Grazing muzzles

[b0508]

I know I am thinking ahead but at what time of the year do your put the grazing muzzles back on your chubby ponies?My horse came to me at the end of summer and is still rather round so just preparing ahead and would like to know all your opinions.Thanks in advance.

 

[littlen]

I use a muzzle from May- Nov and he is never turned out without it! (fat lami prone horse)

I have tried many muzzles but the only one I have found that stays on is the aerbourne/shires ones, they are softer as well but I am yet to find a muzzle that dosent rub so i usually wrap the cheek pieces in fleece. He still gets it off sometimes though but at least its comfy for him. He has managed to make the hole in the bottom bigger too so id say the muzzle will only last one summer before needing to be replaced, saying that at less than £20 its cheaper than most options.

Dinky muzzles are also good and dont rub as much, but let mor grass in than other types I find so no good for me.

Finally the greennguard is an option to try if you have the money. Personally it didnt work for my horse as he has a fine nose and just ate out of the sides of it but i have seen them work fine on chunky cobs! Also mine lasted about 5 mins before he managed to snap it!

 

[b0508]

Thanks greywelshie. I got my horse at around august but we didn't put a muzzle on her.She has made good progress in her weight loss at the moment ,but as soon as the grass starts to grow again she will soon baloon and thats the last thing i want.She lives out 24/7 and does not get any hard feed. I will probably try the shires on her and see if it fits this is a picture of her head

 

[littlen]

Mine is also out 24/7 in summer and balloons every year, the muzzle slows down the weight gain but dosent stop it unfortunatley!

I found that its easier to put the muzzle on before the weight gain starts, so as soon as you notice the grass changing. Its much easier to prevent weight gain than to get rid of weight thats already stuck on as im sure youve found! I find the grass changes about May hence the muzzling starting then.

With the shires muzzles I had to go up a size (normally a cob size but he takes a full in the shires) He is a 15hh arab so yours might well need to go up a size too (she is beautiful by the way!)
At first she will proberbly stand looking miserable, but persevere they soon get used to it. Mine stands looking miserable while im watching but the second I drive away he starts stuffing his face as if he has no muzzle on at all lol!

 

[b0508]

Shes only got a small head though the head collar she has on in that picture is Cob but it is on the first hole.So she may be okay with a Cob size.

Thats was my intention to put it on before she starts to put weight on, otherwise i will find it so hard to get off again.I would rather her be misrable then have lami. When the vet did the vetting she said that she has probably had lami in the past so I don't want that happening again.

Thanks for the advice I think she is beautiful aswell but I am biased.

 

[kylie88]

those of you that use grazing muzzles do your horses really get use to them? i tried the roma 1 on my haffy in the summer but he just didnt seem to get the idea he could eat out of it and i felt really crule putting him in a field with grass with it on,as he seems to stress that hes in a field with grass but cant eat it rather than leaving him in a small field with hardley any grass. was i just bein a softy

 

[tabithakat64]

My pony really doesn't mind her muzzle, my horse however was wrecking one a day and hated his. My pony has had lami before and wears her muzzle for 10 months a year when turned out.