not sure if I could get one on her (very head shy - can't clip head) but willing to try! Might look for 2nd hand so if she trashes it, won't be so bad.

I had a snuggy hood anyway as she has sweetitch! Im sure you will be able to pick one up second hand.....what eventually worked for me was wraping her hair round it and securing with lots of kirby grips...lol. Although she does still sometimes manage to wriggle out of it....Good luck x

 

[dizzydales]

I have found this year that a simple brow band has done the trick for us, My welshy has smallish ears too and I think thats how she was managing to get it off complete like how your is doing it. I do have it fitted snugly. She did at one point when we changed fields somhow manage to pull it down off the bottom of her nose ( I think she was using the water trough) so I then also added a webbing strap from the top of the headcollar to the muzzle top down the front of her nose and that seemed to do the trick also. They are such a worry these horses arent they?! :0)

 

[Fransurrey]

I also feel your pain. I need to reintroduce grass to my two before they move fields and need the muzzles to do that. Chloe has become a little s h i t and also gets hers off completely done up. My next strategy is to weave it in and out of her sweet itch hoody ear holes, then she can't pull it forwards. My only concern is what she'll do in her frustration when it doesn't come off! They're reet sods, aren't they??

 

[DuckToller]

Can't help with muzzle, but having had more than my fair share of laminitics I could suggest a few things - apologies if you already know or do any of these!

Is she out in the day or night? Grass has lower sugar levels overnight.

Can you section off an area with electric fencing, and then mow it right down, or get another horse to graze it down? I turn my bigger horses out into my lami paddock for a few hours every day just to keep it down, then the lamis go out at night.

When her winter coat grows through, I would suggest clipping as much off as you can bear, say blanket clip or high trace. Then just lightly rug at night and when wet, otherwise leave naked. It keeps mine slimmer and they use up more body fat keeping warm. Some people can't do this though - to me it's kinder than laminitis/shutting them up for long periods, but it's not for everyone.

 

[Wagtail]

Can you fece her in a small patch with electric fencing? I don't use muzzles and manage to keep the fatties slim this way.

 

[acw295]

Can you fece her in a small patch with electric fencing? I don't use muzzles and manage to keep the fatties slim this way.

No we don't have this option unfortunately at the yard. But even if we did she has come off box rest from surgery and was using our small medical paddock for 4 weeks. Vet now requires her to move more and have large field turnout as part of her recovery.