Flexible Filly or Green Guard muzzle?

[starhorse]

Looking for a grazing muzzle for my chunky mare. She’s an Oldenburg who gains weight very easily on grass. Usually, she grazes her small pasture (maybe 1/3 acre??) down to scrubby grass and weeds once she’s fully adjusted to grass, but I’m hoping to slow her down with a muzzle to keep her a healthier weight and let the grass last a bit more. If it does get down to very little, I’ll pull the muzzle back off but for the moment, it’s staying decently lush (she’s only up to 3 hours on grass.)

So, have read a million threads and reviews and I’m down to these two. What do you all think is the better option?

Thank you! Photo because she’s cute and a big dufus! 20190218_123508|690x388

[candyappy]

I prefer the GG myself and my mare wears hers like a champ even though she detests it . She gets plenty of grass with it on but maintains a great weight when out all day on good pasture.

[baybrio]

My guy hated the green guard. He’s had other muzzles that he didn’t like but he just hated the GG to the point I couldn’t get it on him without a struggle. Then he did his best to rip it off, and succeeded.

I’ve only tried it on this one horse. To the credit of the green guard the basket is still in one piece. He went through the attachment straps in about an hour, then went through many attachment replacements and break away halters before I gave up on that muzzle. He was quite happy to wear it around his neck - kind of like people who would wear a face mask (covid) around their necks.

[starhorse]

Oh dear. I feel like my fatty would be so focused on eating that she would ignore it but maybe not?! Good to know, though. Did you find one that worked?

[Highflyer1]

I’ve found that the GG isn’t super effective for the really determined eaters. It slows them down but not nearly as much as the best friends or flexible filly (the ones we have are the ones with the smallest hole available.) So I think it’s good as a preventative on a horse that needs some management but not one one that needs complete restriction. But it does seem more comfortable and doesn’t rub as much.

[baybrio]

@starhorse

Oh dear. I feel like my fatty would be so focused on eating that she would ignore it but maybe not?! Good to know, though. Did you find one that worked?

She may very well ignore the green guard. I thought it was brilliant when I saw it! It looked cool and comfortable to wear. I really thought he would be happier.

The one I could keep on him was a Tough 1 easy breathe. It’s similar to the best friend but has a larger openings near the nostrils. I had to modify it with a fashionable piece of bailing twine from the center of the nose then between the ears to the halter. He had developed a lovely way of dragging it in the dirt until it would pop off his nose, the bailing twine stopped this.

I have an entire collection of muzzles - nothing works perfectly for me and my crew but they are certainly an improvement over the alternative - life in a dry lot. I believe sizing is important in the complicated way it is with our own helmet sizing. It’s not just the circumference in inches, it’s also the shape of the muzzle.

Now I want to try the flexible filly!

[starhorse]

Umm can I buy your reject muzzles to try?!

I will look into the easy breathe one!

[baybrio]

@starhorse

Umm can I buy your reject muzzles to try?!

I was thinking of offering that but wasn’t sure if that was allowed. I’d give them to you if you pay shipping. I’ll need to go and check my inventory. The basket would be super cheap to ship.

[Weezer]

Of the basket muzzles, my horses have preferred the easy breathing ones but I have two horses who just lose their minds when I put a basket muzzle on (maybe they’re claustrophobic?). One of those horses managed to destroy two basket muzzles so I have ordered the green guard for him. If it is possible to destroy it, he will find a way. I’ll update once we’ve received it.

[DiamondJubilee]

I just purchased the green guard for one of my ponies. He’s worn it for a full week now without any issues. It seems to restrict his grazing and he’s actually quite happy to wear it. I do put a small piece of carrot in it every am before I put it on and he always dives into it. He wears it from 4:30-2pm and I move him to a dry lot until I bring him in (around 7-8pm), so he gets a break from it for a wile (I remove it on the dry lot of course). So far no wear marks on him but its too early to see if he’s lost any weight. I have stood beside him when he’s grazing and he does have to work pretty hard to get the grass!

[McGurk]

I have loved the Green Guards for my easy keepers. They hate the Best Friend type basket muzzles, of which I have about a dozen in various states of repair, either because they’re too restrictive or because of claustrophobia. They tolerate the Green Guards much better.

The initial outlay for the Green Guard is daunting, but they are much, much more durable. Best hack I’ve come up with is to tape over the straps with Vetrap - reduces rubbing and makes it harder for them to break the straps.

