If he’s catching the muzzle on something and pulling back, it depends on whether you want muzzle straps, or the breakaway feature of the halter, to break. The velcro straps would take a lot more to break. I have one horse who has also broken zip ties, somehow without also breaking the GG muzzle
The straps are meant to break if they get hung up, just as a halter is meant to break if the horse gets it caught. I have extra straps just for that reason. I would never recommend something that is not break away ( zip ties) and velcro gets very ineffective over time as it catches all kinds of dirt/ debris.
I know some horses can get a little hay while wearing the muzzle but I find it rather cruel to make a horse eat their hay wearing the GG.
Generally a horse who needs their grass restricted for weight control is not a candidate for free choice hay access.
Either take it off if he is dry lotted and net his hay or put the muzzle on and let him have grass. That is what the muzzles are designed for.
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The straps that come with the GG aren’t very sturdy. I have also replaced a bunch of them, which means I run out. I have a horse who has broken thinner zip ties. Velcro that is always closed, doesn’t trap a lot of dirt.
Hopefully the halter is also a breakaway. I’d rather a $10 leather crown piece or breakaway tab break, than a $75 muzzle
I have/had 4 who are/were muzzled on grass Spring to Fall, with all the hay they care to eat over Winter, and are in a bit healthier weight on all that hay, than they are muzzled on all the grass
Lots of horses can’t be on full time grass, but can happily eat lots of hay in a dry lot.
This really depends on the horse. I thought the same thing before I saw my mare go to town on loose hay with her GG muzzle on. She can even get hay in a hay net with her muzzle on (now that I wouldn’t do full time).
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Problem here is I can’t net a round bale as other horses wear shoes. And he gets the hay just fine through the muzzle, no issues with that.
Well I found one strap so far, fully intact which is quite curious.
He does have a bit of a puffy eyelid today too so I’m wondering if that is related.
Yep, he’s got the GG halter for the muzzle.
those things undo themselves very easily. Assuming the muzzle is always on the particular halter, duct tape the end flap to the rest of the strap so it can’t undo itself.
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It’s deep into the Fjord itchy season, so that may be your eye and muzzle problem. That new roundbale was both tasty AND a great itching spot (ask me how I know).
I’ve had no problem managing weight with a Fjord on unrestricted access to a grass hay roundbale, although he does work hard. Then again he also goes out on good pasture for 12-16 hours (with a muzzle). As often as you work Charlie, I’d be tempted to try it without a muzzle.
As an FYI for netting a rb, when I did switch my two to a netted round bale I didn’t gain significantly more days between roundbales. I already used a hay hut so there wasn’t a lot of waste, but they would still drag plenty out and stomp on it if they were in the mood. The net eliminated that waste, but they still managed to finish off a rb in about the same amount of time, give or take 2-3 days (during winter when that’s all they really have to eat, it was about 2 weeks/bale pre net and I for sure never made it 3 weeks after net, usually just 16ish days which really equates to about how much hay I cleaned up around the hay hut), so with my n=1, it didn’t decrease overall consumption, but I did think they spent more time picking at it to eat the same amount. Full disclosure, I don’t use the smallest hole net since my goal wasn’t less hay but slower rate due to the other horse choking on hay. I think it’s a 1.5" net
However with those gg straps you absolutely must tape the strap shut, electric tape is your bff! It’s in the fjord handbook. And the pony handbook. 
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@DMK He HAS been loving when I get into him with a curry comb this last week or so. He’s good about not rubbing his head on me, but certainly doesn’t mean he hasn’t been doing it elsewhere. He has come in with a couple minor face dings recently.
He’s had access to the roundbales without the grazing muzzle to this point. The BO sometimes has a harder time getting new ones so they will be on and off them which was why I figured I’d try the grazing muzzle. I am going to keep it off for now though. The amount of work he’s in is definitely keeping him fit and the vet said we are in a perfect place to maintain. The barn staff are not to give him morning or evening hay in his stall if there is a roundbale available, so at least he’s not getting hay on top of hay.
