Looking for grazing muzzles for a large pony and a regular sized donkey. What brands have you been happy with and where can they be purchased? We are in Canada, so looking for something we can either purchase or have shipped here. Thanks!
I have a GreenGuard muzzle and I love it! A little spendy, but horse breaths great, eats well (though not much!) with it, drinks easily. Seems fairly indestructible as well.
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Best Friends. Do not buy Tough 1, that is a crap brand.
For me it has been trial and error to see what your horse likes. I tried the greenguard, for some reason my horse did not like it and broke three breakaway straps on his halter before I gave up.
The best friend muzzle has the smallest hole for eating but they’re heavy and don’t have the large nostril opening that I like for hot humid weather.
I’m back to the tough 1 easy breathe. He likes it, as much as they like being on a diet, and he doesn’t sound like Darth Vader coming in on a hot summer day. I buy them on sale because the holes get big faster than the best friend.
Good luck in your muzzle quest! :)r
Take a look at the Harmany muzzles. I have them on four ponies and there are several features that I like. First, they are lightweight and easy to clean thoroughly every day. Second, they are easily customizable to the shape of the pony’s face, which means you can minimize rubs. You can re-shape it as needed once you see how the pony uses it and how it wears over time. Third, there is excellent airflow.
Look at https://harmanyequine.com/harmany-grazing-muzzle/ I think they will ship to Canada.
I have no financial interest in these muzzles, but have been using them successfully for several years.
Another vote for Green Guard. It’s the only one I’ve found that my mare will keep on and the only one the gelding didn’t eat through in a season.
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I like the Tough-1 Easy Breathe - works really well for my pony, they’re cheap enough to replace with out feeling like we’re breaking the bank, and they come in orange, so they’re easy to find if she manages to lose it.
Thanks for the recommendations!
I have both Green Guard and Best Friend muzzles. I like the Green Guard but it is easy for her to get off, I worry about her catching it on something as it is so wide and I have to put out a water trough as it does not fit in the auto waterers. The Best Friends are heavy and it is a constant battle to adjust and pad to avoid rubs. I have tried the Tough 1s in the past, but one rub against anything and the stitching would break completely and the strap would pop off. Now I am eyeing the Harmanys.
I’ve used the Best Friend for a number of years and been happy with them. I usually have to do a bit of fussing around with them when theyr are new to pad the various rub spots, but that varies from one horse to another. Not a big problem.
I’m in the market for new muzzles for this season.
How big a diameter hole is in the Greenguard?
Has anyone tried the Shires muzzles? How well do they hold up compared to the Best Friend? Do they fit better, worse, or about the same?
Greenguard all the way. For one thing, they can’t eat the hole bigger like they do with the Best Friends muzzles. It pissed me off that I had to buy a new one every year (or more frequently with the cribber). And my pony no longer has sores all over his head from the straps since I got a GG muzzle with the special GG halter. Absolutely 100% worth the price.
If you have one that doesn’t keep the muzzle on (my pony is a regular Houdini), I’ve found that if you put in a braid at their poll and put the halter/muzzle strap through the base of the braid, they can’t get it off. The braid only needs to be replaced every week or two as it gets loose.
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I have a Green Guard that I like quite a bit. It held up well so far.
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This is our second season using a Thin Line grazing muzzle. It attaches to the halter (we use plain leather single-ply turnout halter) with zip ties and grass and dirt rinse out easily, and is holding up well. My mare seems much less bothered by it than the Best Friend.
However, I tried one with a gelding who is kind of a Houdini, and even after attaching a neck strap he kept getting it off and breaking the zip ties, so he is back in the heavier and bulkier Best Friend muzzle with the throatlatch tightened up.
I’ve tried them all and the only one my horses will wear is the Green Guard. I use them on minis and large welsh ponies. I’m on year four with a couple of them. Only one has ever broken. Worth the cost.
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The only one my mini doesn’t fight is the tough-1 breathe easy (though I haven’t tried the green guard). He doesn’t mind this muzzle at all.
My horse hates wearing a muzzle. This is my second year using the Green Guard. She hates it, but I can get it on and she can get grass with it and drinks well. She has never tried to get it off.
When I tried a basket type muzzle I couldn’t get within 10 feet of her on day 2. All she did was stand at the fence, wouldn’t try to eat or drink. GG is the best option if you want durability , airflow and ability to eat and drink. JMHO.
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I’m using the ThinLine muzzle with my mare. Took her a bit to figure it out but now she happily sticks her nose in it because she knows it means GRASS! Tried the green guard first but she just got frustrated.
My Best Friend muzzles with halters are over ten years old. When the hole gets too big, I buy these replacement disks and throw a new one in the bottom of the muzzle. It stays in place. The hole in the disk does eventually get bigger as well, so I just replace it with a new one. The down side is that it does add a couple more ounces of weight to an already heavy muzzle.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹https://www.bigdweb.com/product/code/529771.do?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8OH0mLPC6QIVSgiICR0xdgNMEAQYASABEgKZivD_BwE
Thinline here, second season. Occasionally have to replace a zip tie, but overall pleased! Horse would Houdini out of a Best Friends but doesn’t hate the Thinline as much.
I have an enormous selection of broken and much mended Best Friends muzzles. My horses hated them; I think they may make them feel claustrophobic even though they can eat and drink. I switched to the Green Guard 2 years ago, and while I balked at the price originally, they’ve probably already paid for themselves as I rarely got a full season out off the Best Friends (even with DH repairing them with inner tube patches and recutting the grazing hole.)
The horses tolerate them much better and they stay on much better.
