Green guard muzzles..Are they worth it?

Toffee44

Toffee44

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I have resigned to the fact Samba is a very very good doer, currently she is wearing a shires muzzle but the bottom of it is wearing.

Are the green guards worth it?? She is a clever ponio who needs her muzzle threaded through a head collar to keep it on.

Thanks.
 
My girl managed to get the edge of the green guard in her mouth and just chewed the grass around it, but I didn't have the proper head coller for it. I go through a couple of the shires ones each summer but still find they work the best
 
IMO there a waste of money my boss bought 4 at work 2 for the highlands 2 for the sec a's. They spent more time on the paddock floors than the ponies heads!! That was with the green guard head collars there now hanging up in the tack room and the ponies are back with shires bucket muzzles!!
 
after suffering from a mild patch of lami and being diagnosed with cushings in oct, a greenguard muzzle was my saviour! my pony hated the shires and would stand and sulk but was happy in a greenguard. he is a pony who loses his fly mask within a hour of it being on but *touch wood* never got the greenguard off...i plaited his mane over into his forelock just for extra security! i've bought 1 for my cob for this year too who lives off fresh air as he ate his way through the shires:rolleyes:
 
Both my ID and Sec A have destroyed shires type muzzles within days but greenguards have lasted years. ID originally had greenguard
 
Oops stupid phone.
ID originally had greenguard attached to normal head collar but both now are used with greenguard head collar and haven't managed to get them off.
Definitely more long lasting than shires type.
 
I loved it for my Welsh mare it was a life saver she just didn't get on with the shires type not eating or drinking at all so I spent the money and was glad I did! I have heard a few stories about horses being able to manoeuvre them and I don't think they restrict as much as a shires but muzzles really depend on what suits each individual Equine. Current pony has a shires which does the job perfectly for him.
 
Mixed reviews - 1 friend uses the greenguard headcollar and muzzle on both of hers with great success (both good doers). Another friend tried it numerous times but her pony keep taking it off!! I tried to help her with fitting it and he just got out of it every time.

See if you can borrow one before buying if possible!
 
one of mine has this and the headcollar to go with. Ive found it on the floor a few times, and once the headcollar was mullered so needed replacing.

Jurys out on how good it is, I havent tried any others with her, it doesnt seem to slow her down greatly...
 
See, I think it depends on the horses lip/muzzle shape. It's just my theory anyway...

Pouty fleshy lips don't seem to get on with greenguard and are better off in shires whereas horses with smooth short muzzles/no lips get on better with them.

But then, this is only my experience, it could well be that there are many variables which make them work or not. It's good that there are a two styles of grazing muzzles, at least you can find one that suits.
 
No - buy a Best Friend Muzzle, they can't cheat with them. It's a small hole in the bottom of a bucket type muzzle.
 
tallyho! said:
See, I think it depends on the horses lip/muzzle shape. It's just my theory anyway...

Pouty fleshy lips don't seem to get on with greenguard and are better off in shires whereas horses with smooth short muzzles/no lips get on better with them.
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Possibly. Mine was on an Irish Draught (heavy type), It would be interesting to see what other peoples were used on :)
 
Best friend are like the shires and dinky pony ones... same style, different clasps/clips/velcro/thingies... :)
 
Toffee44 said:
I have resigned to the fact Samba is a very very good doer, currently she is wearing a shires muzzle but the bottom of it is wearing.

Are the green guards worth it?? She is a clever ponio who needs her muzzle threaded through a head collar to keep it on.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

IMO no, waste of money, don't work, don't know what horses/pony's they test these products on, IMO it doesn't work and could result in an animal losing its life when the owner thinks it is working.

I use the shires bucket ones, I used the remnants of the greenguard headcollar I had so that did come into some use. I use the centre strap, and the extra throat lash, I thread the centre strap attachment onto the top of the muzzle and duck tape it both sides so it stays in the centre, also duck tape the extra throat lash at the same time to stop it moving, touch wood my horse rarely gets his muzzle off, you could give it a try, the headcollars are about a tenner, its worth it if it works for you as it does for me.
 
muzzle001.jpg


muzzle006.jpg
 
My mare wont eat in a muzzle! She is a VERY good doer and just looking at grass piles on the pounds!!
I really wish I could use one though as my horse has ringbone & sidebones so ideally should be out 24/7 but she just stands all day not eating and then when it is off she gorges so is just as fat as if she didn't have one on at all!!

Any wonderful inventions/tips out there to help me??? :o
 
My Fell mare has worn a greenguard muzzle for the last summers and i find it brilliant, she had to be turned away last summer due to an injury so she wore it 24/7 for 6 months, no rubs at all and only got it off once.I did buy her a new one at the start of last year as the new ones are a better shape. My sec A on the other hand can get any muzzle of within 5 mins of going out :mad:
 
Well am I the only one who loves the greenguard? My laminitic pony never gets to see grass without one on and has never got it off but has with the bucket type which I hate. I use a normal headcollar and tie it on with good old bailer tine. Stays put no problem
 
Seen those bestfriend ones on ebay was going to ask about those too. How do you find the sizing of them?


Aarrgh I could make an expensive mistake if she breaks one though or the green gaurd doesnt work. Or I might just go buy a bright pink muzzle which I can locate if she looses it.

Its never black and white lol.

Thank you for your replies.
 
I tried to use a shires muzzle last year but couldn't even get the pony out of the stable as he was going mad with it on !
I bought a greenguard muzzle this year and he is much better with it, took him about 2 weeks to stop sulking and eat but no problem now and he has dropped weight while being out for longer:)

I did find it best to tie the muzzle on rather than use the straps which his friend kept on undoing for him:D
 
Defo worth every penny. SHires one rubbed my poor horse raw even when I lined it. If you're not sure get a 2nd hand greenguard off ebay, then if it doesn't suit you can sell it again. Always use the proper headcollar and accept that the straps will break - you will find synthetic spur straps an excellent replacement.

I agree with tallyho - I think it depends on your horse's face shape!
 
Toffee44 said:
Why did your horse hate it, I have no problems with her scoffing her face through the shires one. I just hate that blasted velcro, its fun to rip off says youngster in her field.
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I think it was the fact it was fitted round his muzzle that he didn't like it, he would snort, bang his head against the wall and just jump about all round his stable whenever I tried it on him, didn't want to turn him out in it in case he hurt himself and I wasn't able to catch him:rolleyes:

His greenguard muzzle is the large size and isn't tight/fitted around his muzzle if that makes sense so he is much happier:)
 
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