Mine used the GG muzzles for several years and I have not had any problems, although at one point I stopped buying the replacement straps and started using zip ties. Then this summer I thought the fjord had figured out how to evade the GG - he had this quick little flip twist of his nose , got his lower jaw out and used the muzzle as his “upper jaw” to happily graze full steam ahead! Fjords… Sigh… So I immediately ordered the flexible filly muzzle. Turns out he had finally rubbed/worn out that edge of the GG and I repaired it with a zip tie (is there no end to their usefulness? I think not). So once the FF came in I just rotate between them. I had to widen the hole on the FF since it is set for max grazing restriction, but I think it restricts grazing more than the GG, so it’s good for extra diet days. Also, they all rub a little but in different places and I noticed since I rotated regularly, I have no rub spots.
All grazing muzzles and nibble nets cause dental wear, but the alternatives are so much worse, so I’m stuck with it.
And of course every grazing muzzle and anything left on the head of a horse has the potential to get hung up… After having used the tough 1 easy breathe, the GG and the FF I can’t say that any one would be worse than the other, although for me hands down was the easy breathe. Stupid horse found the one place on a mesh stall gate (they have access to stalls when turned out) that apparently had loose weld or just enough of gap on the weld and got the muzzle hung up at ground level on a loose part of the mesh so he was pulling more upward than in a way that would have not allowed the break away really work. He’s an explosive horse in many ways and yes, he exploded judging by the state of the muzzle. Thankfully he took early retirement due to arthritis/neurological pain in the neck/back so I guess he just added more problems to that neck… or not. He didn’t seem the least bit sire, but then again he was retired. I’m quite certain if he was still competing he would have made it a career ending moment because that is how he rolls.
