New Muzzle

[HorsesRule2009]

Hi all,

I purchased one of the nw grazing muzzles designed by a forum member, it seems great! Only issue my horse is terrified of it! He already wears a bucket muzzle but I can't get the new 1 near him .
He literally shaking and ploughed over me the other evening, he is a nervy type but this is extreme even for him.

I have got it to his muzzle by putting a carrot through the whole but it's very movable and it moved He goy scared and ran.

I had it closer to him today while attached to an old head collar and had a small limit in the base.

Anyone any other ideas how to accustom him to it? His current muzzle is very much on its last legs.

Also he comes in for several hours each day and new muzzle is hanging up in his stable and I'm moving it closer to his water/hay everyday so he is seeing it.

Help

 

[Jambarissa]

How bizarre. Does it smell strange to him I wonder. Maybe rub linseed oil or similar into it.

If its a hardy affair you could serve him his feed on it. Lots of success with putting one of those mini lickits inside for the first few try ons.

 

[saalsk]

A previous horse of mine took major exception to the see through one - he wore a brown plastic bucket one, and one of the black webbing ones with some sheepskin, and a wrap around plastic green one that looked like it had "petals" that formed the surround. (I'm sorry I don't remember makes, only that the webbing one was Shires). Tried him with a new (he had rub marks, and eventually all of them wore out/damaged - so this is over many many years) see through plastic one, and it totally freaked him out, even though the design was very similar to one he had worn before and been fine with. I sniffed it and couldn't find anything offensive, but washed it, rubbed it with toothpaste (he like mint !) and then more washing, and then molasses etc etc. The only thing I could think of was that he could feel it, but not see it. He was fine with all the other muzzles, both before, and after. It spent the rest of its life hanging on a hook in the stable barn, and was used by birds year after year as a nest !