I just bought my first cob! Introduction + feed advice + photos!

Red-1 said:
How wonderful is my new partner (NP)?

My horses have to wear grazing muzzles, for different reasons.

As said earlier on this thread, Rigs is an EMS horse, equivalent to a horse-diabetic who can't process sugars. Sadly, insulin isn't an option. He has to be kept slim and on a low sugar diet. But Rigs loves to be turned out to grass. So, he needs a grazing muzzle to limit the amount of grass per hour he eats.

I have tried many, many muzzles. The usual ones don't allow enough airflow as Rigs is also asthmatic. I feel for him.

BH is simply greedy. He would eat his weight in grass if he could, and we have very good grass. The cheaper muzzles like Rigsby's rubbed him, so he had to have an all singing/ all dancing, £90 jelly wobble muzzle. Only, when he lifts his head, the wobbly jelly would fall over his nostrils. I hate using it on him.

My partner heard me complaining about the muzzles, and only went and made a superb one, loads of airflow, it hold itself off the face so doesn't rub and is effective to slow down the eating with maximum comfort. BH wore it for a few hours today and there is no chance of rubbing as the sides are clear of the face and the inside is smooth.

Genuinely, I have never seen a better muzzle!

A friend has seen it and also wants one.

Yes, I have a field safe headcollar arriving tomorrow, but have just experimented with a standard one. It is possible that he will offer them for general sale if they work as well as they seem to for my friend and I! He does have a plastics fabrication factory and is only now looking at the equine market, as I'm complaining about various things not working 🤣

Thank goodness I got him interested enough to have a go and appreciate them in their characters 😁

NP thinks that cream may be a better colour than black though. Personally, I wouldn't care what colour they are as I am relieved that there is a way to restrict grazing with something so lightweight and breezy!

If I am to do marketing shots, I will wash BH as he was sporting a rather large manure stain 🤣

A mounting block, hay soaker, jump fillers, an automatic water trough and device to deliver a haynet automatically via phone app is also in the pipeline. Wow! Who'd have thought???

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https://www.tiktok.com/video/7369650781399567649
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They look great Red, your partner is a very clever guy!

The only thing I'd be cautious of if thinking of selling them is that the Flexible Filly muzzles are patented, and the company may come after him if he sold them because of the similarity in material and design (although his look much better imo!). Maybe some other members understand patents better - how different does a design need to be? I'm not sure, maybe others can weigh in.

https://www.americanhorsepubs.org/n...lexible-filly-grazing-muzzle-receives-patent/

I think the FF muzzles are ridiculously overpriced for what they are and it would be great to see a more affordable alternative available. I've never liked the 'cagey' nylon ones with faux sheepskin around the muzzle either - they always rub!

I look forward to seeing where this goes :)
 
ycbm said:
I'm beginning to see what you see in him 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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You know that 9 months ago I didn't think I would ever be truly happy again. NP has a lot more about him than his business, he is so thoughtful and romantic. So understanding of my grief. Right down to helping me scatter my late husband's ashes.

I am blessed.
 
Miss_Millie said:
They look great Red, your partner is a very clever guy!

The only thing I'd be cautious of if thinking of selling them is that the Flexible Filly muzzles are patented, and the company may come after him if he sold them because of the similarity in material and design (although his look much better imo!). Maybe some other members understand patents better - how different does a design need to be? I'm not sure, maybe others can weigh in.

https://www.americanhorsepubs.org/n...lexible-filly-grazing-muzzle-receives-patent/

I think the FF muzzles are ridiculously overpriced for what they are and it would be great to see a more affordable alternative available. I've never liked the 'cagey' nylon ones with faux sheepskin around the muzzle either - they always rub!

I look forward to seeing where this goes :)
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I read your response and it is a different material, hence holding off the face. The design is also different, I asked for a lot of air holes and they have appeared.

Even the name, FF is all about the flex, whereas these are all about the stiffness of the material holding the fingers off the face.

He did say the name of the plastic, I forget, but it is the same as what is used in hinges for caravan seats? So will retain the bend and flex.

I think it will be the only one offering a bespoke size service. I know that I would have liked an XL hole to start with, so they can get used to the idea of using the hole. Plus, all horses are different and some may need a wider base or longer fingers.
 
Red-1 said:
I read your response and it is a different material, hence holding off the face. The design is also different, I asked for a lot of air holes and they have appeared.

Even the name, FF is all about the flex, whereas these are all about the stiffness of the material holding the fingers off the face.

He did say the name of the plastic, I forget, but it is the same as what is used in hinges for caravan seats? So will retain the bend and flex.

I think it will be the only one offering a bespoke size service. I know that I would have liked an XL hole to start with, so they can get used to the idea of using the hole. Plus, all horses are different and some may need a wider base or longer fingers.
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In that case, it sounds like they're different enough for it not to be a problem :) Have you any thoughts on a name for them yet?
 
