How efficient are grazing muzzles?

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Jesstickle

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Are there any figures out there on how well they work? My two big horses are out on about 1/2 an acre at the moment which is about right with the grass coming in BUT it keeps tipping it down and it's turning into a bog. I'd quite like to let them out on a bigger, grassier area to reduce poaching. I have to be careful with the Nit monster and grass though.

Just wondered how much the actually reduce intake really.
 
I went to a really useful talk about this at the RVC in 2010 - I'll dig out my notes when I'm at home and give you their figures. it was very impressive though!

I seem to think they said horses can eat 5% of their bodyweight on unrestricted grass and that muzzling reduced this by a significant amount - I want to say 40% but I may be making that up - I have the notes at home so will check!
 
acw295 said:
I went to a really useful talk about this at the RVC in 2010 - I'll dig out my notes when I'm at home and give you their figures. it was very impressive though!
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That would be perfect. I am such a geek, I like to know these things! I wasn't expecting anyone to actually have an answer though. I'm impressed :D

Am thinking I might try and get her a green guard on ebay second hand. She's a flighty little beggar and I don't think she'd wear a bucket one without throwing an absolute paddy :mad:
 
Unfortunately I don't know the actual reduction that the grazing muzzle makes but I do know that I am getting excellent results by using it.

My mare grazes all day with it on and her weight is stable. If she didn't have it on she would be on the verge of death by now I would think! She/I hated strip grazing, she would eat for two hours and then stand with nothing all day. This way she is busy marching around her paddock looking for the longest, juciest patches to fit through the bottom of her muzzle and her weight is good. She is veryy happy with it on, happier with it off but still happy with it on!

I would much rather see her on a larger paddock with a muzzle than an over grazed smaller patch that she has to nitpick all day....
 
Basically without grazing muzzles my ponies would resemble whales! My little one has mastered the greenguard however will sulk occasionally and escape into the hay field so he can get some really good grass through his muzzle:rolleyes: My cob wore a shires one last year and he mastered that to the point I found handfuls of grass stored at the bottom! Put him in a greenguard this year and he just doesn't 'get it' and will stand, lie down, mooch about and not even try to get grass. He's only in it through the day but currently alternating between the greenguard and the shires to get him accustomed to being muzzled 24/7.

Muzzles = saviours:p
 
I guess they seem pretty effective then. Even if only 40% that isn't a bad amount.

Thanks for all the replies:)
 
So glad I stumbled across this thread, I've been considering getting one for a while but I too was wondering how effective they were!
 
Ha well I'm supposed to be revising but the mother has decided we need to go to peterbourgh so I'll do it when I get back.
 
My friends had a pony who turned into a whale at the sight of grass! They tried a GreenGuard and it seemed to fit him well as per the instructions but it cut his lips and made them bleed, now has the bucket type one and is able to be out on grass and resemble a pony still!
 
I meant to add..... I have used a couple of grazing muzzles in the past; both Shires bucket ones but one has a hole that I have cut bigger than standard - for when she can get a way with having a bit more grass but I don't want to her to go wild and one that has the 'factory standard' hole for when the grass in fresh/new paddock etc.....
 
Which ones do you all find best? Are the green guard ones worth the money over the shires & does one rub more than the other?
 
I tried the greenguard one as none of the others fit the Destroyers massive face.
I still have it in the bag if anyone wants a second hand one?!!
He HATED it.
I tried it for a couple of weeks but he was so miserable i strip grazed him and brought him in during the day instead. I found he just gave up trying to eat and stood looking utterly miserable - even my hard as nails YO (who's suggestion it had been) said it upset her to see him.
That said if you can get the horse to settle wearing one I think they're brilliant.
 
What should the length of the grass be when using a muzzle? We have rented another half acre which hasn't been grazed in some time and is full of grass about 6-8 inches long. I am loathe to put them on it at the moment as I think there is too much for them and it will make them ill, but worried that a grazing muzzle won't work unless the grass is relatively short and they will starve!
 
I use a greenguard muzzle on my connie and its brillant, I can leave him out all day now and he's happy but still keeping the weight off:)

He did however take about 10 days to figure it out, looked really unhappy and wouldn't try to eat but I just had to toughen up and not give in to him!! Now no problems:D

And mine hasn't rubbed at all.
 
Hovis_and_SidsMum said:
I tried the greenguard one as none of the others fit the Destroyers massive face.
I still have it in the bag if anyone wants a second hand one?!!
He HATED it.
I tried it for a couple of weeks but he was so miserable i strip grazed him and brought him in during the day instead. I found he just gave up trying to eat and stood looking utterly miserable - even my hard as nails YO (who's suggestion it had been) said it upset her to see him.
That said if you can get the horse to settle wearing one I think they're brilliant.
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I'll have it off you! Shall I PM you?
 
