Grazing muzzle padding

Slave2Magic

Slave2Magic

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As our summer grazing looks alot lusher than last year i have decided to try my mare with a muzzle. I have Shires one already and wondered what is the best thing to pad it with as they tend to rub? They don't move field unti end of april so I have plenty time to fiddle and adjust it.
 
I tried padding on my Shires one but it made the rubbing worse so found the best thing was to line it with satin or something equally as soft (I found an ancient camisole top in the back of the wardrobe and cut that up) and make sure the muzzle can't move around too much, ie secure it well.
 
I tried padding mine out and it just didn't work too well. I found the best thing was to find out, through trial and error, how 'loose' she could wear it so that it didn't rub but still stayed on.

I found that fastening it so that her lips were about 1 inch away from the bottom (while stood) meant that it moved more freely and din't cling to her face and rub it. Does that make sense? She got it off a couple of times while I tried this process but now we have it just right!

Also go for a slightly bigger size if you can as that helps it sitting so close.

x
 
Could try stitching some vetbed onto it which is nice and soft as an alternative to sheepskin (which is known to not rub). Alternatively buy the greenguard muzzle. It is pricy but my horse used it last year and its as good as new so will last for many years. I did have the bucket type but it wore out in a few months.
 
I bought a size bigger and padded it with strips cut from a car washing sponge. I covered the sponge strips with fleece and sewed it on. It washes really well and hasn't rubbed.
 
I used to pad my pony's Shires muzzles with either silky material, silky ribbon, fleece or fun fur fabric, depending on what the local craft shop had at the time. Then I bought a Roma muzzle and they have never rubbed once. They are not as long-lasting as the Shires but seem to be a better fit and more comfortable for our pony...he is 13.3hh and I buy him the cob size.
 
Soak it in hot water lots of times and put it through your washing machine lots of times too, that softens the basket weave nylon. Get an old sheepskin girth sleeve and put that over the full length of the head piece, covering the velcro straps which tend to rub the most. Make sure its not too small, plenty of room around the muzzle area - buy the next size up if necessary. Hope that helps Jan, worked for me.
 
I hate these, all the horses at the farm apart from mine have these and they all rub. Does anyone or has anyone every contacted Shires to say how bad these are, I yet have to find one that has not rubbed a horse and to me that is just not good enough, shires should be told and they might be able to re disign these horrid things. Would we buy and use something that rubbed us every time we put it on, I do not think so.
 
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