What do we think of "muzzles" for fatty horses?

Tifferss

Tifferss

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I have my boy on restricted grazing because hes lame and was piling on the grass fat. I've seen the muzzles but I just cant get my head round them. Need some convincing from you experts please :):)
 
Totally essential to keep my boy at 405 kilos (instead of 450 +). I use a fieldsafe headcollar, and have to tie the damned thing on or it goes awol:rolleyes:

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I used to think I was being mean & hated the things. Now I wouldnt be without it, my mare has got used to it & luckily doesnt take it off. It was that or being stabled 20hrs a day & she has much better company in the field.
Its better to have a grumpy thin horse, than a fat dead horse - at least thats how I view it!
 
We've put them on ours this year due to having too much grass. They definately saved the life of a laminitic pony, which was able to go out during the day with the others in a grassy field.. We used the shires ones.

They hated them for about two days, then don't even notice they're there. Ours come in at night. Not sure that I'd like to leave them on 24/7, as they can rub a bit, and you must check that they don't get clogged up with long grass/mud. Ours have looked the best they've ever looked this year, and stayed fitter - as no grass bellies.

Go for it, you're being kinder putting it on really..
 
A muzzle has been a life saver for me this summer! My section a has never been fat (unbelievable for a native I know!) but since my gelding went out on loan she's had a whole bunch of lush grass to gorge herself on. So I decided to invest in a Roma grazing muzzle and it's been brilliant. At first I wasn't too sure about it but as many people on here reminded me: it's far better than getting laminitis. My mare doesn't even notice it's on and continues to graze around the field- and luckily for me she hasn't (yet) learnt how to get it off. I'd definitely get your horse a muzzle- this summer could have been very different for me if I hadn't got one for my fat mare.
 
I've never needed to use one for star until this year and, yes, I felt mean too. But it caused the fat crest to disappear very quickly, quite painlessly and with a lot less stress than box rest would cause.
 
Imagine your horse looking like this because he's in so much pain he can't stand normally:
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It's been described as being like having an infection under your fingernail - only all the worse for a horse as the hoof is sealed all the way around, so there's no escape for the infection. Well, not until the pedal bone rotates and drops through the sole of the hoof, anyway.:(
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Being overweight is a major risk factor for laminitis. Which is much, much worse than a muzzle!
 
It is far far far better to muzzle to help keep weight down or off, than end up with a horse coming down with Laminitis......prevention is critical as any horse or pony is susceptible.....having gone through it I wish I had muzzled before my hors's first attack and now he is muzzled from Spring to autumn......its kinder for the horse to be out and able to eat with a muzzle than be in pain and stuck 24hours a day in a stable for god knows how long.......:(
 
Janesomerset said:
Christi, is that a Greenguard muzzle? It looks more roomy and better ventilated than my pony's Shires one. Please excuse hijacking of thread!
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Hiya Jane ,

yes it is a greenguard grazing muzzle on my horse , it is roomy but does the job !!

i have over the years tried all the other brands and they all rubbed or no space , or horse couldnt eat anything with them .....

Greenguard is the only 1 that i found to work and be comfortable in every sense for my horse , well worth the extra money !!!

She wears it every day for 12 hours from april to october , and it has never rubbed
 
Hi Christi, Thank you for letting me know. Our tack shop doesn't sell Greenguard muzzles,
but on Saturday I'm going somewhere where there is a very good tack shop, so I will have a look for them.
 
I was recommended to start them off wearing it for a couple of hours a day and then build it up to say 12 hours.
My problem is that this isn't very good for me, as I have a job during the week and when I am at home I have two small children, so can't just pop up the yard as and when I like.
Would it be ok to just put it on her one morning and take it off in the evening, or is it just going to prove too traumatic for her!:confused:
 
We use Dinky Rugs muzzles.....
My Shetland didn't get it for the first few days, but my mums Danish Holstein carried on eating as if he wasn't wearing it - and he's slimmed down gradually.

My only problem now is that my Shetland is ok in the Dinky Rugs muzzle over the summer apart from August. I plan to get a shires (or equivalent) for next summer now he's got too efficient.

You may like them as a transitional muzzle as they are not as restrictive and don't rub at all.

http://www.tackandturnout.co.uk/epa...ops/jr29kctxxscu/Categories/10_Grazing_Muzzle
 
I think they're a great way for managing horses when you are not in a position to determine the sort of grazing they are on, but would like them out as much as possible.

Several horses on my yard wear them, and apart from one who remains fat, all look fantastic.
 
Been a marvel for my share pony. He's almost at a decent weight now and is happy in his muzzle. He had a bucket type initilaly and HATED it - just stood in the field looking dejected and wouldn't even attempt to eat, so that went. He's now in a greenguard and is perfectly happy in it. We got a few comments about being mean and what a shame etc at first but I'd far rather he wore a muzzle than carried on being fat putting extra weight on his joints and being at high risk of lami and since we started using a muzzle tow other owners on the yard have seen the light too ;-)
 
Unfortunately my little lad spends most of his days in one, He doesnt seem to mind though, and prefers it to being seperated from my big girl and strip grazed...

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Tifferss said:
I KNOW im being silly - i just feel mean putting one on him - however letting him get fat is meaner right?
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Try letting him get laminitis, then you'll have to watch him endure weeks or months of pain, a subsistence diet and confinement to his box the whole time. You'll probably have massive vet's bills and no guarantee of a live pony at the end.

Up to you.
 
millimoo said:
We use Dinky Rugs muzzles.....
My Shetland didn't get it for the first few days, but my mums Danish Holstein carried on eating as if he wasn't wearing it - and he's slimmed down gradually.

My only problem now is that my Shetland is ok in the Dinky Rugs muzzle over the summer apart from August. I plan to get a shires (or equivalent) for next summer now he's got too efficient.

You may like them as a transitional muzzle as they are not as restrictive and don't rub at all.

http://www.tackandturnout.co.uk/epa...ops/jr29kctxxscu/Categories/10_Grazing_Muzzle
Click to expand...

I have adapted the front of the Shires to allow more ventilation - what is the difference in the eating bit? I was fancying a Dinky style (thought the hole in the bottom was the same) but mine can get plenty of grass through the Shires one!
 
brighteyes said:
I have adapted the front of the Shires to allow more ventilation - what is the difference in the eating bit? I was fancying a Dinky style (thought the hole in the bottom was the same) but mine can get plenty of grass through the Shires one!
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I've done the same thing with a Shires muzzle re- the ventilation at the front! :) I also cut the metal ring off the underneath as I found that rubbed her chin.

The Dinky rugs ones are just webbing straps I think rather than the rubber 'bucket' type, I don't know if they would be restrictive enough for mine as she has worn away the bottom of the Shires one in a few months.
 
loz9 said:
I used to think I was being mean & hated the things. Now I wouldnt be without it, my mare has got used to it & luckily doesnt take it off. It was that or being stabled 20hrs a day & she has much better company in the field.
Its better to have a grumpy thin horse, than a fat dead horse - at least thats how I view it!
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^^This^^
 
I'm a convert. I'm still struggling to get the excess weight off, but so far he's not regaining what he *has* lost and he gets to stay outside for much of the day. Bonus
 
i normally have one on the mini shettie but this year my naughty yearling has taken it into her head to play with it and pull it off, i did think on plaiting it into the mane but then thought if it was pulled and pulled by young one it wouldnt be very fair so instead she is out for a day in for a day and it has worked well so far - hopefully next year she will be able to keep her muzzle on
 
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