It won’t interfere physically with how he drinks but some horses drink less when they’re wearing muzzles. Watch your horse to see how well he can drink water with the muzzle on.
Go for a fleece covered noseband to avoid this happening.Īlso, be sure that the muzzle is not constantly touching the horse’s mouth. The weight of the muzzle on the bridge of the nose is the most common area that pressure sores can sometimes develop. Pay particular attention to areas that might become rubbed by a muzzle, for example the ears, points of the cheek bones and the bridge of the nose. * Ensure that all straps are not rubbing or creating pressure points. * The horse must be able to open its mouth comfortably without any restriction * You should be able to fit two fingers underneath the noseband of the grazing muzzle Test the fit by placing a handful of grass in the muzzle to see if your horse can chew it * There should be a one inch gap between the horse’s mouth and the base of the muzzle to allow for chewing. * Measure the length of the grazing muzzle against the side of the horse’s head Follow these instructions below for a good fit: So be sure to follow the fit instructions.Ī muzzle must be tight enough to stay on, but not so tight that it rubs. How your muzzle needs to be fitted will ultimately depend on the brand that you choose. One reason horse owners become frustrated is the difficulty in fitting grazing muzzles comfortably on their horse.įitting it correctly is very important. Let’s face it: few horses enjoy wearing grazing muzzles and most owners find them exasperating, at least in the beginning of the season. And when you think the grass has died off enough to take it off, wait another week to be sure! So, the guiding principle now is, if you’re thinking about muzzling, to go ahead and do it. But as more has been learnt, they’ve realised that it's not that easy to predict when the grass can be risky. Owners used to think that only new grass was the problem, so they'd put muzzles on when the new grass came through, then take them off when it got dry enough for the growth to slow. Experience has shown though that grazing muzzles are advisable for some horses well beyond spring. Typically, grazing muzzles appear in early Spring when the new shoots of grass start finally to appear. Many owners turn to grazing muzzles to reduce horses’ intake. The challenge facing these horses’ owners is an effective method by which to restrict the amount of grass or, hay for that matter, these animals consume. Equine obesity can lead to a variety of sometimes life-threatening ailments, the most well-known of which is laminitis or “lammy” as it’s affectionately known. While artist impressions of Thelwell’s pleasantly plump ponies make most horse lovers smile, actually owning a horse with this body type is serious cause for concern. With some muzzles, grazing can be limited further by covering the bottom hole with a thick cardboard disc. When a horse wears one of these basket-like contraptions, he can breathe and drink normally but can only consume the blades of grass that poke through the muzzle. It covers the entire muzzle of the horse and allows only limited intake through one or more holes. Other studies have found decreases of just under 80%.Ī muzzle allows a horse all the benefits associated with turnout, from the exercise to the fresh air, without the risks of consuming too much nutrient-rich grass thus limiting the potential for undesirable weight gain. Research shows that using grazing muzzles on ponies that were stabled but turned out on grass for three hours resulted in an 83% decrease in grass intake. One of the most widespread methods is the use of a grazing muzzle. Sugar-filled grasses cause problems for many horses.ĭifferent management strategies are available to owners to restrict the intake of grass, not only in the spring but at any time of the year.
However, while some horses can graze with wild abandon, others cannot. Nothing heralds the onset of spring for horse owners more than the retiring of winter rugs, the moulting of woolly coats and the sight of green fields.
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