Grazing muzzle help

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Midymahem

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My lad has his on all day, but will not eat through the it! Have poked grass through etc etc. He just stands around the gate .....

Don't want to bring him in off the grass as he's just come off box rest, but also don't want him getting lami as can't be ridden ...

How can I encourage him more to work out the muzzle, we are on day two! Do I keep persevering?
 
What sort is it ? I believe some people have made the holes slightly larger in some muzzles to encourage their horses.
Give him a bit longer, if he doesn't have it on all the time he wont starve !
 
Snuffles said:
What sort is it ? I believe some people have made the holes slightly larger in some muzzles to encourage their horses.
Give him a bit longer, if he doesn't have it on all the time he wont starve ![/QUOT

One day had a shires one, now has the greenguard on.

He has it on for approx 9 hours, then allowed to graze at night, field isn't super lush, but with no exercise and a good doer need to do something x
Click to expand...
 
I put some soaked hay out to encourage mine to learn to eat through her greenguard. I thought she was still struggling until I got to the yard early one day and spotted her eating instead of standing at the gate looking pathetic. Busted!
 
Mine wears a shires bucket style and had done for approx. 12 years he is 38 now. keep persevering, cut slithers of carrot to poke through and as someone else said you could make the hole slightly bigger.

HATE greenguard with a passion, please watch him using it and make sure he is not just poking his nose out the side like mine did, tried all adjustments, rubbed his lip raw in just an hour. When he lifted his head up all fell back into place so was none the wiser until I stood and watched what he was doing
 
I had success with a make of muzzle called tough 1, it's the easy breathe one and the hole is rectangular, seems to be easier for them to eat through
 
The Jakenator said:
I had success with a make of muzzle called tough 1, it's the easy breathe one and the hole is rectangular, seems to be easier for them to eat through
Click to expand...

I have been looking at this type. Did you get it from UK supplier, I found one similar but she makes them herself they are not the actual tough one
 
I've just got a dinky one after we didn't really like the shires one. He still hates it though. Might try it for a few hours today to see if he can not hate it. His reaction when I tried it yesterday wasn't one of not.
 
I won't use anything apart from greenguards, had no problem with them at all and no sores. I put out soaked hay as well but he only stands by gate while I'm
Around
 
thatsmygirl said:
I won't use anything apart from greenguards, had no problem with them at all and no sores. I put out soaked hay as well but he only stands by gate while I'm
Around
Click to expand...

I hate greenguard with a passion. When I watched my horse eating he was just pushing it aside. also rubbed his lips raw. I've tried them twice
 
I used a greenguard for years and was overall happy with it - not problems eating through it. I stopped using it because my horse wore grooves into his incisors from the plastic - he really attacked it with his teeth though, rather than using his lips. I'd just keep an eye on the teeth and note any wear.

When I stopped using the muzzle, I instead built a small paddock in a corner of the field, and put him in there for half the day. IMO, you have to find the right balance between safe grass intake and a happy horse. To me, that includes having time in company of other horses without a muzzle, to be able to groom etc. If muzzling doesn't work, and he spends half the day muzzle-free in the field anyway, I'd look at small, grazed-down paddock as an alternative to limit grass intake.
 
I've used a Greenguard muzzle in the past. My advice would be to stick it out if he really needs it, they will go and graze when they realise its the only option. I'd be wary of taking it off in the evening and then him being on grass all night incase he gorges himself.

I no longer use a muzzle but instead he has turnout in a paddock and then stabled at night with soaked hay. I prefer this to using the muzzle but understand this isn't an option for everyone.
 
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