Hello everyone, my gelding is showing some wear on his front teeth from the grazing muzzle. My vet is aware and says she see’s this a lot. From what I’ve read it restricts grass consumption an additional 30%. He’s hungry when he comes in for feed and supplements, I’m concerned the insert will cause frustration and stress.
Has anyone tried the leather insert?
Thanks!
I didn’t see how the standard insert I just put on my Greenguard muzzle was going to reduce my gelding’s consumption by any percentage. It’s not that thick and aligns with the holes, so no reduction there. That being said, I switch my guy to Flexible Filly as it’s softer.
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Don’t you put it in cross-wise from the actual muzzle? So that it reduces the size of the holes by half or so? I have Greenguard muzzles, but haven’t used the inserts, so am just trying to remember how it looked when I was playing with one before purchasing.
To the OP - I always figured tooth wear was a better option than laminitis and founder, so tolerated the front of the incisors getting flat with the mare I owned who needed to be muzzled on grass.
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I have yet to meet a horse that does not seem to be hungry when they come in for their hard feed, even if on pasture all day.
Give the insert a try and see if it helps.
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One of my horses has worn incisors from the GG muzzle, and I tried both the standard and leather inserts. He chewed through the leather insert in less than a month. The standard insert lasted longer, but he still wore it down in a season. This year I switched him to a Flexible Filly muzzle and he seems to like it better. I also like that it’s softer than even the GG inserts, but I don’t know yet how durable it will be.
My other horse does fine in the GG muzzle with a standard or leather insert. He’s going on his 3rd year with the same muzzle and insert, and it looks like it might last forever. And his teeth are just fine.
During these long spring and summer days I bring my horses in to a dry lot for 3-4 hours to give them a break from their muzzles. I toss in a little hay so they’ll have something to nibble on and fill their bellies if they’re hungry. Would your schedule allow for this? I also stall my horses at night because this keeps them off grass and reduces their muzzle time.
It won’t cost much to buy the leather insert, so my advice is to go ahead and try that. If it doesn’t work out, then consider a Flexible Filly or a Tough One Easy Breathe muzzle.
No, the insert will fit only one way because of the way the protrusions on the insert have to fit into the slots in the muzzle. There are two slots on each side of the muzzle, and one slot in the front and back. GG makes a diet insert that has holes that are half the size of the muzzle holes.
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PSA…we use flexible filly muzzles on all the horses here except one. The owner had a green guard muzzle and insisted upon using it. We did teeth yesterday/ she had a laceration on the front of her tongue. That muzzle had worn to the point those plastic pieces on the bottom were sharp! She will be in a ff going from now on.