Kunoichi73 said:
@Red-1 I have a very important question about NP - does he have a twin brother who is single? 😁🤣🤣
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LOL, no. Would it surprise you to know he also does a mean sports massage? He was surprised at how many injuries I carry so even bought a proper massage table to do the job right!

Oh, and he cooks.
 
Two questions:

Can you clone him?

How about hoof boots? Can you design something along the lines of a Renegade (without infringing on their patent) in more shapes and sizes? I’m learning most light, plastic type boots have a system where you have to wrestle rubber over a thing, and it sucks.

The gap in the market is something closer to what Renegade does, but fits big hooves, narrow hooves, etc
 
NP has a lot more about him than his business, he is so thoughtful and romantic. So understanding of my grief. Right down to helping me scatter my late husband's ashes.
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Red-1 said:
LOL, no. Would it surprise you to know he also does a mean sports massage? He was surprised at how many injuries I carry so even bought a proper massage table to do the job right!

Oh, and he cooks.
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Look, I am jealous enough already just with the factory 🤣
 
Red-1 said:
I read your response and it is a different material, hence holding off the face. The design is also different, I asked for a lot of air holes and they have appeared.

Even the name, FF is all about the flex, whereas these are all about the stiffness of the material holding the fingers off the face.

He did say the name of the plastic, I forget, but it is the same as what is used in hinges for caravan seats? So will retain the bend and flex.

I think it will be the only one offering a bespoke size service. I know that I would have liked an XL hole to start with, so they can get used to the idea of using the hole. Plus, all horses are different and some may need a wider base or longer fingers.
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They look so lovely, what a useful / clever OH!!
Re the FF patent I suspect your OH will be all over it if he’s in the manufacturing business anyway, but if he wants to manufacture his muzzles for sale it is worth asking a patent attorney to look at the ‘Claims’ in the FF patent, this is the wording of the invention that their patent covers. The ‘Claims’ are almost certainly broader than the product that they are selling. Might be worth asking a patent attorney to do a FTO (Freedom To Operate) analysis.

If you are curious you can look up the FF patent yourself online on the European Patent Office or UK Patent Office websites, they are fairly user friendly.

The similarities or otherwise of the names isn’t relevant to patent infringement - that’s a question of trade mark law.

Good luck!
 
I'm sure you've both thought of this Red but if they're going on sale then I think they need to go with a set of cable ties that you know for a fact will break and a written warning that no other cable ties should be used. They are a fantastic design, I would buy one if I had a horse needing one, but they will catch on things far more easily than any other available muzzle and they absolutely must break under strain.

You'll tell me that's all in hand now, but I thought better safe than sorry 🤗
 
ycbm said:
I'm sure you've both thought of this Red but if they're going on sale then I think they need to go with a set of cable ties that you know for a fact will break and a written warning that no other cable ties should be used. They are a fantastic design, I would buy one if I had a horse needing one, but they will catch on things far more easily than any other available muzzle and they absolutely must break under strain.

You'll tell me that's all in hand now, but I thought better safe than sorry 🤗
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I use a field safe halter and we have twist to break cable ties, with an 8kg breaking strength. Also, they have no sharp edges. They are not on the photos as it was a new thing and I just used what was in the tack room.
 
I have had the ditches dug, which was well overdue, and the fences had to come down to trim the hedges and do them. Hence, BH has gone to stay with my friend.

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Rigs still has his tiny paddock, fenced and in use but is now here alone.

He is absolutely fine alone. Well, apart from the silly Googly eyes fly mask 🤣

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7373935529659764000

At the livery yard, BH is also out alone for much of the day and apparently doesn't give two hoots if he is first or last out. Happy boys, the pair of them!
 
cauda equina said:
Gosh your ditch is full!
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Not half as full as it was! We still have some pesky tree roots blocking it and the contractor is coming back next week to bypass part of the ditch with drainage under the field, .

BH is going to stay away until the ground has stabilised somewhat. Rigs is happy alone, so he can stay on the little paddock, which has no surface mud or missing fence. He just has a big pile of hard core waiting to be used!
 
DHL tells me my new muzzle is due to arrive today! Looking forward to trying it out!
@Red-1 is there a particular brand of fieldsafe halter you recommend using? Or rather, does it need to be one with the buckle/holes for the nosepiece to be on top?
 
Is it still on Beta test or is he taking orders Red? I have a friend who will probably want at least 4 when you go public. She was most impressed by the pictures.
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Nasicus said:
DHL tells me my new muzzle is due to arrive today! Looking forward to trying it out!
@Red-1 is there a particular brand of fieldsafe halter you recommend using? Or rather, does it need to be one with the buckle/holes for the nosepiece to be on top?
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I initially used it with a standard headcollar, but now have a Greenguard that is safer. That said, Rigs did catch it with the previous halter and one of the tie wraps snapped but the gizmo stayed in place and no injuries.
 
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