Flexible filly muzzles - got a few questions!

[HashRouge]

I need to get a muzzle for my fat Welsh, there's no hiding from his ever-expanding girth line! He's on restricted grazing but still fat, fat, fat.
He had a green guard but it rubbed him (and I've also lost it), but keep I keep hearing good things about the FF muzzle. I just have a few questions before I fork out for one! Any thoughts welcome, whether you loved it/ hated it/ only used it once before horse destroyed it!

1) did you make the hole bigger? Do you think it's necessary?
2) by cutting the hole, does this not leave sharp edges that could rub the muzzle?
3) can your horse eat out of the side of it?
4) how well does it fit onto a normal head collar?
5) did anyone get the field safe head collar that goes with it? I might need to buy a new head collar as my chap's leather one always sits with the noseband wonky, which can't be ideal for a grazing muzzle!
6) do you/ would you leave it on 24/7?
7) how effective have you found it in helping a horse to drop weight/ maintain a good weight?

Thanks all, sorry for the zillion questions!

 

[DirectorFury]

1) no and no - the hole is more than big enough!
3) if you fit it properly this shouldn’t happen
5) yes, it rubbed her nose raw. I then bought the special padding strips and it still rubbed. I’m still trying to find a solution to this one!
6) see above about rubbing - if it hadn’t rubbed she would have worn it 20/7
7) really really good for weight loss/maintenance

Based on my experience you’d be better off with a well-fitting normal headcollar than the Thinline one, simply due to the rubbing and that their sizes aren’t great for big but short heads (I.e. Welsh D heads!).

 

[poiuytrewq]

I don’t cut the hole, it’s plenty big enough IMO
One of mine has learnt to eat from the side, I don’t think it’s fitted 100% correctly though.
I haven’t got the correct headcollar but have gone for the most simple style I can find. Mine don’t have a breakaway because they constantly removed them when I used field safe head collars. Maybe a well fitting leather one?
One of mine rubbed at first, the cable ties rubbed his nose. I have sewn a chunk of thick fleece over the noseband which has fixed that problem.
My farrier commented today that the one pony in particular is looking a great weight and strict use of these muzzles is the only thing I’ve changed from last spring/summer when he was fat and footy

 

[HashRouge]

1) no and no - the hole is more than big enough!
3) if you fit it properly this shouldn’t happen
5) yes, it rubbed her nose raw. I then bought the special padding strips and it still rubbed. I’m still trying to find a solution to this one!
6) see above about rubbing - if it hadn’t rubbed she would have worn it 20/7
7) really really good for weight loss/maintenance

Based on my experience you’d be better off with a well-fitting normal headcollar than the Thinline one, simply due to the rubbing and that their sizes aren’t great for big but short heads (I.e. Welsh D heads!).

Ah interesting - so the head collar rubbed but the muzzle didn't?

 

[HashRouge]

I don’t cut the hole, it’s plenty big enough IMO
One of mine has learnt to eat from the side, I don’t think it’s fitted 100% correctly though.
I haven’t got the correct headcollar but have gone for the most simple style I can find. Mine don’t have a breakaway because they constantly removed them when I used field safe head collars. Maybe a well fitting leather one?
One of mine rubbed at first, the cable ties rubbed his nose. I have sewn a chunk of thick fleece over the noseband which has fixed that problem.
My farrier commented today that the one pony in particular is looking a great weight and strict use of these muzzles is the only thing I’ve changed from last spring/summer when he was fat and footy

Ah good point re the cable ties - I'm quite happy to put fleece over the noseband though.
Maybe I'll see if I can alter his leather head collar fit a little bit. Mind you it's his only head collar so maybe I need another one anyway.

 

[DirectorFury]

Ah interesting - so the head collar rubbed but the muzzle didn't?

Yep, annoyingly I bought the Thinline headcollar because I was worried about the cable ties rubbing .

 

[poiuytrewq]

Ah good point re the cable ties - I'm quite happy to put fleece over the noseband though.
Maybe I'll see if I can alter his leather head collar fit a little bit. Mind you it's his only head collar so maybe I need another one anyway.

It’s definitely easier to have two I find. Just things like if they are tied up with a hay net or for the farrier etc. I use the muzzle solely for turn out that way.

 

[ycbm]

Mine rubs and is covered in various places with bits of sheepskin.

