Greenguard Grazing Mask

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ecrozier

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This came up in another post, and got me thinking....
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Anyone have any experiences, good or bad, of these?
In particular, has anyone's horse ever managed to get a greenguard muzzle off? I have a former laminitic pony who has her own little paddock to keep her trim and off the grass - however, I would LOVE to be able to turn her out with the others over the winter (she'll be in at night, out from about 6 til 6). Mainly because she has had OH's mare in with her for last month or so (on a diet!) and has absolutely loved having the company, so would dearly love to put her back into a herd.
But she is a bit of a houdini, so have been too scared to try grazing muzzles in the past, but they do seem to get good reviews.
I did buy her one years ago when she was out on loan but they said she got it off and I said rather than risk her ending up with lami just to get her off the grass. Not sure they fitted it correctly, and I seem to remember this was when they first came out and only came in one size...
How much grass can they get through it? Would we get away with it do you think?
Also, she is also believed to in the past have had frost induced lami - could she get frosty grass through it? Even if the grass is very 'stiff' with frost? I wouldn't leave her out overnight, its just that sometimes its still frosty when I turn out!
One last question, how many hours a day are they OK for?
Thanks guys!!
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If she has had laminitis in the past, then she shouldn't be turned out on frosty grass at all, with or without a greenguard grazing muzzle.
 
if she can get any grass of course she's going to be able to get frosty grass.

I personally didnt like the greengurad as my kid's pony broke it quite easily. I use the shires one and sew up the velcro and tighten it right up. He's not got it off yet... having previously been a complete houdini lol.
 
we use a shires on our shetland and he is also a bit of a houdini with them, we now have a special attachment sewn on that has stopped the little monkey getting it off, bascially you sew piece of webbing(like that of the rest of the muzzle pieces) onto the front of the muzzle and up to the headpiece- so it runs straight up the centre of their face. it works a treat and is pretty easy to do if you have a handy sewer around.
 
JayCeeLen - I know, that is why she comes in at night over the winter.
Katy - I just wondered whether when the grass is stiff with frost, it would mean it wouldnt bend to go through the gaps in the muzzle.
Just to point out she was 24 hours from being pts because her lami had got so bad once when she was out on loan (to a supposedly knowledgeable family, kept at livery on a welsh pony stud who were supposed to be keeping an extra eye on her as I was away at uni). We have nursed her back to complete soundness, and (touch wood) haven't had a bout of lami for over 2years now, so I'm not suggesting I could just stick a mask on and throw her out in the field! Just wondered if it might be a solution that would allow her to live in a more natural, herd ennvironment.
 
well a pony would be able to break frosty grass, so in answer to your question yes, they can eat grass through muzzles when it;s frozen. The greenguard is just plasic meshing anyway. I don't turn the pony out until midday, or not at all if the temperature means the frost doesnt thaw (and he's never had lami). do you have access to a school where pony can be turned out with a haynet perhaps? Or can someone turn her out later i the day for you?
 
These muzzles saved my ponys life as far as im concerned .

Can you not have your mare turned out for just a few hours late afternoon/evening for a bit with them... then in her usual paddock the rest of time?
I know its time consuming but its either that or leave her where she is.
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Sorry, I obviously didn't make myself clear. When I said it is still frosty when I turn out some days, I didn't mean her! I don't turn her out if it is frosty, just my boy (the other two live out all year). Hence my queries about how the greenguard worked.
No, we don't have access to a school I could turn her out in and couldn't get there at lunchtime as I work full time, but she is happy to stay in some days, there is a stallion on the yard who is always either in his stable or his paddock next to the stables, so she can always see him. So we have never had a problem keeping her in.
Anyway, as I said, having collected a pony on death's door (incidently she had never had lami, prior to going on loan, in the 5 years we had her at home), she has been fine ever since, so obviously not doing too much wrong, so maybe I'll forget the grazing mask idea - if it ain't broke, don't fix it I guess!
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Ahhh, yes, apart from being a houdini, she is also a vandal (the type of pony who pulls any rugs left over her door off, onto the floor, and then buries them in her bedding). Sounds like it might be a bad idea!
 
Hi Emma-c - I have a tiny 11hh Sec A who has chronic lami if not kept an eye on 24/7. I found the greenguard useless and she could get her tiny nose under, over and through every way!!!
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I have now bought her a Shires grassmask, but cob size, not pony. I know this sounds daft, but the pony size rubbed around her mouth etc to bits - not good, the cob size is fantastic and to date she's not bin able to get it off. When it rubbed her a little behind ears etc i cut up an old sheepskin nose band and put that on. No rubbing.

As a result of this she can now go out from 6.30 am till about 4.00 pm every day, albeit on her own little paddock, which sounds much like yours and she loves it. I built up her length of grazing over a periof of about 3 weeks til she was out all day and comes in at night. Perhaps you could strip graze her with one of your other horses and just move the fence back a little each day for her?

Oh - I also put an additional little hole in the bottom of her Shires mask so she could get a little bit more than 1 blade of grass at a time through! But obviously, that woudld depend on how good/bad her grazing is.

Yes - she could get the frosty grass through it, but no by the mouthfuls as the other do. With regard to how many hours - it depends on how laminitic she is.

I hope this helps (sorry about it being long winded) but i no how you feel about looking after a lami pony - nighmare
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Let us know how you get on and good luck!
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LB
 
Oh

PS - I know she is a vandal, but in the Shires masks there is nothing to grab hold off once her nose is in the muzzle and the cob size on a pong gives them breathing room (which is always very useful from a ponies point of view) LOL

LB
 
Hi LilBonn
Cheeky little souls aren't they?! We are lucky in that star is a reformed rather than current laminitic. She now lives out in the summer and only has to come in overnight in the winter/spring. Her little paddock (its about 40 x 20m) is totally bare, there is almost no grass in there at all. If I do see any, I just stick one of the others in there with her for a couple of days, that soon sorts it out!
She has been fine like this for the last 2 1/2 years, so will probably carry on as we are tbh.
Although I will have a look at the Shires one - is it the Shires Grass Muzzle you use?
Thanks
Emma
 
Hi there Emma-c - It is the Shires Grass muzzle, and really, it has given my little rascal a new lease of life as she now does 'pony things'LOL

My little one goes out during day and in at night all year round and so far, as i said, i have built up her grazing time to a full day - with absolutely no problems.

I also put some extra velcro stuff on my little ones mask where it does up so, like your one, she doesn't wriggle out of it and so far she hasn't and belive you me she's a proper whiley coyote
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(awww shouldn't tempt fate).

The Greenguard i found was really useless for a little pony although a lot of my friends do use on their bigger horses and they seem to be fine. i gave mine one away!

When i have watched my pony eating she doesn't seem to get a lot of grass through the Shires one at all, literally just a few blades at a time. I also do try not put little one out on the frost for the same reason as you.

Let me know how you get on with things. I would love to know.
LBxx
 
Cool, will go and look at those, thanks! Might be an option for the odd 'day out' with the big ones!
Will let you know how we go!
 
How many holes did you mask have? My Shires just had a little square one right at the bottom.
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Wow i thought i had ikkle ponies - but you got a Shettie. Kewl
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LBx
 
just recieved my green guard one in the post yesterday! will let ya kno if poppy escapes from it!!! lol ps it is a truely horrible looking thing isn't it hannibal lector springs to mind!!!
 
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