Thinline Flexible Filly muzzle - fit advice

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DirectorFury

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I'm having some trouble fitting my horses FF muzzle. The instructions say that the bottom/base of the muzzle should be 1/2" from the horses mouth, but even with everything on the longest setting mine is still too close to her top lip. The clearance on the bottom lip is fine. It also looks like the fins under her chin are too long but they have to be to give the mouth clearance? Going up a size will potentially cause some other issues - even with the side fins two holes shorter than the rest it looks like she'll still be able to eat out of the sides so I'd imagine getting a bigger one will make this worse.
IMG_0763.jpg
 
Its all a bit trial and error unfortunately. That looks like it should be okay, i’d maybe make the two lower side straps shorter though. If you do need more length then can you get a headcollar with longer cheeks?
 
I saw (I think on Facebook) that someone fitted little side bits to the side fins (width ways) to prevent their horse being sneaky and eating out of the side? Mine has this trick down to a fine art but I’m hopeful he won’t need his on this summer but if he does I’ll probably add something similar.
 
I think you need to set the noseband on the headcollar lower or buy another if you can't. Then the fingers will be shorter and it's much harder to eat out of the sides.
 
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Thanks all, the headcollar has a few spare holes on the headpiece (plus it's leather so I can make my own holes!) so I'll give that a try and also make the side fins shorter. Fingers crossed that sorts it!
 
I have been messing around trying to get the adjustments right for ages but whatever I do, mine eats out of the gap just in front of the side fin. It's so frustrating as I want to like it. I now can't decide whether to sell it on or punch some holes up the sides of the fins and start putting cable ties across the gaps. Having bought their headcollar too I have a sizable investment in something that simply isn't working 'out of the box'.
 
I think it’s pretty much impossible to get the perfect fit, given horses face shapes and headcollar fits. Mine probably fit like that but given that pretty much the whole time it’s on, they are grazing and the thing is pressed up against their lips anyway, I don’t get too hung up on the perfect fit for that portion when they are walking from stable to field and back.
 
Dropping the head collar by 1 hole on each side of the headpiece solved it, who’d have thought it would be so easy! ?

I was then able to make the side fins quite a bit shorter, and adjust the under chin ones so they’re not quite so baggy. The next battle will be getting her to keep it on for longer than 5 minutes!
 
Bernster said:
But with the gaps and holes, is it limiting their grass intake?
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One of mine squashes it to the side and eats out of the side gap.
I still assume he’s getting far less grass than if he wasn’t wearing one but is happier than with a normal muzzle.
* touch wood, neither pony has been footy in the past year since wearing them.
 
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