# Grazing muzzle or drylot?



## RLStewart (Sep 10, 2006)

Just wondered what others experiences were with grazing muzzles. I have a mare with PSSM that has to have her grass limited. Right now she is in a large paddock with run-in sheds, very little grass, during the day. Two hours of grazing in the evening and then goes in the roundpen at night with hay. She would get more exercise if she wore a grazing muzzle and went out at night with the other mares but wasn't sure how much grass they can get through the muzzles and if they really hate them! My dh thinks she will destroy the muzzle on the nearest tree! So before I spend the money on a muzzle just wondered how most horses respond to them.

Thanks!


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

I use Best Friend muzzles (the deluxe model) and they can get them off if they work at it by rubbing on fenceposts, trees, etc. The rubber muzzle part is nearly indestructible but the main buckle is made to break if they get caught on something. They do include an extra buckle though. Be sure the clip on the throat strap is facing in or it can get hooked into a wire fence, ask me how I know. 

You will need a fleece cover for the upper edge of the muzzle because it will rub. There's a woman on eBay that makes sheepskin liners that last a year or two and they're made to fit Best Friend muzzles, they are not cheap but they are the best I've tried. Also, horses can't use a salt block while wearing the muzzle but can eat grass (not hay) and drink with it on.

Here's a link: Deluxe Horse Grazing Muzzle


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## AugustRED (Apr 18, 2010)

I have a friend with several ponies who explode on grass so we bought grazing muzzles - the two geldings will get theirs off nearly 100% of the time, the old mare leaves hers on just fine. So far nothing has been destroyed except their sleek figures (they're now kept in a drylot most of the day)...


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

I know several people who muzzle ponies here because of laminitis (founder). The ponies seem to be able to eat just as much with the muzzles on as they are without exception overweight and still get laminitis each year  I am old fashioned and like to keep them off the grass if they need to be off it.


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

I have a Happy Horse Grazing muzzle for my foundered mare. I like the muzzle and the design. It never rubbed her on her face, but she is so determined to eat wearing it or not that she has rubbed a bloody spot on her upper lip. That's just from pressing her face to the ground in determination. She is so badly foundered now that she is in a stall 24/7 : (


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

How does your mare do on a dry lot? Our boys get so bored in a dry lot that they get into trouble. You could always try the grazing muzzle and if that doesn't work you could put her back into the dry lot.


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

i sure feel for you folks that need the muzzles. I have always free choice fed my house pets and livestock with no problems. 

No confinement here. No stalls/no pens for the livestock; they roam the desert acreage. House pets have a doggy door to the same acreage. Wonder if that would help your situation.

Most folks around here keep their stock the same way I do. Don't know anyone who needs a muzzle. Hope things improve for you.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Rogo said:


> i sure feel for you folks that need the muzzles. I have always free choice fed my house pets and livestock with no problems.
> 
> No confinement here. No stalls/no pens for the livestock; they roam the desert acreage. House pets have a doggy door to the same acreage. Wonder if that would help your situation.
> 
> Most folks around here keep their stock the same way I do. Don't know anyone who needs a muzzle. Hope things improve for you.


I have a 10 acre lush pasture and no easy way to make it smaller. I only feed hay from November to April most years. You pretty much have a dry lot year round, right? To have a dry lot here I'd have to contain them to an acre or two and it would still take awhile to eat the grass down- even if I mowed it. I also have harsh winters and have to stall my stock at night, not everyone lives in a desert, and not everyone wants to...


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

=== I also have harsh winters and have to stall my stock at night, not everyone lives in a desert, and not everyone wants to. ===


The same for cold weather. I don't do well in it and would never survive "harsh" winters. Nice that we all have choices.


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

Rogo said:


> i sure feel for you folks that need the muzzles. I have always free choice fed my house pets and livestock with no problems.
> 
> No confinement here. No stalls/no pens for the livestock; they roam the desert acreage. House pets have a doggy door to the same acreage. Wonder if that would help your situation.
> 
> Most folks around here keep their stock the same way I do. *Don't know anyone who needs a muzzle. *Hope things improve for you.


