How to keep a grazing muzzle on- help needed please

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glinda

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I have a 13.2, 22 year old Arab x Welsh who has just gone really cresty….. he is negative for Cushings and normal glucose/insulin at moment but I am starting to worry.
He can't be kept in stable as he goes mental, is unable to be exercised due to old injury (which also requires daily turnout to stop him getting too stiff) and I would REALLY like him to wear his grazing muzzle!

For 2 years he wore it during the summer months quite happily then last summer he realised he could remove it and now it only stays on for a maximum of 30 mins once he is turned out…. he can get it off in 10 secs flat- a combination of head shaking and rubbing on other horse/fence etc. I spend my life walking round field looking for it.

I have tried several different muzzles…. putting a head collar over the muzzle, putting a strap round his neck and tying the muzzle to this, tying muzzle to head collar, putting flyhood with ears over the muzzle, putting a lycra hood with full neck over the muzzle- done up round his girth….. all to no avail- he can get it all off in the time it takes me to shut the gate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He can also remove any head collar when tied up on the yard!!! I have a Houdini pony!

HELP PLEASE

any ideas anyone???
 
I think some people plait one into the forelock with some success. Personally I'd worry about it not being removable (without scalping!) if pony got stuck in something but otoh perhaps still safer than the lami risk.
 
If at all possible remove it completely and get a track system set up. Or pen him in the field with the others in a slightly bigger than stable size plot with access to water and if he will eat it soaked hay. I hate muzzles for this very reason they are downright dangerous for a laminitic, if the pony gets it off on the length of grass and size of paddock I see them used in
 
I have had to strip graze one of mine as whatever I did he got his greenguard off. I tried plaiting it but his field mate was actually removing it and then just tugging at his mane! Or it would be off his actual face and just hanging round his ears by the plait. So I've given up with muzzles.
 
I have a pony which gets muzzles off as well - so I've been doing some experimenting. She's now managed to keep the one I did on for three days now and only has it taken off at nights when she comes in overnight. I got a shires deluxe muzzle but took off the strap which goes over the head. I then got a field safe headcollar and used the straps which come from the side of the muzzle and attached them to the rings on the side of the headcollar. I then used masses of baler twine to attach the muzzle to the noseband of the headcollar. For some reason this has stayed on when all other muzzles have failed!
 
Thanks for the ideas so far…… strip grazing is not an option I'm afraid ( I really can't afford the fencing and electric does not work- he walks straight through it!! Have tried on many occasions)

I have tried plaiting before but might try it again…..with a bigger plait……

I live in hope……

He doesn't have and has never had laminitis (fingers crossed) just looking a bit cresty so want to prevent with a muzzle…… wish the manufacturers would come up with an idea!
 
Make sure it's tight enough around the cheeks- I put mine as tight as I can there. Tie and double knot twine tightly around the velcros- never had one come off unless it got caught, in which case it still comes off so it's an effective method.
 
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