What's your experience of using a grazing muzzle?

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petite-girle

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My filly is overweight, she escapes when sectioned off. She hates the stable. And she chews the post and rail fencing. So I'm now considering putting a muzzle on her. I wasn't too sure about these as someone told me they can rub. What's your experience of using grazing muzzles...any good?
 
Mixed!

I have happily used muzzles on a couple of ponies with no problems at all. They can be a useful tool, IMO.

However, gave up with current mare, she got so obsessed with trying to rub it off that she took a chunk out of her face :( I just worried she was going to take an eye out. I would find it every morning, hanging on a tree, in the middle of the field etc. It also rubbed her chronically, despite my stitching sheepskin on.

The bucket-type muzzles aren't expensive, perhaps you try (or borrow) one and see how you get on? :)
 
Have found mine to be an excellent tool to help limit the shetty's weight this year, although, due to very lush grazing and a pony who doesn't stop working to improve his situation - by that I mean he's worked it out to the point where he seems to be eating MORE than before the muzzle lol - he is still too fat!!!

They can rub, but so can anything that's on for hours at a time. I just do what I do with anything that rubs a little, adjust it, pad it out, make it work, same as I would if a headcollar rubbed abit etc etc.

I think he would have developed lami this year, so I think it was the best thing I could do for him, as being split up from his mates and using starvation paddocks doesn't really work for him. :)

If you're going to do it, be prepared to be patient and give it time to work. Try searching other threads on here, LOTS of useful advice :)
 
I have found mine to be excellent for leading a horse that nips and plays when being led to and from the field. He now can't bite me at all! Fantastic.

Unfortunately, I have never left it on him in the field.
 
I found he was so obsessed at eating that he rubbed the end of his nose on it badly. Can't pad out the end otherwise he would have been too far from any food to get to it. Took it off and don't think i'd use one again in a hurry.
 
I find a grazing muzzle excellent for leading a horse that continually nips and plays when being led to and from the field. I no longer get bitten when leading him. Fantastic!

However, I don't leave it on in the field.
 
I found my grazing muzzle to be extremely useful this year. My section a usually has my gelding to help keep the grass down but because he's out on loan now she has way more grass to herself (I've never had to use a grazing muzzle on her before.) So this summer I was a bit scared about using it for the first time. When I first put it on I gave her a treat through the hole at the bottom, so that she associated it with something nice, and spent a bit of time pushing grass through the hole just showing her how it worked. I then put her a field and just let her get on with it. Every so often I'd go out to check on her but luckily she was so determined to eat that she'd learnt to eat with the muzzle on very quickly. Luckily she's never got it off (touchwood) and she doesn't seem to mind it being on.
I only have a shelter for her so it would have been hard for me to keep her inside, also she absolutely hates being inside. It was really great using the muzzle. It did rub a bit but I put sudocrem on the rubs and also padded the cheek pieces with wool covers. I couldn't have coped this summer without my grazing muzzle so would definitely say give it a go!
 
I have been using a Greenguard on a very greedy mare (16.1h WB) for the past 5 months with no issues whatsoever. We have very good grazing where we are but will be taking it off in the next week. After a few "Im not having this on" issues she has been absolutely fine. Turned out for about 6 hours a day in it.

I did try a Shire bucket type initially but found that too restrictive and it gave her a rather sore looking chin.
 
Yep...use one on any new flushes of grass for my mare who ties up....she also puts on weight easily and has looked better this year for wearing the muzzle....she had the shires bucket type one and I used an old fur girth sleeve, cut up and sewn at the front where it started to rub her nose...problem solved - didn't rub again :D

Also had to make the hole slightly bigger as did quite a few others who used this type of muzzle....
 
I have a greenguard muzzle with the greenguard head collar on my mare. It did rub slightly and I put sudocreme on, kept putting the muzzle on and now there are no rubs. She wears it for 5hours in the field and then comes in to her soaked hay :)
 
I have used the greenguard grazing muzzle for 3 years now on my horse , she wears it from april until the end of september out in the field , i take it off when she comes in overnight , i have to say it has Never rubbed my horse at all ,

i have in the past tried other makes and they were no use at all .
 
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