And for anyone worried he is being starved, he has an auto feeder that dispenses a few ounces of hay pellets every hour he’s in his stall so no empty pony tummies!
And noted on taping the GG straps 
The two left on the muzzle where not tucked in and I know I buckled them how they should be.
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Of course some can but not all . Hopefully OP knows which one her horse is. Not all owners have the ability to see when their horses are too heavy ( as per a recent thread on COTH).
As we all know no horse is like another in how/ how much they can eat safely , even if they are the same breed.
I’ve seen mine get hay too while wearing hers but I wouldn’t make her do it in her off hours.
My guys have no problem eating hay with their gg muzzles on?
I usually use the gg straps but wrap them with athletic tape (in bright pink so I can find if they lose them lol)
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I didn’t say they can’t get hay when wearing one ( as I said mine does too) but it is a lot more work for a lot less hay and not fair to the horse to wear it all the time anyways.
isn’t more work for less the whole point of a muzzle?
Who said their horse is wearing it 24/7
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With grass yes, but I don’t ( personally) think that applies to hay. I guess that is why it is called a Grazing Muzzle?
My horse wears her muzzle when she is out on grass only. I dry lot overnight with hay but others may have access to hay for their horses all the time.
I feed my horse the appropriate amount of hay needed to maintain her weight and prefer that she can eat it easily. I have no idea how long people on here keep a muzzle on their horses but I imagine there might be some who wear it all the time.
We all do things differently.
On a random gg note- does anyone else’s horse like to use them as a giant scoop to fling water on themselves from the water trough lol? With it being so hot, the first thing my mare does when I put it on her is try to empty half of the water trough on herself haha
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My comment was about your “generally”. Not about all or none. It’s really not unusual for horses to be in good weight on lots of hay, but need muzzles when on lots of grass. There’s a reason that “Dr Green” is recommended for a lot of underweight horses, as it can be very good at packing on the pounds.
“off hours”? You mean, hours not on grass? If that’s what it takes to let a horse be with a buddy who needs all the hay he can stuff his face with, why wouldn’t you want to entertain the idea of a muzzle to slow his intake? That doesn’t mean Charlie must have a muzzle here, but certainly there are situations where 1 horse does, 1 horse doesn’t, so you can either put them in solitary (not always possible, or desirable), or put a muzzle on one
Which is more fair - a fat horse with increased health risks, or a muzzle?
Doing things differently doesn’t make your way right, and others wrong.
And yes, 2/3 of mine (it was 4/4) wear muzzles 22-23 hours a day, from mid-late May, to mid-late Sept, or they would be obese on pasture. Some years it’s dry enough in late July/early August that it can come off part or full time for a few weeks/a month, until the late Summer/early Fall rain comes, but most years that doesn’t happen
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Mine do this muzzled or not 
But yes it is worse with the muzzle. It’s also why I don’t (purposefully) fill the tub more than about half way.
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I never said anyone was wrong or that the way individuals use a muzzle is right or wrong.
I can only go off of my mare’s reaction to wearing her muzzle. I keep it on for her 10 hours at pasture ( and adjust that time based on grass conditions as needed).
She is good about keeping it on but would not be happy in it for 23 hours( your horses are) and since my other 2 do not need to eat grass 24/7 , everyone does well coming into the dry lot with hay overnight.
As I said we all do things differently and for what works for us and our horses.
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Given we went through a bout of laminitis last spring, mild thankfully, I am WELL aware of where my guy needs to be weight and body score wise. Hence being anal about hay consumption when he has 14ish hours access to a round bale that may be in the pasture and then it may be a week or two until a new one arrives. He is the easiest of easy keepers. Keeping his intake at 1.5% of his body weight is about 15 lbs. Thats not a lot and sustains him just fine.
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Havent read all the comments, but what about a breakaway halter? Or if there is elect in that area can you find a way to run a hotwire?