Because you live in a desert! 

Our pastures are very lush in the spring. I bought my mini a muzzle but ended up just restricting her pasture time. My experience with muzzles (from an old, fat draft pony we used to have) is that they can rub their nose/lips pretty badly, and they can be very hot.

Some horses/ponies figure it out and do well with muzzles, and others don't. My pony hated it and just stood by the barn and refused to even go out on the pasture. 

It's a tough call either way. I found it easier to drylot the mini than mess with the muzzle, although I still have it and might try it next year. Right now we are so dry I am not worried about lush grass anymore.


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## RLStewart (Sep 10, 2006)

Thanks for all the advice! I think I will probably go ahead and order a muzzle for her and see how it goes. She doesn't really seem to mind being drylotted as I give her hay and there is alittle grass to nibble on but I'd rather have her get more exercise out with the herd. She can handle some grass just not stuffing her face all night long! Our grass is getting pretty dry here but there is still alot of it. If she's too hateful of the muzzle than you'll probably see it for sale here in a couple weeks!


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Oh, and when they breath hard it kinda sounds like Darth Vader...


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Rogo said:


> The same for cold weather. I don't do well in it and would never survive "harsh" winters. *Nice that we all have choices*.


Definitely! I don't handle heat well, and I don't want to live in a kitty litter pan.


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

=== Definitely! I don't handle heat well, and I don't want to live in a kitty litter pan. ===


Heh heh! No litter pans here; my cats all use the toilet! -LOL-


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

offthegrid said:


> Because you live in a desert!


We're in IL and I don't know anybody who uses a grazing muzzle. In fact, I've never seen one on a horse around here. I've got a friend who lives in lush KY and she doesn't use them either. My KY's "hard keeper" was a Paint. Everyone around here seems to have QHes and Paints which aren't exactly hard keepers. 

We've never grained and feed hay from around November through about March. This hot and dry weather means we may be heading towards feeding hay again. The grass just isn't growing much.


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## RLStewart (Sep 10, 2006)

Well I've never used one before either and we have plenty of grass. This mare has PSSM though and too much grass makes her muscle tight and could cause her to tie up so have to be careful. Ten days of restricted grass and she can long-trot again instead of jarring my teeth out like a rough-moving pony!


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Joshie said:


> We're in IL and I don't know anybody who uses a grazing muzzle. In fact, I've never seen one on a horse around here. I've got a friend who lives in lush KY and she doesn't use them either. My KY's "hard keeper" was a Paint. Everyone around here seems to have QHes and Paints which aren't exactly hard keepers.
> 
> We've never grained and feed hay from around November through about March. This hot and dry weather means we may be heading towards feeding hay again. The grass just isn't growing much.


You dry lot your horses, right? I imagine your neighbors do as well, it's pretty much the same thing (limiting grass intake) except a grazing muzzle allows them to move around too. Allowing any horse free choice lush grass is just asking for trouble, add easy keeper to the mix and it's laminitis waiting to happen. Any breed can be an easy or a hard keeper- my TB mare wears a muzzle and they're supposed to be the "hardest" keepers around.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

RLStewart said:


> Well I've never used one before either and we have plenty of grass. This mare has PSSM though and too much grass makes her muscle tight and could cause her to tie up so have to be careful. Ten days of restricted grass and she can long-trot again instead of jarring my teeth out like a rough-moving pony!


Good luck with your mare. I bought one new muzzle this year and horseloverz.com had a good deal and valleyvet.com usually does as well.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

I know several people who use grazing muzzles here in WI. I also know several more people who SHOULD be using a grazing muzzle but don't/won't (and then complain that the horse keeps foundering).


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Grazing muzzles save lives.

Speaking of.. too bad they don't have them for people!


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