Grass Muzzles.....ARGH!!!

Natalie12

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I am having a few problems with my grass muzzle .... my welsh sec D mare is having one on at the moment to keep an eye on her weight... she isn't prone to laminitis but colic when she stuffs herself!!!

The problem now is that her muzzle (which is just a standard muzzle) has rubbed off her hair under her chin and making her sore... so i padded it out with cotton wool and it started to rub her nose..! I am near to giving up... i am trying to control her weight as i can't go up everyday to bring her in early... and when i do she eats her bed! Can't afford shavings at the mo unfortunately!

She is 19, so needs to have a little feed for her joints etc... anyone know of any other fab muzzles or ideas on controlling weight are all very welcome! She is ridden 5-6 times a week too by the way!

Ta
 
Buy a different brand.
Which have you got at the moment?

You say you cant go up every day to bring her in do you mean you dont go up at all or just not early?

if she needs shavings instead of straw you will just have to afford the cost, if she needs is,then she needs it.
Im sure she would prefer to be out than stuck in though.
Also is she exercised regularly?

If it a case of her stuffing her face on long grass rather than being ft or laminitiic can you strip graze her?
 
Hi Kate,
I have the shires nylon grass muzzle, she is in every night, goes out before i go to work at 7am and comes in at about 3.30pm. She isn't on particularly long grass its just rich at the moment ... the trouble is getting her to lose some weight!
She is ridden 5 times a week... her weight isn't too bad at the mo but she is still a little porky... she has the pads of fat just behind her shoulder... i think she is trying to store it for a hungry day!! hehe
 
my oh mare has the same muzzle and the same prob. I've got a sheepskin jacket off ebay and have made a ring of it to fit inside the muzzle bit to stop it rubbing her nose and jaw. You can fix it to just the right size and a massive sheepskin coat is waaaaay cheaper than using one of those halter sets! (mine was £15 inc postage and it is massive and in fab condition!)
 
Thanks Glosgirl - i did try the cotton wool approach but moved around a bit too much... i am wondering if i need to buy a new larger muzzle in order to do it as i think it may become a bit too cramped with the sheepskin inside??
 
I have the shires muzzle, I buy a sheepskin noseband, just the right depth, cut it in half longways then secure to the inside of the muzzle with shoe laces or spur straps, works for mine. I also have customised it with the centre strap and extra throat lash from the greenguard headcollar I bought to go with the greenguard muzzle which my horse didn't get on with so thats going on ebay !
 
Buy a Greenguard one and a headcollar. It's less enclosed than th bucket style and worth the money.
 
My horse had the webbing bucket type one and it rubbed her nose

I bought her a Greenguard headcollar and muzzle and she is fine and comfortable in it :)
 
Thanks for the info, it seems like the green guard muzzles are the way forward... pretty expensive though....! Do they generally come up to size - if she is a cob size headcollar thats the size i go for??

Thanks all! ;0)
 
They come in Pony and Full... Pony is for little ponies with tiny mouths. So if your horse doesn't have a tiny mouth then go for the full size one. It is well worth getting their headcollar too.
 
I DID have a shire nylon one for the Welsh Cob (emphasis on the DID!) I went a size larger, so he HAD a full. I painstakingly wrapped duct tape all around the nylon so that it wouldn't rub...and THIS is what I got in the morning for my troubles












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I've tried the Greenguard ones twice and just can't get on with them.

I use bucket type muzzles a size larger than needed and get different makes to alternate before the rubs set in.
 
I actually gave up all together...its wasn't the first one!

He is now turned out at night, has 6/7kilos of 12 hour soaked hay during the day. He has a handful of HiFi Good Doer, with balancer, garlic & oats. He is also ridden 6 days a week, properly schooled or hill work not just toddling around!
 
another vote for the Dinkys one - i use the extra large on my sec d and does the job well. it has never rubbed (into its 2nd season) and is doesn't have the horrible bucket which i imagine most horses hate.
 
A vote for Greenguard here. They take a little time to initially adjust to fit correctly but once fitted they are really good. They are expensive, but a vet call out for laminitis or colic is more expensive.

I think the cheapest at the moment on line is Robinsons at £40.80p, other places can be £50 or more.
 
Hi Noisy Girl just wondered what size your green guard headcollar was??

Thanks

I have 2 full size ones, I bought the muzzle/headcollar off ebay but the person I bought it off didn't supply the centre strap and extra throat lash, I queried it but she said it wasn't on it when she bought it, so off I went and bought another one but my horse didn't get on with the it anyway. but I've used the centre strap and extra throat lash on my shires muzzles. You might be able to rig something up for a centre strap if you want them, you are welcome. I'm looking to sell the muzzle on ebay so will sort that out asap
 
I've tried the Greenguard ones twice and just can't get on with them.

I use bucket type muzzles a size larger than needed and get different makes to alternate before the rubs set in.

Me too, I tried one before they redesigned it in 2008, my horse just pushed it aside as the back was flat, he poked his nose through the gap

2nd time last week I tried the 'new' design and just couldn't get on with it, I wanted to give it another go, as someone else said they are more open, but he didn't like it at all and it had rubbed him on the front of his nose so on ebay it goes !
 
I have 2 full size ones, I bought the muzzle/headcollar off ebay but the person I bought it off didn't supply the centre strap and extra throat lash, I queried it but she said it wasn't on it when she bought it, so off I went and bought another one but my horse didn't get on with the it anyway. but I've used the centre strap and extra throat lash on my shires muzzles. You might be able to rig something up for a centre strap if you want them, you are welcome. I'm looking to sell the muzzle on ebay so will sort that out asap

Thats a shame as i think she would need a coz size headcollar with a Horse size muzzle bit...i am guessing yorus would be a bit big for her?
 
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