I rotate it with a shires one, also covered with bits of sheepskin.

 

[daydreamer]

1) did you make the hole bigger? Do you think it's necessary?

Yes, and even then my youngster thinks his throat has been cut and is desperate to get it off. But to be fair at the moment the grass is really long so I don't think he can get anything through the hole. I've got a new one on order and I think I'm going to cut more holes in the bottom to give a grid like pattern. I figure it will be more effective cutting intake by even 30% but staying on all the time then just lasting a day.

2) by cutting the hole, does this not leave sharp edges that could rub the muzzle?

No it didn't seem to.

3) can your horse eat out of the side of it?

Yes! Although when I shortened the sides that reduced this.

4) how well does it fit onto a normal head collar?

OK, I had it on a field-safe type one with a leather tab which should break. However my youngster managed to break a cable tie and rip the muzzle but the headcollar was still intact.

5) did anyone get the field safe head collar that goes with it? I might need to buy a new head collar as my chap's leather one always sits with the noseband wonky, which can't be ideal for a grazing muzzle!

No, i just used a normal field safe headcollar I bought. When the new one comes I think I might try with an old leather headcollar I have which I think will fit better. He has got the whole lot off over his head more than once.

6) do you/ would you leave it on 24/7?

I have done but never managed more than a night or two!

7) how effective have you found it in helping a horse to drop weight/ maintain a good weight?

I'm hoping making more holes so he can still eat but just is restricted a bit will make him happier to have it on so it will stay on. It hasn't worked for us so far but having looked into other types it is really the only one I am happy to have on 24/7 on a youngster. I think the only other one I would try is a greenguard but the teeth issues and possible rubbing put me off a bit.

 

[scats]

I need to get a muzzle for my fat Welsh, there's no hiding from his ever-expanding girth line! He's on restricted grazing but still fat, fat, fat.
He had a green guard but it rubbed him (and I've also lost it), but keep I keep hearing good things about the FF muzzle. I just have a few questions before I fork out for one! Any thoughts welcome, whether you loved it/ hated it/ only used it once before horse destroyed it!

1) did you make the hole bigger? Do you think it's necessary?
2) by cutting the hole, does this not leave sharp edges that could rub the muzzle?
3) can your horse eat out of the side of it?
4) how well does it fit onto a normal head collar?
5) did anyone get the field safe head collar that goes with it? I might need to buy a new head collar as my chap's leather one always sits with the noseband wonky, which can't be ideal for a grazing muzzle!
6) do you/ would you leave it on 24/7?
7) how effective have you found it in helping a horse to drop weight/ maintain a good weight?

Thanks all, sorry for the zillion questions!

1. I cut it a tiny bit bigger as Millie is a muzzle remover and I didn’t want her to start trying that.
2. No sharp edges, horses have never had any rubs or cuts from it.
3. Neither of my mares have eaten out the side, but my friends mare does.
4. Fits fine on a normal headcollar
5. I just use a horseware fieldsafe one
6. My girls wear it 6.30pm til about 8.30am, then they come in for the day
7. Good amount of weight loss, but I do also have them on a fairly well graze field.

I love the flexible filly. It’s the only muzzle I use or would buy now.

 

[HashRouge]

I think I'll bite the bullet and try one despite the price. I was thinking he could go on a small paddock overnight so he can have the muzzle off for a bit, then go out with his pals on the bigger field in the day. We don't have super long grass but he's still so porky. I used to have them both on a track and keep it grazed bare, but because it was long and narrow they'd move a lot. But the other one is 28 now and her days of fat camp are over, so he'd be all on his own for the summer and I can't bear it, he's such a sociable chap!

 

[HashRouge]

Now another question - where did you buy yours from? It's cheaper on the Thinline website but it's EU based and I'm a bit worried about Brexit regulations and whether it will be more hassle than it's worth!

 

[scats]

Now another question - where did you buy yours from? It's cheaper on the Thinline website but it's EU based and I'm a bit worried about Brexit regulations and whether it will be more hassle than it's worth!

