Grazing muzzles....

[mustardsmum]

Just after a bit of advice after the vet suggested a grazing muzzle for our EMS pony who is miserable coming in off the grass and standing on a bare area for most of the day with hay, but will get lami if we don't restrict his intake of grass. I have looked a several, and just wanted some thoughts on what people thought were good muzzles and which are ones to avoid. I quite like the look of the ThinLine flexible slow Feed muzzle but it has a hefty price tag and there are not many reviews as this is a new muzzle! I have a vague memory that someone mentioned them recently in a post, but can't find the post. I am also looking at the Shires Deluxe muzzel with the sheepskin, but not so convinced by the Greenguard as I dont linke the strap down the centre of the horses face. Pony in question is a 14.1 connemara, who comes off the grass for 12 hours a day. Be interested to hear of peoples experiences - I must admit I have always hated the idea of a muzzle but I am willing to try if it improves his quality of life!

 

[Michen]

I've just ordered the thinline muzzle. Will let you know how I get on!

 

[mustardsmum]

That would be fab, thanks Michen!

 

[Honey08]

I’ve not seen the Thinline ones, but I’ve changed from the Shires bucket type muzzles to Greenguard this year and they seem much happier in them. I don’t mind the strap down the face, it doesn’t seem to bother them, but I removed the strap from round the gullet. I couldn’t see what it achieved and I didn’t like a fairly tight strap there all day.

 

[daydreamer]

I also ordered the thin line muzzle yesterday! Hoping my youngster tolerates it as it was expensive!

 

[GinaGeo]

I use the Shires Deluxe in several sizes too big. It doesn't rub at all and he's quite happy wearing it

 

[Polos Mum]

The shires are good but Velcro deteriorates and so they don't last more than a year or so.
Greengard are tougher but with all this wet it's rubbing a little.

I suspect it depends on the shape of your horses face / nose a bit

I read recently that a horse can gorge as much in 3 hours as it would eat in 12 if they are being restricted then let out for a bit. So your 12 hours in then 12 hours on nice grass might be having almost no effect.

 

[sherry90]

I have the thin line and rate it. I use sheepskin Le Mieux hesdcollar attachments so it doesn’t rub and use a leather headcollar. He wears it max 12 hours a day and doesn’t mind having it on. Some slight rub on the nose band (but this is more dirt/colouring off the fluff and isn’t sore!) I would recommend.

 

[holeymoley]

The thin line one is excellent, is almost as if they’re not wearing one. I used a Shires muzzle for years but felt it was really restrictive. This one is much much better.

 

[Spotherisk]

The bucket style webbing ones always worked for my boy, the deluxe versions with the cut away on the lower jaw didn’t, he could get his jaw outside of them. He wasn’t fussed about wearing them, but definitely struggled when the hill pony sunk his teeth into them and swung on them!

 

[asmp]

After reading lots of reviews I bought the Dinky’s one for my horse. He wears it happily (didn’t like bucket ones)

 

[ABCCaitlinP]

I have the GreenGuard but with a fieldsafe head collar rather than the actual headcollar, my mare is a Houdini. A friend on my yard uses the actual headcollar with the muzzle and neither of us have noticed one is better than the other. We have noticed however we would never change from a GreenGuard muzzle as it’s made a massive difference to our horses lives! I have an EMS pony if you need any more information on their upkeep

 

[pixie]

Mine is in a shires deluxe. He wears in 24/7 and has to have his mane plaited over it to stop him from pulling it off. Once he knows that he can't get it off he is pretty content with it. He is still able to eat more than sufficient.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’ve been using the thin line muzzle a few weeks now and just bought a second as it’s amazing.
I usually bucket muzzle, then plait and do all sorts to fasten it to the ponies heads. They are miserable, run out to instantly start trying to remove them.... usually takes not very long to do!
The thin line has never come off and the trial pony is happy in it, he doesn’t even try to get it off, he go’s out and grazes normally.
It’s also far kinder on warm days and more comfortable.
I can completely recommend.