I looked up the Flexible Filly muzzle and it looks interesting, but I am not entirely certain how it fastens to the halter. Would love to hear others experience.

[Texarkana]

I have two who wear GreenGuard muzzles. I have not used the Flexible Filly muzzle.

I love the GG muzzles and have had a lot of success with them. I have my first semi-criticism after 5 years of use: the GG is no longer restrictive enough for my fat donkey and she’s getting too much grass despite wearing it 24/7. I had to recently switch her to a basket-style muzzle with the smaller hole (I may just end up buying her an FF muzzle in the future). So my only caveat would be if you have a really smart and determined animal, the GG may not be restrictive enough.

[Highflyer1]

It attaches with plastic cable ties.

[greywithchrome]

I like the GreenGuard quite a bit. My mare is totally fine with wearing it, and I like the idea that she can drink if she needs to without ending up in a soaking nylon basket. I don’t find it to be restrictive enough however you can modify it. I used a strip of biothane and chicago screws to make the holes smaller. This will void the warranty though FYI.

I was just looking at the flexible filly this morning but I found a few people calling it gimmicky and a way for thinline to expand their product line. I tend to agree, but still kinda tempted to try it … idk.

[baybrio]

I’m so glad you are all posting about the GG. Now I don’t feel like such a fool for trying it. I thought it was just another product I got suckered into buying by good marketing.

Sounds like my guy is the only one who hated the GG . Just goes to show how individual they are. And why I’m not the only one with a collection of these muzzles.

[McGurk]

baybrio,

I cringed when I bought the first GG. But then I went through the barn and outbuildings and started counting all the Best Friends muzzles that had been repaired multiple times before dying. I stopped counting at 12, and that wasn’t all of them. I pretty much replaced the BFs every season, and still had to patch the bottom of the basket mid season.

I prefer GG’s ridiculously expensive replacement straps, but a cable tie covered with Vetwrap works in a pinch.

[Leather]

I used a Green Guard with a mini and it worked well once I got the zip tie placement figured out. LOL

Not to complicate things, I figured I’d throw out the Harmany Muzzle - no experience it but it has come up on some FB muzzle discussions so wanted to pass it along as it’s similar to the GG and FF.

https://harmanyequine.com/harmany-grazing-muzzle/

[baybrio]

@McGurk

baybrio,

I cringed when I bought the first GG. But then I went through the barn and outbuildings and started counting all the Best Friends muzzles that had been repaired multiple times before dying. I stopped counting at 12, and that wasn’t all of them

I hear you on this I bought a Chicago Screw kit just for muzzle repair. The breath easy (with the big open nostril area) was more acceptable to my guy than the Best Friend’s with less air flow - but yes, I have some with “damage”. I have no idea why the ratty breath easy with the custom baling twine was accepted when the lovely looking GG was hated by my guy. He was my first horse needing a muzzle, so when he refused to wear it I never tried it on any others.

Cable tie covered with vet wrap is brilliant.

@Leather

Not to complicate things, I figured I’d throw out the Harmany Muzzle - no experience it but it has come up on some FB muzzle discussions so wanted to pass it along as it’s similar to the GG and FF.

Interesting!

[candyappy]

@Highflyer1

I’ve found that the GG isn’t super effective for the really determined eaters. It slows them down but not nearly as much as the best friends or flexible filly (the ones we have are the ones with the smallest hole available.)

I tried a basket type on my mare first and not only did she refuse to even try and eat or drink, after putting it on for 1 day I couldn’t get anywhere near her with anything in my hands for days. When I put it on she stood in that exact spot all day long.

A muzzle is supposed to let the horse eat grass and drink. Starvation isn’t the end result but just to allow them to eat grass and be out safely on pasture like the others. When I first put the GG on she ran around for a few minutes and then put her head down and never lifted it after that.

3 years in and she has never tried to get it off, she just eats.

[Huntin_Pony]

I use the Harmany muzzles on my four fat ponies and I just want to mention a feature that I find valuable. They are “shape-able” using warm water or a hair dryer - multiple times if needed. This means that you can watch how your particular horse uses the muzzle and adapt it to work best for your horse. I usually start by gently bending the tops of the four sides outward, like flower petals, to eliminate any rubs.

Works for us. I tried a GG once and my horse got out of it in about 2 minutes - repeatedly. Fail (for us).