Muzzle saga

[pistolpete]

Little bleep has got the thin line off!! Grrr.

 

[daydreamer]

Do you know how?

Is it still attached to the headcollar?

Mine rubbed it off at first but a fly mask over the top of the headcollar stopped that.

Eventually he worked out how to stand on it and whip his head up and snap all the ties. I recently tried him in an ultimate muzzle and he did the same to that and snapped the headpiece in about half an hour. So I figure now there is no hope of muzzling him

I see horses who just wear muzzles out in the field 24 hours a day and never seem to get them off and am just baffled!

 

[AntiPuck]

Is it off over the head? I always plait over the headpiece to prevent that, then fly mask over the top, and not had any issues since

 

[scats]

Millie does this every now and again. She rolls and scratches the whole headcollar off. I have to do it up really quite tight to be honest.

 

[pistolpete]

The field safe part actually ripped I. Theo so I’ve ordered a new piece and sewn the bit for now. Wondering about the fly mask route ?. He doesn’t usually wear one but might help. Thank you.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I attach to a leather headcollar rather than a field safe style - for a determined muzzle breaker, I find the field safe style headcollars a bit too safe!

 

[GoldenWillow]

To keep the shetland's muzzle on I've made a plait and put the headpiece of his leather headcollar through it, then put a fly mask on top!

 

[poiuytrewq]

I attach to a leather headcollar rather than a field safe style - for a determined muzzle breaker, I find the field safe style headcollars a bit too safe!

Agree, it didn’t take long at all for my pony to work out a field safe head collar. He would get his hoof into a bit of muzzle somehow and just whip his head up, often before I’d even left the field.

 

[daydreamer]

Agree, it didn’t take long at all for my pony to work out a field safe head collar

Mine does exactly the same. Have you had any problems with a normal leather head collar? I’m concerned they will be too unbreakable.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Mine does exactly the same. Have you had any problems with a normal leather head collar? I’m concerned they will be too unbreakable.

No, he’s had it on a two summers now and been fine. He’s very much the sort of pony who gets himself out of trouble or, if he was really stuck I’m sure would wait quietly rather than freak out. I never really worry about it.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Mine does exactly the same. Have you had any problems with a normal leather head collar? I’m concerned they will be too unbreakable.

Mine broke his leather headcollar recently (and his muzzle at the same time ?) so they do give, they just take more abuse than the field safe versions.

 

[Annagain]

I read something the other day that I thought was clever. If you take a normal headcollar and, with a pair of bolt croppers or a hack saw, cut through the two rings either side and smooth any sharp edges off, the rings will stay put in normal circumstances but will bend open if they're under a bit of pressure. It seemed a good compromise between a field unsafe one and a field safe one (which I agree is too safe).

 

[fankino04]

Mine learned quickly that field safe ones will break, I did consider a leather one but was worried about how much effort she would put into trying to snap it and the potential harm she could do to herself, she learned to hook it onto things and pull back sharply. Luckily she now has a starvation paddock so doesn't need one.

 

[pistolpete]

So he now has the fly mask over the top of the repaired headcollar. Will report back tomorrow! Wish I had my own field!

 

[daydreamer]

So he now has the fly mask over the top of the repaired headcollar. Will report back tomorrow! Wish I had my own field!

Is it one of the field safe ones with the leather tab? I had one of those and I think the screw holding the tab shut came undone one time and that is how he got it off. I think I repaired one by replacing the screw holding the tab shut with some more trusty leather shoelace.

 

[pistolpete]

So he got the fly mask off but muzzle still in this morning hooray! It’s a field safe with Velcro.

 

[pistolpete]

It’s still on. God I feel mean! Took it off so he could have his supplements in a small handful of soaked grass nuts. Will I get used to the feeling I’m causing distress?

 

[scats]

It’s still on. God I feel mean! Took it off so he could have his supplements in a small handful of soaked grass nuts. Will I get used to the feeling I’m causing distress?

I used to feel dreadfully guilty but now they are so used to it that they just associate having them on with going out, which they love, so the muzzles actually mean something nice is coming.

 

[pistolpete]

The grass is burning off. Do I continue to muzzle?

 

[MuddyMonster]

It’s still on. God I feel mean! Took it off so he could have his supplements in a small handful of soaked grass nuts. Will I get used to the feeling I’m causing distress?

It helps me to think long term. Its more distressing long term to let them be overweight so if a muzzle let's them still be a horse & lose weight = win win.

 

[scats]

The grass is burning off. Do I continue to muzzle?

I muzzle no matter what. Even if it looks like there is nothing, if their heads are down grazing, there’s enough grass.