tips for fitting a grazing muzzle

[fimacg]

I've had to take Brave's grazing muzzle off as he now has 3 rubs n his face from it (its a shires one with a rubber bottom but stiffened fabric sides)

he has one rub under his chin that looks lije a burn and one on his templewher he has rubbed himself bald

and one wher my OH put it on him and left a strap twisted (so that doesn't really count)

I've never been told how to correctly fit a grazing muzzle so any tips are welcome

[spotti]

I think the Best Friend and Dinky Rugs websites have some good advice (I'll find the links in a mo).

I think the best thing to do is measure the circumference of the face (usually just below the top of the nasal bone but with some it's just below the cheek bone, depends on where the muzzle sits) and buy a muzzle that will be about 2cm larger. The headpiece is meant to be adjusted so that there is a gap of a couple of centimetres between the base of the muzzle and the horses lips.

We've got a whole array of muzzles at the minute because this year is the first time Faith's ever worn a muzzle for more than a couple of days, so we've got variations we can swap and change between as and when things rub. We've altered the Best Friend so much that it is practically unrecognisable from its original state but it no longer rubs and Faith wears it quite willingly...I'll have to get a picture and compare it to the 'normal' BF . She also has a Dinky Rugs muzzle which is fab, soft and already fluffy-fied to prevent rubbing at the top, but this is relatively new so we're still introducing it (the holes at the bottom are a little odd so Faith is still figuring out how to eat in it). The best thing we've found was a field safe headcollar with an Aerborn field mesh muzzle with a hole cut in the bottom attached to it. It is soft, moveable, doesn't rub and Faith LOVED it, however, because it's meant to be an allergy mask not a grazing muzzle, it is not reinforced and the hole soon gets bigger and the base wears through. Still, if I could afford £15.99 every 2 weeks then that's what I'd be using .

Tip for grazing muzzles - cover any rough edge to prevent rubbing BUT don't let the covering be too thick otherwise this will create rubbing issues of its own . A clever tip some people on our yard have is to cover the rough edges with electrical tape.

Links: Best Friend Grazing muzzles (there are 2 kinds - an all in one and one that attaches to a headcollar, it depends on the size/shape of the head as to which one fits best) - www.grazingmuzzles.co.uk/faq

Dinky Rugs (Faith has an XL even though technically a L should fit...it really didn't, at least not in away in which she could have opened her mouth!) - www.chicksaddlery.com/page/CDS/PROD/2400/MZ9661

These are quite good. Not got one myself but this would have been our next port of call if I couldn't make the BF suit. - www.chicksaddlery.com/page/CDS/PROD/2400/MZ9661

If you want any other help I sent Rainbow a big long PM with loads of links in for stuff...I could forward it to you too if you want?

[solomon]

A friend of mine who had a porky Haflinger used a muzzle that was designed to stop rug chewing. A bucket style affair, with a hole cut in the bottom. Everything else rubbed!

[spotti]

I took some photos of Faith's BF muzzle last night...it looks rather different now to how it did originally!!!

Original muzzle:


Adapted muzzle (view from the front - the red fleecy bit between the holes sits between her nostrils):


(view from the back - hole allows chin not to be rubbed):


(view from the bottom, i.e. the rubber base):


As you can see I've cut out nose holes, cut out a chin hole, padded the top bit where the muzzle attaches to the halter (black fluff) and the have various bits of red fleece and yellow 'muzzle mates' covering specific bits of the muzzle to prevent rubbing. There are bits of black fluff (pretend sheepskin stuff) up the sides of the face (on the halter) and also a fleecy covering on the rubber between the nostril holes. Oh and I removed the strap that would normally sit between the jaw bones (the one with the leading ring attached) because it rubbed like hell!!! I also cut the hole in the base about 1/2" bigger all the way around because Faith was making her lips sore by forcing her teeth against the insides of her mouth to try and get the grass - since increasing the size she hasn't had any such injuries, she wears it quite happily (she even puts her nose into it on her own ) and is still steadily losing weight .

[dannyboy]

Spotti, I'd love to see that pm you sent Rainbow please - I'm in the process of getting a grazing mussle for Casper and could do with a little help.
I remember you told me of a particular brand that worked well for you.

[spotti]

The muzzle in the pictures is a Best Friend Grazing Muzzle which has really done the job, although as you can see we've had to alter it a lot to stop it rubbing The Sensitive One's poor old face. It's much better now we've adapted it and like I say, Faith wears it quite willingly .

We've also got a Dinky Rugs Grazing Muzzle which is designed for the dinkier ponies (hence the name) but they do them up to XL so there should be a muzzle to fit most horses. This one is a nice muzzle, no rubber in it (all soft nylon webbing stuff), and the top bit around the nose already has fleecy sheepskin stuff on it so it really shouldn't rub - we're still working on introducing this one to Faiith because she has been having trouble figuring out how to eat in it because the holes are different to the one in the BF, but she's getting there slowly . Others on the yard have the Dinky muzzle and their horses seem ok in them so there's hope for us yet!

All of the links above are in the PM I think, as are a few others for gadgets and things that might be useful etc...I'll get it sent to you right away DB

[rainbow]

i have now got a green guard but she still refuses to eat!

[spotti]

Hmm....that's quite interesting Rainbow. Does she not try at all? Most horses will keep trying to nibble as they get hungry

[rainbow]

nope not at all she will stand there and sulk. Left her out for hour or so still nothing! She is too stubborn i thinks or just stupid

[spotti]

Either that or she's learnt that you will take it off if she looks sulky . Faith did that for a little while until I made the hole in the muzzle bigger - obviously you couldn't do that to the GG but maybe try leaving her a little bit longer and don't let her see you watching her. In theory she should try to eat as she gets hungrier but perhaps an hour isn't long enough to make her that hungry ...is there anyone on the yard who could swap/remove the muzzle after a while if she's still not eating so that you don't have to hang around for ages waiting?

[scattymare]

We've just bought Flossy a shires one as she keeps fence jumping but she is refusing to eat in it. It looks identical to the 'original' Best Friend muzzle of Spottis. Going to make the hole bigger to see if that helps.

[spotti]

The Shires ones do look like the Best Friend, however the BF is the original and the best quality (i.e. they last much longer!). The Shires I've also found are funny sizes and only come in pony, cob or horse whereas the BF has a variety of sizes and types depending on the size of the muzzle and shape of the head...Faith has the 'standard' which attaches to a headcollar because her jaw/neck is quite thick but her nose is dainty, hence a large enough size to fit her head falls off her nose, but if it fits her nose then it won't fasten round her head!!!

Havign said that, I know horses who wear Shires muzzles and seem fine in them. The horse I have in mind has her eating hole a little bit bigger and has nostril holes cut out but other than that it's bog standard. She's a typical HW cob though so has a well-proportioned head with plenty of fur covering her skin so she doesn't get rubs that easily (not like my dainty sensitve munchkin who requires specially made personalised designer things ).