I ordered mine through the Comfy Horse website.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Mine are all from Throstlenest saddlery

 

[sherry90]

1) did you make the hole bigger? Do you think it's necessary? I used a large milk bottle lid and cut to that size (ever so slightly bigger than the standard hole)
2) by cutting the hole, does this not leave sharp edges that could rub the muzzle? No it’s super soft like the jelly shoes from the 90’s!!
3) can your horse eat out of the side of it? Mine, yes ? but it still slows him down so I don’t mind so much.
4) how well does it fit onto a normal head collar? Mine is fitted to a standard leather headcollar and I use some neoprene headcollar attachments on the nose band as he did get a slight rub on his nose from the tie attachments.
5) did anyone get the field safe head collar that goes with it? I might need to buy a new head collar as my chap's leather one always sits with the noseband wonky, which can't be ideal for a grazing muzzle! No as above, just use a normal leather one with some adaptations!
6) do you/ would you leave it on 24/7? I’d never leave one on 24/7 as he always comes in part of the day to some hay. He has spent a good 12/13 hours in it though.
7) how effective have you found it in helping a horse to drop weight/ maintain a good weight? Maintaining definitely. I haven’t had to use it this summer as he’s on a different paddock and maintaining fine. I used it last summer when he began to get portly, saw him drop again, managed to take it off for a bit, back on for autumn flush. He doesn’t wear one in winter.

 

[HashRouge]

Thanks all you've been very helpful - going to order one tomorrow. I'll let you know how we get on!

 

[Casey76]

Now another question - where did you buy yours from? It's cheaper on the Thinline website but it's EU based and I'm a bit worried about Brexit regulations and whether it will be more hassle than it's worth!

I’ve just ordered mine from Thinline because I got an extra 5% off for subscribing. My muzzle was £61.22 including postage.

‘’It is currently in the post, so awaiting delivery.

 

[Melandmary]

I ordered mine from thinline but got 10% for subscribing. This was last week and it is still not arrived. I am also a bit worried as I ordered the headcollars because my thinking it was it would be easier to fit and the cable ties wouldn't rub but you guys think not. I emailed them twice about sizing but they never replied to either so I just ordered what I thought would be a good fit. Not the best customer service

 

[Bernster]

Attached it to a leather head collar, no adjustments to the hole etc. Seems to fit ok. He doesn’t appear to eat out of the side but can eat from the central hole, too early to see if it’s helping but it’s not hindering so I’ll leave it on and see if he loses any weight!

 

[Boulty]

I made the hole faaaar too big as pony claimed it was impossible to eat through. If you're going to then do it conservatively (I think someone on here has the good in idea of using a hole punch for a smoother edge)

Touchwood the fuzzball hadn't worked out how to eat out of the side of it YET

It's rubbed a little but not as badly as what I was using before.

I'm using with an old spare headcollar atm but have bought the posh one plus all the padding to affix new muzzle with smaller hole to.

I reckon be once they're used to in it then probably could stay on all time.

Mines from comfy horse company but headcollar is from km elite & padding from thinline themselves as they weren't all in stock at same place. Delivery was fine with all 3 companies.

 

[Widgeon]

1) did you make the hole bigger? Do you think it's necessary?
I did, but only because my horse wears it 24/7

2) by cutting the hole, does this not leave sharp edges that could rub the muzzle?
No, it's a flexible rubbery material - I enlarged the hole using a leather punch to snip a new, larger circle around the existing one

3) can your horse eat out of the side of it?
No, but if the hole was smaller and he was hungrier then maybe he'd be more cunning!

4) how well does it fit onto a normal head collar?
I have mine on a LeMeuix Fieldsafe and it fits fine - this is the second headcollar I've had it on and it is now attached with bog standard hardware shop cable ties, blunted on the cut-off ends

5) did anyone get the field safe head collar that goes with it? I might need to buy a new head collar as my chap's leather one always sits with the noseband wonky, which can't be ideal for a grazing muzzle!
No, went for LeMeuix as that's what the local tack shop stocked

6) do you/ would you leave it on 24/7?
Yes

7) how effective have you found it in helping a horse to drop weight/ maintain a good weight?
Like I said I have enlarged the hole, but I have found that when the grass is good, leaving it on 24/7 helps my cob lose weight very gradually, then maintain a good weight. He just can't rip off and stuff in as much with each mouthful.

Edited to add, I have also added a Waldhausen sheepskin sleeve to the front inner of the noseband as it rubbed his nose very sore without it. With that on it's no problem. Mine has a pink nose and thin white hair on his face so I have to be a bit careful.

