getting horse used to eating through grazing muzzle

[Annie&Amy]

I've been getting her used to wearing it throughout her box rest by putting it on her for 5mins and feeding her polos and hay through hole. She is now allowed grass for 10mins twice a day and i've put it on her just to see how she got on. She couldn't understand what to do with it at all!! Kept just rubbing it along ground and after 5mins just gave up grazing at all. When i took it off she'd already got a small sore where it had rubbed her ( i can sort this cause i'll pad it with vetwrap ). Any other tips or have i just got to hope she'll get the hang of it! I nearly brought her a greenguard muzzle but they are so expensive and i've heard they can get them off.
The one she's got is a shires nylon one, also should the bottom be right by her lips? She'll only have it on at night and then she'll be in during the day, she is also going on founderguard. The other option is to strip graze or fence our field into four xxxxx P.s she's had laminitis

 

[1blondemane]

i bought a KM equestrian muzzle for my horse, the bottom is a bit softer and more maliable than the shires one. I would not leave it on overnight incase they get caught..i dont think it should be so tight to her muzzle, maybe u should loosen it sightly. I made the hole slightly bigger in my one as it was so small. This is easily done by using a stanley knife. My horse did the same when i put it on him, he kept rubbing the ground. He really struggled and wouldnt let me leave the field>so i took it off, i havent used it since. ..So if u can maybe partition your field...The Top Spec anti lam feed balancer is great if yre mare is on a diet but still needs all her vits etc.. Sorry if i wasnt much help< just sympthize with the muzzle issue..

 

[kizzywiz]

I definately wouldn't make the hole bigger, its that size for a reason, to reduce the amount of grass!! As the horse wears it more the hole will gradually wear bigger anyway. I know it sounds harsh, but I just put it on,& left her to it after showing her how to eat through it with bits of carrot, she will work it out for herself. If I remember from your previous posts, your mare has had pretty serious laminitis very recently, so I'm really suprised that she can go out already, even for 10 minutes. I suggest that you use the muzzle as well as strip grazing, this works very well for me. It also sounds as if you have it on too tightly, should be about 1/2 inch gap between the lips & the muzzle, yes it will rub a bit to start, but the skin will toughen up, better a bit of a rubbed nose than the agony of laminitis.

 

[Annie&Amy]

Vet has okayed her to start grazing + also walking in hand. She is 100% better and has been doing this for a week now with no pulses and no lameness. I'll keep trying with the muzzle but also will fence off the field. At the moment she is only grazing the long grass on the walkway to the field. It's eight weeks since she got the laminitis, the vet i use is at a 100% equine practice and is very experienced

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Put it on and leave it on. It is actuallly easier for them to graze slightly shorter grass with a muzzle on.

 

[junior_R]

Hi,

I have a horse who had laminiuts recently and i have mine in a muzzle which i had off www.dinkyrugs.co.uk. it was £17.95 but worth every penny. its a cotton material.
he can eat through it but obviously restricted. He has a couple of sores which have healed through him wearing this one i think his skin has hardend off to it. To be honest i dont think i have found a muzzle out there that doesnt rub. But i agree that i would rather my horse have a couple of rubs than be in the pain of laminitus again.
I would reccomend the muzzle my horse wears.

 

[bensababy]

QR - By making the hole bigger you are defying the whole point of having one one. They get the hang of it eventually, give it time.