Pony can't/won't eat through grazing muzzle

Nudibranch

Nudibranch

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I have a Fell who is possibly the world's best doer. So she can have time out of her fat paddock I've put a grazing muzzle on overnight but she just cannot or will not eat through it. I've used them for years with other ponies and never come across one so stubborn. Not a molecule of grass in there when I take it off, and I've sneaked up so she can't see me and she just stands there when it's on. I mentioned it to the vet and he said it's quite common, just persist but I'm not hugely keen on her having an empty stomach all night.

I've stood and pushed grass through the hole but she still doesn't get it. My only other idea was to enlarge the hole but I'm a bit concerned she'll get too much grass then -she really does live on fresh air. I've used a Greenguard on others in the past but it caused rubs so not convinced on using it. This one -just the Shires one - is a great fit and never rubs.
Any ideas?
 
Do you think fitting it a size to big might help? I've known some that find it tight on the jaw & going up a size helps. Is there a problem with her being in her fat paddock all the time? If you're that worried about her not eating then I'd be inclined to leave her in her own field.
 
my Fell is also difficult wrt a muzzle-he'll eat but tries to self harm by eathing through the sides, rather than the bottom (on any type of muzzle). Maybe try a Dinky for training purposes? mine has got alot better and is now in a Shires.it took a good few months for him to just get on with it.
its funny, he didnt do as well in winter as the Exmoor-the Exmoor I've been managing for years and have a handle on and is looking good thanks to the extended winter but its my first spring with the Fell and he keeps expanding despite being the one in work!
 
Agree with going up a size if necessary. My connie was exactly the same, I ended up cutting the hole in his muzzle bigger and using as a "training muzzle" and once he had got the hang of grazing in it I got him a new one, the shires type are cheap enough :)
 
I made a 'training version' out of a dinky ponies one, it had a large letterbox cut in the bottom (even though they are supposed to eat out the sides. Even when one side of the letterbox was defunct and tied with string it trained a few others that they could eat with something round their muzzles.
 
My old loan horse was the same, he wouldnt eat or drink in it so i gave up. Not eating i didn't mind too much, cause it was only on a few hours at a time, but not drinking was a big no no.
 
Mine could not figure out the Shires one and still can't eat through one. The Dinky muzzle works well for her but I do replace them every 3-4 months.
 
I've just bought new Shires masks. Our old ones were Shires, but these seem much smaller holed.

And while we're grumbling - why did they remove the clips? So much harder to get them on.
 
My daughters horse could/would not eat with the Shires muzzle on. I changed it to a Breathe Easy which had a rectangular hole in the bottom and he had no problems whatsoever.
 
I have a Dinky Muzzle (X-large) that I sacrificed to try and get my cob to accept a muzzle. I cut the bottom bit so basically there is a full mouth width eating part. My mare still removed the thing in about 4 seconds so I have no use for it now and I can’t sell it because I cut it.

You are more than welcome to have the muzzle to get yours used to eating in one? I can send you a picture to show you what I’ve done to it.
 
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