Grazing muzzle help

[katieB]

Despite being on restricted grazing Milly has become somewhat rounder over the past few weeks :o partly because she keeps jumping into the next paddock where there is more grass.
I have decided the only option left is a grazing muzzle, I cant keep turning her out as normal, she really is very fat and I feel awful seeing her that size. I could bring her in of a day/night but she gets stressed if she's the only one in.
Can anyone recommend a good grazing muzzle and tell me where you bought it from and how much it cost. Thanks :)

[MelanieD]

Shires ones are pretty good, only about £15 and come in pink, or black if you want to be sensible :D

[katieB]

Ive looked at Best Friends ones and Greenguard ones but I dont know anyone thats used either :confused:

[Colour_Crazy_Gi]

I have a green guard one!!! Its acctually quite good. My mare is also on restricted grazing but piling on the pounds. All i want to know, is where is she getting the grass from!?? But with the green guard ones, you have to buy a special headcollar which is quite expensive, about £38 i think. Hope it helps x

[PinkGlamourGurl]

I tried the greenguard, Fleur simply pushed it to the side :rolleyes: even with the special headcollar it was no use. Now she's got the shires one in..........
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PinkGlamourGurl/DSC00435.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d49/PinkGlamourGurl/grazing.jpg
PINK!!! so far she's only had it off once and thats good since she's been using it for a few weeks now. She can still eat a bit and she seems to move around loads more to find the easiest grass, so that helps with weight loss too :D Natxxx

ETA: I got mine from local tack shop, you can get them online too mine was £10 i think :confused:

[Pink's lady]

Green guard one's are great, and they tend not to resent them. BUT keeping them on can be difficult. Pink had one a couple of years ago and had it off within 10mins everytime :rolleyes: However, most horses are fine in them and I know a couple who wear theres almost all year (fat little laminitics).

Worth having a look on ebay first for cheap ones before forking out £40 quid. You will also need a very comfortable and soft, lined headcollar - you don't HAVE to buy the expesensive green gaurd headcollar.

[Colour_Crazy_Gi]

there is a pony at my yard with a shires one on and he refuses to eat/drink with it. But whenits taken off, he binges terribly, and makes up for it. my pony used to get her greenguard one off but now we tightened it a bit and its fine.

[martini55]

I have a best friends. I used it all last summer and the beginning of this year but now I am using restricted grazing as I have the facilities to do so. It was fantastic, my mare was slim all summer and it saved her life really. Although it is more expensive I would really recommend it. My mare has had it off one- which must have been a complete fluke as it was intact and she never did it again.

[katieB]

Well I went to Robinsons and my local tack shop today and picked up a Greenguard one and one that looks the image of a best friends one but from seeing PGGs pic I think its a shires one. Well neither one of them would stay on, i put the shires one on and she was really unhappy and with it being so hot her nose had sweated up really quickly. How on earth they manage to get any grass through that I dont know!
The greenguard one was even worse, she just got her lips over it straight away. I think there is too much weight pulling the noseband of the headcollar down, does anyone know how to avoid this?

[martini55]

Once they get the hang of the bucket muzzles they cope fine. The only problem is when the grass is too long it will bend over and won't go through the hole at the bottom. Haven't known Martini's to make her nose sweat though. Can't help much with the greenguard one as I've never used one before.

[Sparky.Steph]

I use a shires one and spark's had it on for a couple of weeks now and FINALLY worked it out today. He was happily minching away at the shorter grass and it kept him quiet too. I would say grazing muzzles are better than restricted grazing as if you make the space smaller they have less room to be a lunatic and burn off steam(and calories) and if they have less time they'll be more stressed out.

[PinkGlamourGurl]

she probably will go in a strop at first and refuse to eat, but really they can eat with it. Fleur seems to breathe really heavy with hers on and blow a lot more as if for ventilation lol. hope you get sorted ;) Natxxx

[martini55]

she probably will go in a strop at first and refuse to eat, but really they can eat with it. Fleur seems to breathe really heavy with hers on and blow a lot more as if for ventilation lol. hope you get sorted ;) Natxxx

Ever heard them snort with them on? At the old yard some new geldings were added to Martini's field and would always bother her when I went to bring her in. Queue ears back, snorting away- sounded more like a dragon than a horse:eek: :p

You just have to give it time, it took martini a couple of weeks to get the hang of it.

