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Discussion on Grazing muzzle rubs
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Member:
Mindy
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Posted on Wednesday, Sep 18, 2002 - 11:16 am:
I got a grazing muzzle for my horse. I love it! Horse says she can deal with it. I've been using it for a week. On at night with turnout. Off during day in dry lot with hay. Now it has caused some rubs. It is the best friend design if anyone is familiar. It is like a basket made of nylon with a rubber base with a hole in the middle the grass comes through. She has hair loss around the top of the muzzle on the top and sides of her face. That part looks like I can keep it under control if I line it with fleece. The worst spots are on the point of her chin and on her lip. It is rubbing on the base of the muzzle. I think I have it adjusted right. Like a halter with 1 inch clearance at the mouth. Anyone had experience with this or suggestions? I would love to be able to use this thing. Thanks so much.
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Member:
Trouble
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Posted on Wednesday, Sep 18, 2002 - 4:01 pm:
Hi, Mindy,
I, too own a grazing muzzle which sounds identical to yours. I have not had any problems with rubbing any hair off on the pony, but the muzzle has definitely taken alot of abuse.
I would suggest adjusting it further. If it flops around alot while the horse is eating, it is probably too big or needs further adjustment.
I started out with plenty of room because I didn't want my pony to feel suffocated or panic. But, I've found that I can adjust it more snugly now that he is used to it.
Another thing that comes to mind is that your horse might be eating more "vigorously" since this device is fairly restrictive. Maybe once she relaxes and gets used to it she'll eat in a more relaxed manner and not get the rubs from it.
Just a sidenote, I am taking mine to the shoe cobbler for the second time to have a new piece sewn to the bottom. My pony will eat a new hole in this muzzle pretty quick! But a $10 fix is better than a $60 new one! Good Luck!
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Member:
Mindy
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Posted on Wednesday, Sep 18, 2002 - 9:22 pm:
I think you are right about the vigorous eating. I am hoping she will settle down once she gets used to it. I will try adjusting it closer once she heals. I think another thing I did wrong was feed her supplements right before I put it on. She gets it all over her lips (its powder I mix with water). I had been trying to clean her face well before I put on the muzzle, but I am thinking I may not have done such a good job and that may be adding to the problem.
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Member:
Trouble
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Posted on Thursday, Sep 19, 2002 - 1:04 pm:
Mindy,
another thing that comes to mind is that your horse might be rubbing against things with the muzzle. I see my pony rubbing occasionally to get an itch or something.
My muzzle is lined with a soft material (similar to the no-slip type saddle pads) and it has never rubbed off any hair.
Is your muzzle attached to a breakaway halter? Mine is and it has been a lifesaver.
My other gelding used to take it off the pony everyday for the first couple of weeks. Now he is bored with that, but I occasionally find it on the ground in the pasture, or hanging on the wire fence by the throatlatch clip which I think is a result of rubbing against the fence and getting caught on it.
Good luck! Lisa
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Member:
Mindy
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Posted on Thursday, Sep 19, 2002 - 8:22 pm:
Mines got the same lining and the breakaway halter. The sores on her mouth and chin are from rubbing on the rubber base where the grass comes through. It had rubbed a nasty sore on both those places. Maybe she has sensitive skin. Oh well, I guess I can just try it again with it readjusted and hope for the best.
Thanks
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Monday, May 7, 2007 - 4:50 pm:
I resurrected this post because I'm having the same trouble.
My two year old is frankly fat and already has a splint. If I don't manage to control her weight better, and the grass is very vigorous at the moment, I honestly think she's heading for laminitis. So bear this in mind before you look at this picture and think "what a mean owner".
Since taking this picture I have put old towelling socks on the noseband to act as padding. It works fine when the weather is dry, and when I make sure it is on good and tight. But if it's raining it seems like the halter stretches a bit and the water provides more lubrication as she moves her head and then she is starting to get rubs either side of the nose.
Anyone been here and got a solution? Otherwise she has accepted the grazing muzzle very well and doesn't even try to avoid me when I come up to her in the field to put it on.
All the best
Imogen
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Monday, May 7, 2007 - 5:52 pm:
Imogen,
Have you tried the fleece that you can buy for a girth. If you're handy with a needle and thread, I would think that fleece could be adjusted to fit and would help provide relief.
Haven't had the need to try it, but it's the first solution that pops into my mind.
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Member:
luckett
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Posted on Monday, May 7, 2007 - 8:33 pm:
I am so glad that you all are having this discussion. I have two out in grazing muzzles. I am anxiously awaiting everyones input.
THANKS.
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 - 2:42 am:
Thanks Fran. My needlework is rubbish, but girth fleece is exactly what I am using on the poll area, and old towelling socks on the noseband. I think I need to do some more work where the headband attaches to the noseband via rings.
If anyone else has adapted their muzzles, perhaps they could post photos? Thanks...
Imogen
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Member:
jojo15
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Posted on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 - 2:49 am:
imogen,
Your NOT a mean mom. I am on a cushings list. as well as a trim list. and both discuss the ravages of laminitis. and the best course of action is Pro active measures. This is one of them.
