Grazing muzzles

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chaps89

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After some recommendations please

For the last few years I've been using one of the freegraze airflow/ultimate grazing blue muzzles, with the cut out bits at the front to make it roomier. However he has just been pushing the muzzle to the side and eating out of the breathing hole rather than through the intended hole in the bottom of the muzzle - even if I enlarge that hole.

After a bit of a scare last night, I'm looking at new muzzle options.
There is the flexible filly but I think he'll do the same with that.
There's two more rigid options, the breezy grazer and green guards, I'm just a bit worried about rubs? And wonder if with the breezy grazer he'll do exactly the same and swivel it round to eat through a gap.
Then bucket style it looks like possibly the best friend have a heart muzzle might be a bit nicer for him to wear than a traditional muzzle and might also stay in place better? Or the shires Flexi grazer?

If anyone has used any of these and can let me know your thoughts or has a pony that does the same and found a way around it I'm all ears!

And if anyone fancies a giggle, there is always this non-option 😂 Here
 
chaps89 said:
After some recommendations please

For the last few years I've been using one of the freegraze airflow/ultimate grazing blue muzzles, with the cut out bits at the front to make it roomier. However he has just been pushing the muzzle to the side and eating out of the breathing hole rather than through the intended hole in the bottom of the muzzle - even if I enlarge that hole.

After a bit of a scare last night, I'm looking at new muzzle options.
There is the flexible filly but I think he'll do the same with that.
There's two more rigid options, the breezy grazer and green guards, I'm just a bit worried about rubs? And wonder if with the breezy grazer he'll do exactly the same and swivel it round to eat through a gap.
Then bucket style it looks like possibly the best friend have a heart muzzle might be a bit nicer for him to wear than a traditional muzzle and might also stay in place better? Or the shires Flexi grazer?

If anyone has used any of these and can let me know your thoughts or has a pony that does the same and found a way around it I'm all ears!

And if anyone fancies a giggle, there is always this non-option 😂 Here
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Lite Bite, which attaches to your headcollar and is ‘tooth kind’,
Best Friend, I prefer the largest / deepest with the halter attachment, and wind the strap under a headcollar of your own.
Both tried and tested with inveterate muzzle removers / sideways dodgers / greedy little so and sos. (Personally, prefer to team any muzzles with a basic leather headcollar with single buckle fastening, not extra clips and hooks at the nose and throat)
Cows don’t have top teeth, a tongue tie might make more sense?!
 
chaps89 said:
And if anyone fancies a giggle, there is always this non-option 😂 Here
Click to expand...

I love their pictures of a horse...and an autoparts company is exacty who I would go to for a muzzle.😂😂😂 That is a fab find!

There are a couple of horses doing the same on my yard (where the muzzled horses almost exclusively wear FF muzzles) - both owners have put another off-set FF muzzle on top. It's probably easy to find a slightly damaged FF muzzle on a local FB group to put as the outer off-set one.

I like the look of the breezy grazer, but I'm put off by rigid plastic and what it might do to teeth after seeing the damage from greenguards. It's a very new muzzle so, imo, there hasn't been much time to gather info on that aspect.
 
I use a flexible filly for the older horses and even though they do eat out the sides a bit, it does seem to reduce their intake without making them too cross or hot.

The Shetland, however, is a different matter. Having worn his ultimate grazing muzzle for months over the spring with no issue, he has worked out how to destroy them in 12 hours (I think he must hook them on the edge of the water trough until they break/the leather headpiece snaps). I’m loathe to buy him a FF or similar as if he does the same I may as well just throw away £100+. So watching this thread for ideas!
 
I have a ridiculously expensive one that looked super comfy for the horse, but a determined horse could easily remove it. When it appeared in the post, I panicked at how easy it looked to shake off, and then bought a Breazy Grazer from Red’s partner, in case it didn’t work.

Luckily my horse isn’t determined. She’s kept expensive muzzle on. Backup Breazy Grazer has stayed in my locker, so I can’t give a review of it.

The one she’s got is a German special called the Easy Grazer.

IMG_3480.jpeg
 
Caol Ila said:
I have a ridiculously expensive one that looked super comfy for the horse, but a determined horse could easily remove it. When it appeared in the post, I panicked at how easy it looked to shake off, and then bought a Breazy Grazer from Red’s partner, in case it didn’t work.

Luckily my horse isn’t determined. She’s kept expensive muzzle on. Backup Breazy Grazer has stayed in my locker, so I can’t give a review of it.

The one she’s got is a German special called the Easy Grazer.

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When you said expensive my first thought was, most grazing muzzles are. Then I looked them up and my eyes nearly fell out of my head, you are not wrong 😳 however I'm glad you found something that suits Hermosa, sometimes if something works it's worth spending out on
 
When Old Dobbin needed one, the choice was limited. I eventually settled on a Tough 1 Easy Breathe from USA. I had to punch a hole through the velcro quick release and put a thin cable tie through it, but otherwise, it was tolerated well and each one lasted around three summers before he trashed it.
 
So I went with the Lite Bite.
I like that it's soft and I like the idea of a slit in the bottom rather than the hole, and the customer service is good.
He's only worn it for a few hours yesterday and half a day today but he can't seem to get to grips with not eating out of the side 🤦‍♀️ I've enlarged the slit slightly and will try for a few more days before abandoning.
It is quite a bit heavier than I expected (noticeably heavier than the thin line) and based on the gunk around the bit that goes in front of his nose I will admit to not being totally sold on it.

Screenshot_20250919-184148~2.jpg
 
chaps89 said:
So I went with the Lite Bite.
I like that it's soft and I like the idea of a slit in the bottom rather than the hole, and the customer service is good.
He's only worn it for a few hours yesterday and half a day today but he can't seem to get to grips with not eating out of the side 🤦‍♀️ I've enlarged the slit slightly and will try for a few more days before abandoning.
It is quite a bit heavier than I expected (noticeably heavier than the thin line) and based on the gunk around the bit that goes in front of his nose I will admit to not being totally sold on it.

View attachment 166777
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I wonder, if yours was used to eating from the sides, as in via holes intended for breathing, it might be worth trying the muzzle rotated, so the slit is across, side to side rather than front to back?
Just an idea, to be fair, mine managed easily from the very first, but I also use holding Velcro through the top slots at the muzzle corners (photo looks as though yours is left open there). Looks like bits of grass in the base, though, so he must be nipping off something!
Scrubbing any muzzle daily with some washing up liquid is usually necessary, hope your horse gets the hang of things soon.
 
Someone else at the yard has one of those Lite-Bite ones, and I am not wild about it. Neither was their horse, who went mental, throwing herself at the ground/fences/anything wildly to try to get it off. The owners were forced to take her views on board.

It does look stuffy and hot and the breathing holes look tiny.
 
Caol Ila said:
I have a ridiculously expensive one that looked super comfy for the horse, but a determined horse could easily remove it. When it appeared in the post, I panicked at how easy it looked to shake off, and then bought a Breazy Grazer from Red’s partner, in case it didn’t work.

Luckily my horse isn’t determined. She’s kept expensive muzzle on. Backup Breazy Grazer has stayed in my locker, so I can’t give a review of it.

The one she’s got is a German special called the Easy Grazer.

View attachment 166280
Click to expand...
I’ve used those Easy grazer muzzles on two horses. No problems, apart from the cost.
 
Mine have shires freegrazer/easigrazer muzzles, they have a range so u can pick one to suit ur horse a bit more.

Definitely go with a size up for them and don’t panic if it looks a bit big on arrival. Erin has taken to it like a duck to water and found it easy to get the hang of.

However, Saus just stands there trying to telepathically communicate to you that she’s obviously not supposed to be in this contraption. I’m trying plan C for giving her the idea that yes, blades of grass are supposed to go through the hole, and no, it’s not scary when that happens… 🤣
 
A muzzle that leaves the nostrils uncovered, and a grazing slot big enough for grass to touch the horse's lips will be tolerated better. I think I would modify your muzzle by cutting out nostril holes and extending the slot to 50% credit card size. Smooth off any sharp edges. It's a fine balance between restricting intake, and restricting it so much that the horse has to graze for longer.
 
I have the Flexible Filly. Used the Greenguard one on a previous horse.

Have the Harry Hall one for Fatty Pony but it has rubbed her nose, which I why I got the FF one.

It was £80 as good as dammit; bleddi expensive IMO for what is essentially a piece of soft plastic. And that is all it is, it doesn't come with the compatible headcollar or anything, that's extra! You then have the rather fiddly job of adjusting the darn thing so that it fits properly; I tried it on an ordinary field headcollar (they recommend you use a breakaway one) which really didn't fit at all well - then I saw a "FF" compatible headcollar advertised on Marketplace and bought that one. Much much better, and far easier to get a correct fit.

Having had a gripe about the cost of it, it DOES do the job very well and apart from having to fix the cable-tie on one bit of it occasionally, it seems pretty durable. The best one I've used. Be aware with Greenguard that it can damage their teeth - an EDT warned me about this.
 
HaplessHorse said:
Mine have shires freegrazer/easigrazer muzzles, they have a range so u can pick one to suit ur horse a bit more.

Definitely go with a size up for them and don’t panic if it looks a bit big on arrival. Erin has taken to it like a duck to water and found it easy to get the hang of.

However, Saus just stands there trying to telepathically communicate to you that she’s obviously not supposed to be in this contraption. I’m trying plan C for giving her the idea that yes, blades of grass are supposed to go through the hole, and no, it’s not scary when that happens… 🤣
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Yes, definitely size UP!
The Best Friend bucket type ones we also use are largest draught horse size on Section Ds - well up the face, plenty of room for snorting about, never get pulled down or off, whereas ‘ recommended’ sizes in various muzzles over the years have proved a waste of time, as well as seriously annoying the horse.
Our vet did recommend Lite Bite for teeth and was pleased we’d bought it, apparently some clients have tried Thin Line and Flexible Filly for teeth issues, but found they were quickly destroyed and the wretched ponies gorging as much as before.
I think Lite Bite may be more robust, anyway, we’ve had no worries with it at all.
Horses for courses, as usual.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
I have the Flexible Filly. Used the Greenguard one on a previous horse.

Have the Harry Hall one for Fatty Pony but it has rubbed her nose, which I why I got the FF one.

It was £80 as good as dammit; bleddi expensive IMO for what is essentially a piece of soft plastic. And that is all it is, it doesn't come with the compatible headcollar or anything, that's extra! You then have the rather fiddly job of adjusting the darn thing so that it fits properly; I tried it on an ordinary field headcollar (they recommend you use a breakaway one) which really didn't fit at all well - then I saw a "FF" compatible headcollar advertised on Marketplace and bought that one. Much much better, and far easier to get a correct fit.

Having had a gripe about the cost of it, it DOES do the job very well and apart from having to fix the cable-tie on one bit of it occasionally, it seems pretty durable. The best one I've used. Be aware with Greenguard that it can damage their teeth - an EDT warned me about this.
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A local pony has more or less ground its teeth away using Greenguard! Our vet has some photos as a ‘cautionary tale’, to advise other owners….
 
Caol Ila said:
I have a ridiculously expensive one that looked super comfy for the horse, but a determined horse could easily remove it. When it appeared in the post, I panicked at how easy it looked to shake off, and then bought a Breazy Grazer from Red’s partner, in case it didn’t work.

Luckily my horse isn’t determined. She’s kept expensive muzzle on. Backup Breazy Grazer has stayed in my locker, so I can’t give a review of it.

The one she’s got is a German special called the Easy Grazer.

View attachment 166280
Click to expand...
I really want one but can’t afford it 😂 they look so good.
I use a Flexible Fillies but even they must be horrible when it’s really hot weather. This one looks perfect! 😍
 
Additional update

I persevered with the lite bite, he was going off and eating in it seemingly ok, but he wouldn't go straight off to graze and would come up to me to rub his head on me and in the morning he was pretty agitated about having it on, so I've abandoned that one.

I ordered a best friend one, I sized up but I think it's too big, and again we had lots of throwing his head about as I fitted it and he wasn't settled grazing in it.

I also ordered a breezy grazer. And so far, touch wood, success! It's the only muzzle ever where putting it on hasn't been a fight and he went straight off to graze. Tonight will be his first full night in it so it'll be interesting to see how he is in the morning.
Based on the way my mare has discovered how to eat out of the side of the flexible filly, she might find herself in one of these too at this rate.
 
Used green guard for a while, not only did it rub his face it wore his teeth down :-( bog standard bucket muzzle worked for a bit then he worked out how to get it off 🤦‍♀️ flexible filly although expensive does for work for him. I sized up in the muzzle and bought their headcollar in his usual size. The cable ties will snap if the muzzle is too small or if the muzzle is too close to the face, I now use baler twine when cable ties snap! Lots of trial and error for successful fitting but we got there in the end, his teeth have improved enormously and no face rubs 👍
 
Flexible Filly can also wear teeth down. You can see in my profile photo where Treacle's front teeth have worn at the bottom. EDT and vet have both told me that is preferable to her getting a laminitis flare.
 
We used a thinline muzzle on a fat, retired ISH - even with maximum padding around the compatible head collar it was rubbing him raw especially under his chin. He couldn’t have it on 24/7 so he was coming in to soaked hay overnight. He did lose weight but also ended up with faecal water syndrome because he wasn’t getting enough fibre through his system and he was miserable. He’s now back in semi-work (light hacking) and still fat but not hideously so without the muzzle.
 
I use the ultimate grazing one from Harry Hall and have never had a single issue with it. My YO got the same one for her three and there is only one of them that it doesn't rub horrifically 🙃 doesn't even rub the affected two in the same way.

They need some sort of hire service like they do for hoof boots!
 
JenJ said:
Flexible Filly can also wear teeth down. You can see in my profile photo where Treacle's front teeth have worn at the bottom. EDT and vet have both told me that is preferable to her getting a laminitis flare.
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👍 I was told the same by our vet, worn teeth more preferable to laminitis. Teeth wear is def less with FF muzzle for my cob
 
smolmaus said:
I use the ultimate grazing one from Harry Hall and have never had a single issue with it. My YO got the same one for her three and there is only one of them that it doesn't rub horrifically 🙃 doesn't even rub the affected two in the same way.

They need some sort of hire service like they do for hoof boots!
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It is definitely horses for courses, in the same way two people with the same sized feet won’t necessarily be comfy in the same style of footwear, plus how that horse learns to eat through muzzles.
At least you’re happy, and YO’s now got a couple of spares!
 
chaps89 said:
Additional update

I persevered with the lite bite, he was going off and eating in it seemingly ok, but he wouldn't go straight off to graze and would come up to me to rub his head on me and in the morning he was pretty agitated about having it on, so I've abandoned that one.

I ordered a best friend one, I sized up but I think it's too big, and again we had lots of throwing his head about as I fitted it and he wasn't settled grazing in it.

I also ordered a breezy grazer. And so far, touch wood, success! It's the only muzzle ever where putting it on hasn't been a fight and he went straight off to graze. Tonight will be his first full night in it so it'll be interesting to see how he is in the morning.
Based on the way my mare has discovered how to eat out of the side of the flexible filly, she might find herself in one of these too at this rate.
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Well done on finally finding a suitable muzzle, anyway!
F.Filly seems relatively easy for horses to either circumvent, or trash, heard that a lot.
However, you should be able to sell the redundant ones easily enough: barely used, not cheap brands, and the grass is still growing….
Hope he’s still nibbling happily this morning.
 
JenJ said:
Flexible Filly can also wear teeth down. You can see in my profile photo where Treacle's front teeth have worn at the bottom. EDT and vet have both told me that is preferable to her getting a laminitis flare.
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I didn't know that - useful to see, so thank you for posting. I was under the impression that toothwear would be minimal/non-existant with that muzzle but obviously not. I will be having a long look inside Archie's mouth in the morning.

However as you say, definitely preferable to laminitis.
 
Surbie said:
I didn't know that - useful to see, so thank you for posting. I was under the impression that toothwear would be minimal/non-existant with that muzzle but obviously not. I will be having a long look inside Archie's mouth in the morning.

However as you say, definitely preferable to laminitis.
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So was I!!!! :(
 
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