Grazing muzzles

[pistolpete]

How many have made the hole bigger? It’s one of the bucket type as the green guard just didn’t work. He’s had it on for an hour and just stood. I know it takes them a while but fellow liveries saying bigger hole is the thing. Appreciate any thoughts comments experience. Thanks.

 

[outdoor girl]

I use a Shires muzzle and have made the hole slightly larger. This is the second one and the first we just removed the whole of the disc the hole is in, but eventually the base started to split. With this second one, we just made the hole slightly larger. I have to admit, she did struggle at first, before we made the hole larger, even after we'd poked grass through the hole to help her. I hope this helps you, but enlarging the hole does seem to be the answer.

 

[Ellibelli]

How many have made the hole bigger? It’s one of the bucket type as the green guard just didn’t work. He’s had it on for an hour and just stood. I know it takes them a while but fellow liveries saying bugger hole is the thing. Appreciate any thoughts comments experience. Thanks.

Sorry don't have any advice but love the typo - how did that get past admin!

 

[pistolpete]

Sorry don't have any advice but love the typo - how did that get past admin!

Oops!!! Amended!!

 

[outdoor girl]

I read your post loads of times and didn't notice that. Make sure nobody ever asks me to proof read anything!!!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Sorry don't have any advice but love the typo - how did that get past admin!

Haha! I missed that! Is it a rubber based muzzle? I’d maybe heat something up and melt it larger rather than cut it perhaps?

 

[Highmileagecob]

My friend got her other half to use the drill attachment usually used for drilling two inch diameter holes. My cob used to wear a Tough 1 Easy Breathe, which had a square hole around half the size of a credit card. He wore it 24/7 with no problems.

 

[pistolpete]

Well day three of muzzle training complete. Still daren't leave it on him but we are getting there.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

One of mine is in a muzzle 24/7 unless his mates remove it. I’ve not made the hole bigger as they learn quickly. Just go by poos. If they are green and fairly big then they are getting enough to eat. I only worry when there are less than 8 poos per night between the two of them.

 

[skint1]

I've always made the hole larger- I have usually had big horses (ID and IDx types) tbh, only my gelding successfully wore one but it was always hard to get one in his size. My ID mare has a huge head so even the ones my gelding wore would not fit her... so I splurged out on a big one that looked like it would give plenty of ventilation and space, it involves cable tying a flexible plastic part to a field safe head collar (that they provide, it has special parts to tie the cable ties to- it sounds worse than it it I promise! ) I put it on her and watched with interest, she would not eat, she would not drink, she just stood- so I took it off her. The grass is quite poor at our yard this year, so I haven't pushed it, but if we get a spurt, I will definitely be making a bigger hole and trying again.

 

[dreamcometrue]

I don’t ever enlarge the hole. My mare is a pro at using a muzzle. I lent one to a friend whose horse stood for hours not even attempting to try to graze but within a week she was grazing like a good ‘un. They all learn pretty quickly.

 

[pistolpete]

Well he’s wearing it now and only got it off once so far!

 

[AntiPuck]

I've not enlarged the hole, but the muzzle (Ultimate Muzzle) i'm using has a vertical, rectangular hole, instead of circular, which I think is naturally a bit easier for them to get used to as they don't have to move their head 'just right' to get the grass. Mine got a bit stressed in a greenguard but took to the ultimate straight away.

 

[pistolpete]

So now he has three raw rubs after three days Argh!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Which muzzle are you using?

 

[MuddyMonster]

You have my sympathy.

If my pony doesn't destroy them, he is prone to being rubbed by muzzles.

I've found the Flexible Filly muzzle rubs least (but we are also on our third as he's broken the other two ?) but also having different muzzles to alternate.

We're having reasonable success with alternating the FF & the Greenguard muzzles.