I don't have a solution but since i have my mare on with halter alot, she rubs and its getting to the point of callous. The only thing is that its unsightly. But its not bothersome to her in the slightest. I would opt for bothersome vs. lam any day....
Some soft fleece like above stated would be the perfect solution for this. The only other i can think of is nylon instead of leather. They make the pull away halters with nylon, and then leather at the top, if your fear of it getting caught on something. and nylon shouldn't expand with the weather.
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 - 7:43 am:
Hmmm, Imogen. Sounds like your talents for sewing are like mine - non-existent - despite my Mother's best and repeated attempts to make me handy with a needle. But I did have another thought. There's a product called moleskin that people buy for blisters, callouses, bunions etc on their feet. Here in the States, it's found in the foot care section, in any drug store, under the brand name of Dr. Scholls. Don't know if it's available in Ireland but it's a soft suade like material that can be cut to fit. It's a lot less bulky than the fleece would be.
Other than that, I'm out of ideas!
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Member:
millie
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Posted on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 - 8:59 am:
We have used moleskin as well. However,it will fall off rather quickly with the horses pushing the muzzle down to eat the grass. Our latest "invention" is vet wrapping the muzzle where it comes into contact with their skin. This has worked really well so far.
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 - 9:45 am:
Oh great idea about the vet wrap!
Also as per posts on other grazing muzzle threads on this forum I did have to increase the holes in the muzzle in size slightly to get her to use it properly at the beginning. This is surprisingly easy using a jigsaw and needle file but you need to be careful to only take a little at a time so you don't weaken the remaining bars.
Imogen
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Member:
patricia
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Posted on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 - 11:39 pm:
I use a grazing muzzle on my very fat mustang 7 days a week. I allow him a couple of hours out of it each morning, but it goes right back on after that. You'd think he would be skin and bones, but he's become very effective at eating with it on and is still overweight!
I have the entire halter to which it attaches covered with fleece (actually, synthetic fleece). I have used the fleece sets you can order from any equine catalog, as well as synethetic fleece that you can purchase to cover your girth. Just cut it to fit the noseband, behind the ears - actually every place the halter meets his skin. I tried to sew it on, but I have found the best solution is duct tape! Tape it on and don't worry about the tape. It will not abrade the skin. My guy looks pretty funny, but he has no rubs as a result of the muzzle. If I can figure out how to post a photo, I will do so as soon as I can. I use the Best Friend muzzle and just had to replace it because he managed to eat through the rubber and make the hole big enough to be of no use.
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 - 2:23 am:
Hi Patricia just use the upload attachment button below the posting window but your picture needs to be quite small in filesize first so you might need to edit it. If that doesn't work, can you explain how you used the duct tape? Is that on the outside of each piece of the halter holding on a piece of fleece that is next to the skin? Or is the duct tape actually beside the skin?
Thanks... Imogen
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Member:
patricia
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Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 12:20 am:
Imogen,
Sorry to take so long to get back to you have; I've been gone for a few days and when I tried to send you a photo of my muzzle setup today was unable to edit the size. I can edit if sending to an e-mail address so if you will send me your address, I'll send it on to you. My address is patriciakwilt@wildblue.net.
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Member:
ngossage
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Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 8:23 am:
My guy is also in a friendly muzzle with the breakaway halter. What about using the little velcro fleece pieces that you can buy for cribbing collars to prevent rubs on the grazing muzzle? I'm going to look at the used tack shop this weekend for some to put on my boy's muzzle/halter. If the pieces are too long, they're easy to cut as well as washable.
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 3, 2007 - 8:11 pm:
I am having rub problems at the point of the chin, have any of you come up with a fix for that?
I am wondering if I have it too loose how close to the bottom is their mouth suppose to be? I REALLY want to use this, it has been a tremendous help!
Thanks
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New Member:
ktrezise
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 4, 2007 - 3:41 pm:
I've been using a muzzle on one of our mares, who was really overweight, for over 2 years. She and the other mare are on 7 acres of very good grass with no option to reduce it or anwhere to stay off it, so she wears the muzzle 24 hours a day, summer and winter. We've had our fair share of rubs and other problems, and I'm getting quite good at modifying them now. I always take the webbing out over the front few sections, because otherwise her nose is obstructed. The best padding I have found is neoprene, and in the worst places either side of her poll I use a small gel pad under it. Regarding the rubbing on the chin, if it has a D ring attachment for a lead rope I always cut those out because they caused severe rubbing (even though they don't seem to be in quite the same place as the rub). The other thing I have found useful in wet weather is putting antiseptic/antifungal talc that I have for mud fever over her nose and chin to prevent sores. Like Imogen, I feel very cruel, but Molly never complains about having her muzzle on, and she has lost 20cm from her girth in 3 years since we bought her!
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 4, 2007 - 4:18 pm:
Thanks Kate, I think I found the problem with Hanks, I'm pretty sure it is too small. I bought it years ago for an arab mare...I just noticed it is cob size. Hanks chin rub is at the point of his chin wear it very soft, ahead of wear a chin strap would lay. He has rubs on both side of his lips and 2 places on his nose, and that's only from about 4 hrs. of wearing it in 2 days. Poor guy.
I am going to order him a horse size, but am debating whether to get the deluxe or standard muzzle. Anyone have an opinion on that?
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