MrsElle said:
What should the length of the grass be when using a muzzle? We have rented another half acre which hasn't been grazed in some time and is full of grass about 6-8 inches long. I am loathe to put them on it at the moment as I think there is too much for them and it will make them ill, but worried that a grazing muzzle won't work unless the grass is relatively short and they will starve!
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The muzzle works well for long grass, they have to use a circular head motion to get it to poke through the hole and then they munch. Obviously they will eat more on a long paddock as they can get more length through with each bite...
 
It also depends on how long your horse wears it for. There was some research about taking muzzles off overnight and ponies just made up for lost time by gorging when the muzzle was off. I think maybe I read it on the BHS website?
I sadly have to leave mine in his Greenguard all the time during the flushes, but I know that's not quite what you are meant to do. But my horse will literally stuff his face to bursting point without it. It certainly reduces his grazing, he would be obese without it and recently it was taken off for a day or two and he came in footy. With it on 24 hours he would condition score about 3-3.5 so not in the least bit skinny either, in fact it's still a constant battle. In the height of summer when it's dry or when the farmer has just topped the field I take it off him but monitor things closely.
I also having tried several types think that it depends on your horses' facial conformation as to which type will rub. The Shires one is terrible on my horse and the greenguard fine.
However try the Shires first, I just paid £80 for a new greenguard and headcollar to replace my old one!
 
noblesteed said:
It also depends on how long your horse wears it for. There was some research about taking muzzles off overnight and ponies just made up for lost time by gorging when the muzzle was off. I think maybe I read it on the BHS website?
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My cob was the shining example of this last year...wore it all day till about 7pm. The moment I unclipped it he would gorge and I would find him the next morning almost asking to have it put back on he was SO stuffed! He then went into it 24/7 and didn't mind in the end. The grass in our fields isn't long enough yet to keep it on 24/7 as he cant get it through the muzzle, but after a couple more days of sunshine, it will be strapped to his head permenantly!
 
I have used a Greenguard muzzle on one of mine for the last 4-5 years. He manages to get plenty of grass through it & his weight is managed well. I can't give scientific details however I know that with the mask on he does around 2 less poos while he's out than he did before he went into the muzzle. That would equate to he getting around 30-40% less grass. :)

He never has any issues with the muzzle, grazes normally & it's fitted correctly (it takes time when you first try one) & there are no rub marks etc on him.

For those with the 'bucket' type muzzles, if you have to cut holes in them bigger I would question wether they were designed correctly to start with? :(
 
I am about to use one on a going porky Welsh C. I have had them in the tack room for two years but never plucked up the courage to use one. I have a bucket plastic type, a Dinky rugs webbing type and two greenguard ones.
The greenguard ones differ from each other though. One has four "folded " sides however the other has three "folded" sides and one longer flat side. Are they two different models? I bought them both from ebay as new but cant help thinking perhaps one is a reject (with three folded sides).Anyone offer an opinion please?
 
Toby_Zaphod said:
I have used a Greenguard muzzle on one of mine for the last 4-5 years. He manages to get plenty of grass through it & his weight is managed well. I can't give scientific details however I know that with the mask on he does around 2 less poos while he's out than he did before he went into the muzzle. That would equate to he getting around 30-40% less grass. :)

He never has any issues with the muzzle, grazes normally & it's fitted correctly (it takes time when you first try one) & there are no rub marks etc on him.

For those with the 'bucket' type muzzles, if you have to cut holes in them bigger I would question wether they were designed correctly to start with? :(
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Liv colics when able to gorge so.... if her weight is good and she can afford to have a bit more then I put the muzzle on with the slightly bigger hole. If she is looking too portly I go back to the muzzle with the original hole.....
 
EAST KENT said:
It worked well on my fat Highland,but I did get do gooder remarks along the cruelty lines.
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lol, I too have had some strange "cruelty " type remarks, mostly from people with very fat unworked horses.... :-)) My two both wear the shires type muzzles during the whole summer as they live out 24/7 anyway. they both accept them and continue to eat well, they haven't really rubbed, but, I do clean them regularly (dunk them in the trough and clean any mud/gresae off) and I tend to just put them on just over night and off during the day if I can, (theory being that they can swat flies and groom each other etc better without muzzle during the day??) go for it i would rather see horses freely wandering and grazing in their paddocks with muzzles on than stuck on tiny mud patches or in stables for hours on end. although i guess it does depend on each hhrse and owner what works best for them !!
 
Monte1 - grass sugars are higher during the day so would be better with muzzles on during the day and off at night :)
 
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