Dinky Grazing Muzzles - can you help?

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lilyb

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People who have used these - are they more difficult to get the hang of than the ones with the hole in the middle (eg Best Friend)? I have just bought one for my loan Welsh section A as i read such good reviews - however as far as I can tell she hasn't eaten with it on today (went on this morning - i hung around for 2 hrs but she just sulked), still not eating this eve (when it came off). I suppose i lack confidence in it as it seems strange for the hole not to be in the middle?

Have used the Best Friend on 3 horses in last 10 yrs with no issues apart from rubbing (hence why i wanted to try the Dinky for the pony and it was alot cheaper). None of them took more than an hour or 2 to work it out.

Pony putting on weight fast due to the grass flush (and keeping my 16.2 company out 24/7 who though restricted isn't restricted enough for welsh A at the moment) so i need to get this sorted. Wanted to be able to muzzle overnight but dont want to leave her that long if she really isn't eating!).

Anyone any experiences? I honestly didnt think I'd have more trouble with a welshie working it out than a pea brained warmblood!

thanks
alice
 
Hi myself and my friend use the dinky's 'cos they allow much more air flow and are more comfy for my sensitive skinned lad (16.1hh wuss) and our shettie wears his almost 24/7. My lad had a proper sulk when he first had it on, really grumpy and wouldn't move with the others grazing, just stood sulking and didn't eat, but now he is fine and wearing for approx 14 hours a day sometimes longer if we move fields. The shettie rotates between shires 'one hole' muzzle and dinky one and he prefers the dinky. Hope that helps.
 
thanks leadrope. I now have both the Dinky and normal holed muzzle and still not trying to eat with either :-( I have never known this happen. Its been a week now on and off so worrying that she really isn't going to work this out.

Really need her to work this out as its going to be impossible for her to graze with my horse otherwise! As a matter of interest, how do yours graze with the dinky, push it to one side so the holes are in the middle??

alice
 
Hi, i have tried both muzzles on my pony - best friends i have used the most but he rubs it andalso gets it off - the dinky he managed to eat more but it did change his way of eating.

Have you tried pushind treats through / grass etc
 
I wouldn't leave a muzzle on overnight - what if the pony gets it off and then has several hours of unrestricted chomping?

I buy the Shires ones and cut most of the webbing away at the front. Then I pad up the side pieces with fur. To teach them how to eat with them on, you have to shove stuff up the hole in the bottom. Do it down at grass level. They might pull faces to begin with but you telling me a pony won't work it out?!!!
 
thanks both - i have been pushing food and grass through the holes but i can't get her to put her head at ground level and try herself. Will just have to perservere a bit longer.

So far she isn't attempting to get it off.
 
The big lad just eats straight down if that makes sense and incidentally he hasn't worn his away at all, but the shettie pushes his to the side and eats from the top holes and has almost worn his away so looking at getting another.
I do wonder if it alters how their teeth wear which is why I rotate the shetties between dinky and shires 'cos he's wearing his longer. He hasn't tried to get either off for a long time, it's almost as if he knows that it's a choice between wear a muzzle and graze with the big boys, or don't and be relegated to a bare strip on his ownsome!
 
Thanks leadrope - I thought i had made some progress a couple of nights ago as i saw her with her head down for a minute but i think she still hasn't worked it out. I tried the normal one with a hole in centre as I can at least see how they get the grass in that one but her muzzle was pink on the 2nd morning (and i think would have got sore) so i went back to the dinky one. She doesn't seem to get the idea of pushing the muzzle to the side /top/bottom a little - which i assume is the best way to do it given that the thick webbing crosses across the centre? The dinky one at least looks comfy for her and isnt rubbing but i do want her to be able to work it out!

Do yours manage on varying lengths of grass?

Dinky Rugs suggested that i cut into the straps if necessary to try to teach her and then buy another - but i would rather not unless i have to as i have already bought 2 difference muzzles!

thanks again
alice
 
My Shetland wears a Dinky Rugs muzzle.
It took him a while to get used to eating with it, however he's become too good at eating with it now - they work out how to eat round the straps (mines wearing in a very specific point on the main strap under the nose)

At first he would literally stand about and look dejected, and although I had poked things through we eventually left him too it, initially leaving it on for a couple of hours and gradually extending the time he wore it. She's been so impressed at his ability to eat and drink (although restricted), she even allowed me to get one for her Warmblood in XL. He took to it straight away the greedy horse.

I wouldn't cut into it if I were you, and just persevere.
I'm going to have to upgrade my pony to the shires one as I think this will be more restrictive.
 
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