Hmmm grazing muzzles

Weezy

Weezy

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gah i dont see the point in them... i would rather restrict the grazing by fencing or use a starvation paddock. theres not much grass around atm so surley they wont be able to eat anything
 
I have both of those. The leather ones are useless - all the stitching comes out and it falls apart. The nylon is far more robust.

You would be amazed at how quickly the horse adapts to swirling the long grass around inside the hole at the bottom so that the long grass can go through it. I don't use mine anymore as no longer necessary.
 
Hmm well it's really the short grass that you don't want the horse eating....which is why these muzzles work well as the horse cannot get at the lush new shoots. One reason I don't like starvation paddocks.
 
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Hmm well it's really the short grass that you don't want the horse eating....which is why these muzzles work well as the horse cannot get at the lush new shoots. One reason I don't like starvation paddocks.

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i see. thanks for clearing that up
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I have both of those. The leather ones are useless - all the stitching comes out and it falls apart. The nylon is far more robust.

You would be amazed at how quickly the horse adapts to swirling the long grass around inside the hole at the bottom so that the long grass can go through it. I don't use mine anymore as no longer necessary.

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Yep, I've had success with the nylon one- in fact I have tried a few and that nylon one is the only one I've found that stays on!
 
The grass in the paddock is short anyway - her sister rode past and took it off, we put it on the grass and tried swirling it to see if any grass would come up through the hole and it just doesn't, it isn't long enough!
 
Personally I don't like either of them. Both of these in my view restrict the grazing to an unacceptable level, you may aswell stick a flower pot on the end of their noses, I think they're horrible.

I believe the Greenguard Muzzle is better designed, controls the grazing correctly, & fits really well when you take time to adjust them properly. It's been designed with an assistance from vets unlike all the others. They are more expensive but I believe they are far better.
 
Well the grass in that field must be almost non-existant? Long grass comes through the hole quite easily.
 
LOL!! Horses for courses I guess. I tried the Greenguard one and my pony had no problems with getting it off and contorting her mouth in such a way that she could get as much grass as if she didn't have it on.
 
I bought one for my old boy last year and although i increased the size of hte hole slightly, he got hte hang of it really easily.

they can rub though so that would be my only concern for long term use.

but it does allow them to graze with their friends rather than sectioning off fields which wasn't an option for me.

the other muzzle my YO uses on his race horses when he takes them racing so that they can't eat their bedding in the stable before a race etc...


Bx
 
Ive had both the nylon shires one and the greenguard one for my welsh d mare.

the greenguard, she got it off within 5 mins, and that was used in conjunction with the greenguard headcollar.

The shires one was much better but she went in a real strop having that on because she couldnt get it off!

However I only used it for 2 days because another horse kept attacking her when she had it on.

I would pick the shires one any day over the greenguard, simply because every pony or horse Ive known use it has either destroyed it or got it off!
 
i used one to stop my mare eating anything when she was turned out when we had her on an exclusion diet to try and find out what she was allergic too, she couldnt get anything through the hole, which was the aim, as she wasnt supposed to
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wouldnt use them for restricting grazing as cant see how the horse would get anything through
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I use the shires one occasionally and I can safely say 'where there's a will there's a way'!! My mare definitely manages to eat enough through it to survive!
 
the first link you posted is the one I bought last summer, dont have the option of restricted grazing and young boy was pissed off with being in all the time, thought I would try the muzzle. He was turned out in it, refused to leave the gate and stood whinnying at anyone he caught sight of. Finally gave up and wandered off. YM and her mother commented that he seemed to have got the hang of picking at the grass with it on and was happy and settled. Only when he was brought in at tea time was the crime discovered - he had only just ripped the bottom of the muzzle clean off and had spent the day stuffing his face!

All in all my experience of grazing muzzles was not positive
 
agree with Toby_zaphod - i have one of the pictured muzzles that look like flower pots and its incredibly frustrating seeing it on and watching the horse try and get grass, it also caused a sore under my ponys chin where he was rummaging so hard it rubbed him sore - no amount of sheepskin helped either.
i am currently waiting for my greenguard muzzle to be delivered
 
It's easy enough to cut a slightly larger hole in the rubber bit at the bottom
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Quite a few people I know use them and do this - it's the cheapest one at our stables tack shop so the most popular. I've heard no complaints about it.
 
The Shire's nylon one is fab once they get the hang of it. They have to eat in a 'dib, dib' manner and lower the hole over the grass! It has meant ours can go out for hours - and still lose weight. They do not like them to begin with though!
 
I've got the greenguards and the best friend and the shires nylon one.

I can only use a greenguard on Dinker as he simply cannot get the hang of the more restrictive ones. Tweenie is in her greenguard now but she will swap over to a nylon one if the grass starts growing away from them in their paddocks.

They aren't the nicest things, but they are a damn sight better than the alternative of laminitis.

Tweenie has a grass gas problem. She literally blows up on grass. Using the more restrictive muzzle when she's most affected helps to keep her comfortable, whilst still allowing her to be outdoors.
 
as the links didnt work for me im assuming that the one you are refering to is the bucket type muzzle, i use 1 on my lad as their are 8 horses in the field which require quite a bit of space. i have decided to muzzle him as he is looking rather large.

he is in at night so only has it on for upto 7hours a day and he still manages to eat fine from it. this week i have gone to bring him in & he has been just stood there barely able to move but today he was still eating. i have used this muzzle on both short & long grass and have had absolutely no problems what so ever & he has only got off once & that was only by accident as he had a very good roll after a bath the day before a show.

when he goes out 24/7 if his eating doesnt settle down he will be muzzled at night and have it removed during the day
 
I've tried a few grazing muzzles. The greenguard one...he managed to trash it, a cheaper nylon one he managed to lose, and then this nylon one in the link...and it's fab. So good we now have 2 of them.

I could theoretically section off his field, and stick him in the top bit which only has short grass. But where the short grass is, there's also easier access for him to new growth. Letting him have the run of the whole field means he's more likely to go for the longer older grass with his muzzle on. He uses the whole of his field to have a good gallop in, and has shade and shelter in different parts, so in essence he's also getting exercise, which everyone knows is what's important for fat ponies. I then supplement his diet (without calories) to make up for the fact that the only grass he's getting is rubbish.
 
I am going to have to put a grazing muzzle on one of my two. He has been out of work for various reasons and is way too fat. Have been bringing him during the day for about 8 hours then turning out at night when the fructans etc are lower. Used one twice last year (the Shires one) and it made his face sore so am going to re-check the fit today and then pad it with sheepskin everywhere. I hate starvation paddocks with a passion - not enough room for horses to move, not usually enough shelter, no companion and worse of all as the grass comes through it is the young sweet stuff full of fructans which is what I am trying to avoid.

My friend got the Greenguard one for her cob - and within minutes he was able to snatch grass from the side, above it, below it the lot - and it was fitted exactly per the instructions!

There is a great website called something like safergrass.co.uk which has lots of good info re grazing, times to avoid etc.
 
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