Grazing muzzle recommendations please

Bertolie

Bertolie

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I have a 15.2 Traditional Cob x Clydesdale who needs to lose some weight. She is also being classed as a prime candidate for laminitis although I've had her for 3 years and she has never had it even when on 24/7 turnout on ex dairy grazing. YO at current yard is concerned and has recommended:-
1. limiting turnout to 3-4 hours in the afternoon (horses are stabled at night all year round)
2. Sectioning off a small area in the paddock for her, although there is quite a fair amount of grass in the summer paddock already
3. Turning her out during the day with a muzzle.

I dont like muzzles but if this is the best option I'm willing to give it a try so can i have grazing muzzle recommendations please? She is a chunky girl who takes a full or x-full headcollar/bridle depending on make.
 
I use the shires one with the fleece as this stops any rubbing. Because the end is rubber it was very easy to cut the hole slightly larger, and this means my greedy cob can still eat a comfortable amount but cannot overindulge and does maintain/lose weight rather than gain it. Because she can still eat 'enough' she will therefore 'happily' wear the muzzle all day everyday if needs be (has even had it on 24/7 in the past, though not absolutely every day). She would not tolerate it with just the tiny hole as it restricts the intake too much I feel, and she didn't get on with a greenguard/other types. Might be something to think about if you need her to wear it for several hours a day? I feel the same as you do - I don't like the muzzles but prefer them to restricted/individual turnout and my yard can't provide a starvation paddock.
 
I have a 15.3 cob and he took really well to the Green Gaurd muzzles.They look horrible but he preferred it over the bucket type muzzles that cover his nose. It took him a few hours and he was away :)
i use a Rambo field safe head collar rather than the greenguard ones and he didn't manage to get it off once. I will be dusting it off this weekend as he moves onto his summer field.
 
Of the options mentioned I have found muzzling the best, means they can still be out moving and have horse contact. As yours in for a fair amount of time anyway you can be sure that you are getting enough forage through (though mine seems pretty good at eating hay in the field through a muzzle too!)

I've used dinky and the shires deluxe.

I wouldn't use a greenguard as although they are very well tolerated- often because they don't really restrict much and the amount of evidence for tooth damage seems to be increasing.
 
lamlyn2012 said:
I would do options 1 & 2 together until the grass has reduced enough to stay out 24/7. I hate muzzles!
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I used to hate them too, until I was presented with having to turn mine out alone separate from his best mate as the only alternative. Since then I opt for horse contact and ability to move and burn a few more calories. Our home grass never really reduces enough without some sort of management, we did 2 horses on less than an acre from March through to October last year (they start on about a quarter of an acre), it just about let off then we get the September flush! It was only when I moved away that I realised that not all paddocks are quite so grass mad as what we deal with :D.
 
I've done the restriction thing all ways and much prefer muzzling and giving them space to move. At the moment I have two out on an acre during the day and the occasional night, and in at night on soaked hay in a barn together. I am just trying to get as much weight off them before the grass properly comes through-despite not feeding they came out of a bad winter decidedly well! Both ponies can eat hay through their muzzles off the ground. They look good right now.

I rotate through a Dinky and a Best Friend on the Fell and a shires and a Best Friend on the Exmoor. The Exmoor needs more restriction than the Fell. I don't understand why people dislike them so much-better for them to be out in a nice paddock with their pals than on a tiny, bare dust pit. I keep both of mine out on 5-7 acres of meadow across the summer this way. If they rub its generally because they are too small and dont be worried about customising it-some of mine have duct tape, sheepskin, shortened straps etc.

People keep mentioning enamel damage through muzzles-while it can/does happen I've never had any problems with mine using the above muzzles (been using them on different ponies for over a decade). I have seen excessive tooth wear on ponies kept on bare/very short paddocks for years though-pony's gonna eat, you can only change how much/what they're going to eat ime.

Both my ponies take an XL Dinky-I've no idea how they fit actual XL heads though.
 
An easy-breathe muzzle was great for Diva at first, then she learnt how to remove it in about 5 seconds and that was it then, she just wouldn’t tolerate anything. She got a chin rub from it at first, but I just sewed a fleece pad into it and put some duct tape on the part that was rubbing her.