 

[pistolpete]

Currently on a shires fur lined bucket muzzle the green guard just didn’t work for him. Contemplating the extortionately expensive flexible filly!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I’ve not tried the flexible filly on DP but have heard good things about them. Fitted properly they seem to negate most rubs so while they are expensive it might be worth a try. DP is incredibly sensitive skinned and the Greenguard rubbed him but I’ve had good results with his Dinky and the Kramer bucket one he is currently in but like MM I tend to alternate so the pressure points are in different places. I do slather him in sudocreme as well especially if I find a bald patch.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I love my FF muzzles. One pony gets rubs, he is super sensitive though at the best of times so I buy fleece noseband covers which are fab

 

[saddlesore]

The FF muzzle is a total game changer. Everything else rubbed my pink skinned boy but no issues with that one at all. Worth the money for that alone.

 

[pistolpete]

Sore chin :-(

 

[Highmileagecob]

Either go to the bargain store and buy a child's beach wetsuit - chop out a patch and stitch it over the rubbing bit on the muzzle, or cut out the bit that rubs with a craft knife.
Neoprene is the best anti-rub fabric to use as it dries very quickly.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I think the flexible filly would be a better option seeing those two higher up rubs. You can expect a bit of hair rubbed off the muzzle and chin areas but you won’t be able to put another bucket muzzle on until they have healed fully.

 

[palo1]

I have used the Ultimate muzzle with no issues at all; I liked the FF one but it got ripped and I thought it was way too expensive to keep replacing so tried an Ultimate muzzle. I love it and it is different in the way it sits on the horse to other muzzles.

 

[AntiPuck]

Agree, the Ultimate Muzzle is the only one that hasn't rubbed my horse. The FF rubbed her loads (potentially because it didn't fit well), as did the headcollar it was attached to, but the Ultimate fits very loose and doesn't touch the chin.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I will have to replace DP’s muzzles soon as the Dinkey wears out in a summer and he’s ripped some stitching on the Kramer and it’s held together with flexi ties ? I’m really interested in the Ultimate and keep looking at pictures of it but can’t see how it’s any different to a bucket style one other than the front is higher.

For those using them can I have the lowdown on them please. Ease of setup, rubs and if so where, get off ability with or without assistance, durability and what you like or dislike. TIA.

 

[Highmileagecob]

The Ultimate has the same muzzle guard as the Tough 1 Easy Breath. It comes a lot higher up the face than the Tough 1 and if you have a cob with a large head, as I have, it is difficult for them to open their mouth or to get proper side to side chewing motion. It seems a really good option if you have a horse who has learned to stand on the mouth guard and push it sideways.

 

[AntiPuck]

I will have to replace DP’s muzzles soon as the Dinkey wears out in a summer and he’s ripped some stitching on the Kramer and it’s held together with flexi ties ? I’m really interested in the Ultimate and keep looking at pictures of it but can’t see how it’s any different to a bucket style one other than the front is higher.

For those using them can I have the lowdown on them please. Ease of setup, rubs and if so where, get off ability with or without assistance, durability and what you like or dislike. TIA.

The ultimate fits very loosely, so it doesn't have the 'closed-in' feel that a bucket muzzle does (at least, in my opinion, i've never worn either!) - it sits much higher on the front, which makes it hard to remove, and the back is very loose so you're less likely to get any chin rubbing as it shouldn't be touching the horse at the back. The nose holes are nice and big, so they can breathe easily, and it allows some ventilation through. I also found, as said earlier, my horse could eat straight away through the rectangular hole, but really struggled with the greenguard style (got quite stressed, pacing up and down the field), and the circular hole of the Flexible Filly (ate out of the sides instead which rubbed her nose/chin to bits).

I think it would be hard for a horse to get off, even with assistance, because of the high front - I do plait over the head strap, though, just in case. Seems durable enough so far, but haven't made it through a whole season yet, no teeth marks or signs of wear on the inside. No real set-up required, just make sure you buy the right size as it does need to be loose.

I don't think there's anything revolutionary in it, it's just an improvement on the design of your standard bucket muzzle.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Thank you both for the replies, I like the idea it’s got a loose feel without being able to tip it off the nose. It’s one of the things he’s very adept at doing so I have to make it tighter than I would like it to be. He is a cob sized head but is fine boned and not at all chunky so I may invest in one for next year.

 

[outdoor girl]

That's just where it used to rub my horse. I put Vaseline on the bit under her chin and it solved the problem. I also lined the top edge with some of the fluffy girth sleeve material and that stopped the rubbing on her head.