[Colour_Crazy_Gi]

The greenguard one was even worse, she just got her lips over it straight away. I think there is too much weight pulling the noseband of the headcollar down, does anyone know how to avoid this?

If you get the correct headcollar, there is a strap that goes from the centre of the noseband, to thier poll which prevents them getting it off. It works really well with Zola.

[eventerbabe]

we've tried every muzzle going and my recomendation would be the best friends ones, if you can find them. Both mine wear the standard best friends muzzles attached to leather headcollars. i don't like the dulux versions with the built in headcollars because they come off very easily. greenguard are a waste of time. doesn't matter if you use the greenguard headcollar either, they still rub badly and soon get the hang of taking them off. persevere, don't give in when they start making eyes at you or whinnying. they do get the hang of them quick. toby spent 2 days pacing the field when i put his on, then on day 3 he finally decided that i wouldn't give in so started eating :rolleyes:

[floppy]

how long did it take your horses to ''understand'' how to use the grazing muzzle? i always thought my horse was of the intelligent type...or i have just found her match!!!

anyways i have one of those snazzy bright pink shires muzzles (didnt have any black ones left:rolleyes: :D )

and i have been trying it out everyday for an hour or so to see how she reacts.......she knows she can eat through it (i fed her some apple thorugh it and grass)but she spends more time digging holes in the fields and staring at me through the window of the caravan we have parked in the field.

today she tried to improve her intelliegence again by rolling in the field with the hope it may just fall off...no such luck. oh and she pushes the other horses with trying to rub the muzzle off

Problem is...if she wears it it will be nights becaus ei think with 30 C + its too hot to have on during the day and due to all the flies she takes a break from eating and chills out int he stable, but then goes full into action at nighttime

So how long did it talk your horses to accept this new way of life? anytips as to how i should go about it?

[artemis]

I've seen a pony with a cut lip with the greenguard one. They do the shires one in black as well. About £15 I think.

[Ella2004]

I have the shires one to,really wanted it in pink but didnt have them in:( Cassie's had hers on for two weeks now and hasnt had it off yet*touches wood*.When i first put it on she dragged it all the way up the field trying to get it off but once she knew it wasnt coming off she settled down and started eating!!

[Fizz]

i just got the shires one today,not happy cos the only one left in the shop was black:(

[floppy]

whats the story with grazing muzzles and long grass?

[Fizz]

they cant really eat long grass with it as it bends away,i have a problem as 90% of our grass is long,hoping she will go eat the short bits but at the mo she doesnt,she stands looking upset:(

[ElvisFan]

We tried a shires one with Remi but he ripped a huge hole in the bottom in five minutes flat:o.The Best Friends ones are much better quality than the shires but tend to be quite expensive. We now have a greenguard and he wore it all last year with no problems whatsoever.However this year we have been through 15 straps as he keeps snapping them off.Hes on restricted grazing but hes currently in 24/7 as he has strong pulses in his feet.Although he has no lameness we are being over cautious and keeping him in for awhile.Someone on here recommended using cat collars for straps as they have more give with the elastication.I,ve got a good supply ready for when he goes back out:D

[floppy]

ok i have tried and tried elija in her shires muzzle and somehow i dont think she understand that she can eat with it. isnt the hole a little bit too small?:confused:

[shazmar]

If you buy the Green Guard headcollar you will not have that problem. There is a strap from the top of their head which connects to the nose band of the headcollar.

My mare has been using the Green guard with headcollar and she puts her ears forward now and even puts her nose in!! Honest, she just knows then she is going out. The first few times she rubbed her nose to the ground and pawed, but now she is fine and has NEVER come off. Check you have the straps tight enough too, but obviously not flush to the nose.

[ElvisFan]

I have the Greenguard headcollar too but he still snaps the straps.Hes sussed that if he stands on the muzzle and pulls the straps snap:rolleyes: Tried the cat collars and hes not snapped any so hopefully he will keep it on now:D

[applegirl123]

I have recently bought a shires black grazing muzzle for my pony... he really is too overweight! It was good value for money, at about £13 and works really well on him. He has never had it off and doesn't seem to resent it. There is plenty of space for him to have good air circulation and a small hole for water and minute amounts of grass!