 

[Bernster]

Currently using a green guard which I like as it’s more open. The shires one rubbed and seemed less comfortable in summer as it’s quite ‘dense’. i still need to use the sheepskin fluff to stop the head collar rubbing but it’s def better in the GG.

His field mate has a thin line. They both manage to get each other’s off at times but it does look quite interesting. The fittings (little wire attachments have come off but easy to pop new ones on.

 

[mustardsmum]

Thank you everyone for your advice, its all been really helpful. I am just off to buy (gulp) the Thin Line muzzel....

I read recently that a horse can gorge as much in 3 hours as it would eat in 12 if they are being restricted then let out for a bit. So your 12 hours in then 12 hours on nice grass might be having almost no effect.

He has never been muzzled before, and I am a bit cautious about it because I am not a muzzle fan, but this pony is one where I have decided he would be happier out with his field mate grazing a little all day, than the 12 hours in and 12 hours out routine we currently have. And I agree, Polo's Mum, that the reality is this boy is probably eating as much in 12 hours as he can in 24, and the size of his neck is evidence of this.....

Will let you all know how we get on!

 

[alexomahony]

Hi @mustardsmum, how did you get on with the Thineline?

I currently have one sat in a basket debating on whether to press 'buy' or not!

 

[mustardsmum]

Hi @alexomahony

We found them to be excellent and mine are washed and ready for next spring!! So yes, if you are looking for an alternative to the more traditional muzzle I would definitely get one of these! It really made a huge difference to the management of two of my lami prone ponies. They can be a bit tricky to fit but once fitted they were great - and both Thinline and Comfy Horse (where we bought ours) were super helpful, looking at photos and sending a smaller size in one case. We attached them to normal leather headcollars, one had a sheepskin noseband as she is thin skinned but the other was fine. Muzzles on 12 hours a day and they were both perfectly happy. They took a day to suss out how to eat through the little hole, but once they got the hang of it, they were fine! So yes, I would def recommend

 

[alexomahony]

Hi @alexomahony

We found them to be excellent and mine are washed and ready for next spring!! So yes, if you are looking for an alternative to the more traditional muzzle I would definitely get one of these! It really made a huge difference to the management of two of my lami prone ponies. They can be a bit tricky to fit but once fitted they were great - and both Thinline and Comfy Horse (where we bought ours) were super helpful, looking at photos and sending a smaller size in one case. We attached them to normal leather headcollars, one had a sheepskin noseband as she is thin skinned but the other was fine. Muzzles on 12 hours a day and they were both perfectly happy. They took a day to suss out how to eat through the little hole, but once they got the hang of it, they were fine! So yes, I would def recommend

Oh that's great thank you!! I'll invest after Christmas

 

[vhf]

I use the Shires deluxe, and an old-style greenguard attached to my own headcollar (so no strap down the nose.) Went up a size on the deluxe (so a Full on a Cob-sized head) and wash the sheepskin every few days to avoid too much rubbing. Use the deluxe when I need to restrict more, switch to the greenguard when I can afford to let her have a bit more grass as it allows more grass through the holes.

 

[fankino04]

I will confess I don't have any experience or knowledge of grazing muzzles but when I moved my mare to her new retirement livery in September I hoped that having so much grass available might stop her from guzzling so much and being part of a heard might mean she didn't put on as much weight as I feared she might, sadly this has not been the case and I don't see how we can stay there in the spring but we both love the place. Would a grazing muzzle be worth trying? I assume they shouldn't stay on 24/7 but would it be likely to have an effect if she wore it during the day but had it off at night? (She's out 24/7)

 

[FinnBobs]

My lami prone boy has a flexible filly muzzle. It doesn't rub or seem to bother him at all and he's never managed to remove it. I've also used the Dinky muzzle which also doesn't rub him.

 

[Shysmum]

Shires comfort muzzles have been awesome for my two, a gypsy cob and a shetland pony.

 

[Irishcob6]

I’ve used a green guard, it did rub the back of my horses chin if the grass was wet and dampened the skin but otherwise liked the size of the muzzle compared to others. Mine wore the GG head collar and wasn’t bothered by the strap but did manage to get it off a few times!