 

[Marnie]

I bit the bullet and bought the flexible filly muzzle, I've only had it a few days but so far so good. I made the hole very slightly larger using a stanley knife but it is still very soft. I am just using an ordinary headcollar as I couldn't get it to fit with my breakaway headcollar - but my paddock is fully electric fenced and there is nothing to catch it on, this is a temporary measure and I am looking for an alternative. My pony wears it overnight as she comes in during the day. I haven't noticed her eating out of the side, but it is slowing her down if nothing else. The only slight problem I have so far is that grass seems to be collecting inside the muzzle but I think that may be the rain and wet grass. I haven't seen any rubbing so far and I have had problems previously with other muzzles. I got mine from Redpost Equestrian.

 

[timbobs]

I need to get a muzzle for my fat Welsh, there's no hiding from his ever-expanding girth line! He's on restricted grazing but still fat, fat, fat.
He had a green guard but it rubbed him (and I've also lost it), but keep I keep hearing good things about the FF muzzle. I just have a few questions before I fork out for one! Any thoughts welcome, whether you loved it/ hated it/ only used it once before horse destroyed it!

1) did you make the hole bigger? Do you think it's necessary?
2) by cutting the hole, does this not leave sharp edges that could rub the muzzle?
3) can your horse eat out of the side of it?
4) how well does it fit onto a normal head collar?
5) did anyone get the field safe head collar that goes with it? I might need to buy a new head collar as my chap's leather one always sits with the noseband wonky, which can't be ideal for a grazing muzzle!
6) do you/ would you leave it on 24/7?
7) how effective have you found it in helping a horse to drop weight/ maintain a good weight?

Thanks all, sorry for the zillion questions!

1) yes we did make it a little bigger
2) I think we just sanded down any sharper edges, but I can't really remember!
3) No
4) Fitted fine to a leather headcollar
5) Just bought a cheap leather one to leave on in the field
6) I don't leave muzzles on 24/7, but if I did I would for this one. It doesn't rub or bother the horse in any way. She actually eats with this one on instead of sulking all day in a corner of the field refusing to eat like she did with others!
7) I think it's great!

Let me know how you get on with yours when it arrives

 

[stimpy]

I'm reviving this thread as I am going to try a flexible filly muzzle for my fat part-Welsh I'm buying secondhand so does anyone have advice for what sort of cable ties I should buy? Length, thickness etc? Obviously I'd like to ensure that we still have a safety break point.

 

[Widgeon]

I'm reviving this thread as I am going to try a flexible filly muzzle for my fat part-Welsh I'm buying secondhand so does anyone have advice for what sort of cable ties I should buy? Length, thickness etc? Obviously I'd like to ensure that we still have a safety break point.

I used quite chunky ones, a quick check of my Amazon account says that they are 4.8m width. To get that width I had to buy very long ones (!) and then I cut them down once they were on. Make sure not to leave sharp edges though, blunt the edges off with small scissors. The holes on the muzzle are maybe 5.5 / 6mm wide ish (off the top of my head)

If you're buying second hand make sure that the previous owner hasn't enlarged the central hole too much or you may find it's useless for you. Conversely if you have to enlarge the hole yourself I used a leather punch on the widest setting and punched a circle of holes, then carried on punching to join them up. That way I avoided straight cuts in the rubber / plastic that might have turned into tears. However if you are not a klutz you may be fine with a pair of small scissors!!

 

[stimpy]

I used quite chunky ones, a quick check of my Amazon account says that they are 4.8m width. To get that width I had to buy very long ones (!) and then I cut them down once they were on. Make sure not to leave sharp edges though, blunt the edges off with small scissors. The holes on the muzzle are maybe 5.5 / 6mm wide ish (off the top of my head)

If you're buying second hand make sure that the previous owner hasn't enlarged the central hole too much or you may find it's useless for you. Conversely if you have to enlarge the hole yourself I used a leather punch on the widest setting and punched a circle of holes, then carried on punching to join them up. That way I avoided straight cuts in the rubber / plastic that might have turned into tears. However if you are not a klutz you may be fine with a pair of small scissors!!

That's super helpful Widgeon, thanks!

 

[Bernster]

My boy is still putting on weight with this muzzle, not sure it’s limiting him as much as the others do, but they rub.