Trying to find another muzzle that she can’t remove but it’s near impossible. She went through a gate last year in her desperation to get one off.
 
Dinky muzzle is the only one my traditional cob will tolerate. Anything else rubs really badly within a few days and / or doesn't stay on, possibly because he dedicates his entire time to trying to get it off. I tried many types, lots of customisation with fleece etc and nothing else worked. I think they get a bit more through the dinky than the others, but still better than no muzzle at all.

My pony does chew through his dinky muzzle after a while so I do have to replace his fairly regularly.

My cob nearly hung himself with a greenguard as I assumed (wrongly) the special headcollar was field safe.
 
My mare is out in a green guard - our grass is coming through too fast and too well to not muzzle. She gets enough through it to stop her ulcers kicking off, but not so much she gets ill.

A few straps on mine have vanished and been replaced by baling twine so hoping it would break if she got stuck.

She really hated the shires bucket muzzle and wouldn't eat or drink with it on, but does ok with the green guard.
 
Bertolie said:
I have a 15.2 Traditional Cob x Clydesdale who needs to lose some weight. She is also being classed as a prime candidate for laminitis although I've had her for 3 years and she has never had it even when on 24/7 turnout on ex dairy grazing. YO at current yard is concerned and has recommended:-
1. limiting turnout to 3-4 hours in the afternoon (horses are stabled at night all year round)
2. Sectioning off a small area in the paddock for her, although there is quite a fair amount of grass in the summer paddock already
3. Turning her out during the day with a muzzle.

I dont like muzzles but if this is the best option I'm willing to give it a try so can i have grazing muzzle recommendations please? She is a chunky girl who takes a full or x-full headcollar/bridle depending on make.
Click to expand...

What works for mine is turned out 8 - 10.30am then comes in - goes out from 2 - 4 pm

Dinky muzzles the best but they do chew through them by end of season

I cannot put muzzle on as it is off within 10 minutes or less
 
I just think you have to weigh the pros and cons, and find a combination that works. For example, I do feel that not being able to properly mutual-groom with a muzzle on is a real drawback. I'd rather have my boy in a (nearly) bare paddock for some time with his mate where they can properly groom and interact, than have them spend all their time in a bigger area, if that means muzzle on for 24 hours.

I made my greenguard headcollar field safe by replacing the short nylon strap between the buckle (under the ear) and the ring (on the left cheek, joining throat and cheek piece to the buckle) with a short leather strap stitched together with just a few stitches, to create a breakaway point. Might even be possible to replace that bit of nylon with some velcro, if the horse doesn't clue into it and rubs the velcro open.
 
Thanks all. Her weight issue is made worse at present as she is not being ridden due to various problems (unexplained lameness, head shaking and liver problems). I am waiting on the results of her latest blood test so will speak to vet about managing her weight/laminitis risk. The other consideration is that she was starved in a previous home and can be a bolshy madam especially when she feels she isnt getting enough to eat so muzzling her may not be the best option but i wont know unless i try. Will have a look at some muzzles over the weekend then speak to vet and hopefully i can sort the best option for her.
 
I tried that last year... day1 muzzle fitted as per instructions, later found on ground; day 2 muzzle fitted and tightened, later found on ground; day 3 muzzle fitted and carefully tightened with head collar over the top, later found on ground; day 4 muzzle fitted, head collar on top, forelock plaited around headpiece of muzzle....guess what, found on the ground with head Collar! Each time all straps were still buckled. We suspect clever (fat) welsh x with smug look on face had gained assistance from his rabbit-killing, rug- destroying TB field mate...day 5 I decided box walking was better than risking lami, so he started coming in with limited turn out. Having returned to a much sportier condition over winter, I’m now back on limited turn out to try and prevent him getting so round as last year. Good luck if you try a muzzle, but it isn’t always successful!
 
I got this idea off of another forum, to keep my horses muzzle on I cut off all the straps and cable tied it on to a leather head collar, it has worked a treat for my horse and the leather is safe as it will break if he ever gets caught up, not like the nylon
 
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