Yeah, both mine are muzzled but the alpha has never been a kicker even pre muzzle. He’s a savager, all teeth no feet… He’s still the boss even though his only weapon is gone, so dynamics work, which makes sense because it’s a lot more about body language than actual execution of the threat. And he’s the nastiest piece of work I’ve ever owned. He pinned a horse in the corner of a 5 acre pasture all day to keep him from interacting with his buddy.
^^This. I don’t understand the desire to have chunky horses when it’s well-knows that being overweight increases the chance for metabolic related diseases and disorders, and also the risk of injury, etc. Why would anyone feel guilty about putting on a muzzle??? You can always take it off if the horse gets light. It is so much better to muzzle BEFORE the horse gets in trouble. I see horses out with muzzles and think “responsible horse management.”
I use a muzzle on my draftx. He’s an air fern and has insulin levels on the high side of normal. I used a GreenGuard last year, and just got one of the new thinline muzzles this year.
We both like the thinline - he doesn’t resist having it put on every morning like he did the other one, and I like the fact that he can’t eat around the edges - unless I had the greenguard strapped on really tightly (too tightly tbh) he could push it up and graze nearly unencumbered.
He doesn’t object to the thinline and it does a better job of slowing him down. Here’s a link if you’ve not seen it yet: https://www.thinlineglobal.com/shop/…waAoKjEALw_wcB
One additional tip regarding the greenguard - My guy started getting rubs from the center strap to the nose band, and also from the neoprene crown piece, which isn’t breathable and never seems to dry out during hot weather…I used cheapo fake wool shipping halter fleeces which I was able to trim to fit and he was a lot more comfortable. The fleeces are easy to keep clean and dry.
Good luck!
I was wondering how the thinline worked, it looked like a good option if you were really dealing with a metabolic or obese horse. I’m dealing with an easy keeper in hard work and a TB easy keeper retiree so more grazing than a thinline works well.
But I did have issues with rubs… Not on the chestnut TB believe it or not lol. It is the fjord! I use cheap flimsy breakable crown halters, and add fleece nosebands to both, but the fjotd has side fleece up to under the crown buckle AND I took a glue gun and old polo and lined the throatlatch and wrapped the metal. It lasted pretty well. Last year was non-stop rain and the glued bits held up. This year they just need a touch up.
The Greenguard muzzle has been great for me so far. My guy isn’t metabolic, but he plumps up quickly on grass and shows evidence of a mild laminitic episode on radiographs (before I had him) and has ringbone in both fronts, so keeping him at a healthy weight is necessary. He generally resents the muzzle, but he can get enough grass easily enough that he doesn’t try hard to remove it. The basket-style muzzles pissed him off so much that he never kept them on for more than an hour. I was getting ready to create a cribbing-collar over the halter all taped together type contraption to keep it on his head when I discovered the Greenguard muzzles.
It’s also cooler as it allows air to flow around their face normally, which I think also cuts down on his frustration/discomfort. Now, a truly metabolic horse on lush pasture may still be able to get too much grass with one of these, but for him it reduces intake just enough to keep his weight in check.
My muzzled mare is still alpha in her herd of 5. The addition of muzzles to two of the 5 has made no difference in the pecking order but then I dont have any insecure mares in the herd.
the herd also has adequate space and resources so the our tussles are usually who comes in last for dinner of knocking the annoying yearling down a peg.
I imagine muzzling an already bullied horse wouldn’t help the situation.
Most of the threatening in a stable herd is body language, there is rarely any actual biting.
Re: herd dynamics–mine is the only one in a little herd of 5 that goes out muzzled regularly. He hasn’t budged in his spot in the herd pecking order. A mean face and swinging his haunches towards another horse gets the same response it always does. :lol:
