I watched the other boarder’s mare who has to be stalled during the day and muzzle when out at night at the salt block - she would kick and stomp at it to break off pieces she could get to! I let the owner know, who made sure to add another block to her stall. I also give my guy salt in his RB/Supplement 2xday - he doesn’t have a stall (and really hates them anyway so kind of pointless to bring him in for feeding) so I’ll keep on eye on how he does with it on 24/7 if I need to change things or maybe he will be smart too at the block 
That’s why I dislike blocks. They really need loose salt. Blocks were designed for cows’ rough tongues. Horses’ are smooth. Some horses will happily lick a block for hours, or just enjoy biting off chunks and chewing it. Many do not, and as a result, don’t get enough 
I love the GG muzzle - so light and durable. However, it has worn the fronts of my mare’s teeth so badly I’m afraid to use this muzzle any longer. Has anyone else had this happen with the GG?
Sadly, that’s a muzzle thing I have 2 who have worn front teeth from the regular muzzles. It’s just going to happen to some of the softer teeth if they are wearing the muzzle for enough hours, for enough days.
1 of them is worse, but it’s because, I assume, from the way he eats. He really mashes the muzzle down into the ground as he’s biting. The other - still some wear but not nearly as bad - does more a dabbing.
It’s the constant sliding of teeth over that hard rubber/plastic.
So, I guess the dilemma is - worn teeth or less time in the muzzle, resulting in weight gain… JB, is the wear on the teeth detrimental in the long term, or just a cosmetic issue?
It’s definitely something to take into account. Obviously the ideal is to have a setup where they can be off the muzzle and eating hay for part of the day. If wear is exceeding growth, that’s an issue. For older horses where there is no more tooth erupting behind what’s wearing down, that can be a huge issue. For younger horses who have years left, it could start to become an issue. Risks vs benefits
I’m assuming this wear is an issue regardless of the fact that the muzzle is only used certain months of the year?
still waiting on my GG… USPS has it “Out for Delivery” for 2 days now. If it doesn’t show today I’ll be contacting everyone involved!
It’s not about which months, it’s about the hours the teeth are sliding against the basket. IME that’s a factor of how the horse eats in the muzzle.
I received my GreenGuard muzzle last week and so far I love it! I’d been using a traditional muzzle for years along with huge amounts of duct tape and mole skin and still had problems with rubs. No rubs at all with the GreenGuard and she’s been wearing it 14 hours a day for the past 5 days!
It’s such a simple design that it makes me wonder why all muzzles aren’t designed like this. I stood next to my mare while she was grazing and was amazed that it really limits her grass intake, because it sure doesn’t look like it would. The other thing I’m impressed with is how roomy and airy it is and the low profile. It looks like it would be easy for a horse to get out of but it isn’t.
My other mare isn’t prone to rubs and still has a traditional muzzle. Once the two she has wear out I’ll buy one for her too.
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Probably because lots of people do not want their horse wearing down their teeth on the hard surface like this type of muzzle appears to do. The softer rubber of the basket muzzle might need repairing or replacing more often but is not so likely to cause teeth damage.
My horses were wearing their teeth on the regular muzzles long before I started using GG.
Besides, there’s no reason the same basket material of the traditional muzzles couldn’t be used in a design much more similar to the GG.
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We at Greenguard are glad to hear that so many of you are having good experiences with our muzzles!
Regarding teeth wearing concerns (Note - we always recommend having your horse’s teeth checked and floated routinely to ensure there are no issues!):
Teeth wearing affects a small number of horses wearing grazing muzzles. For these horses it will typically happen in any grazing muzzle, not just the Greenguard muzzle. Horses may actually be less likely to abnormally wear their teeth in the Greenguard muzzle because they are grazing more naturally over a large surface area with many openings, rather than focusing on one spot which often leads to “pecking” behavior and/or horses bearing down trying to make the center hole bigger.
Situations that may lead to abnormal teeth wear:
- Frustration due to lack of forage: The horse is not getting any grass through the muzzle because the grass is either extremely short and overgrazed or the grass is more than half a foot long and is laying over instead of poking up through the holes. This can also be a problem with hay since it lays flat and does not stick up like grass. If a horse is not able to get any grass (or hay), then they may get frustrated and scrape their teeth on the bottom. [U]However, if you have a "typical" pasture with grass between 2" to 6" and are using the muzzle as designed (i.e. for grazing - not hay intake), then the chances of this happening are very minimal to none. [/U]
- Abnormally aggressive grazing style: Most horses will graze normally in a grazing muzzle, so their teeth wear normally. However, there is a small percentage of horses who will bear down aggressively with their front teeth in a grazing muzzle. Horses with this type of behavior will typically do it in any grazing muzzle, not just Greenguard. Our muzzle has the advantage in that it doesn't just have a single hole so it encourages horses to move around to graze rather than focus just on one spot. In fact, many of our customers say that their Greenguard muzzle has lasted them much longer because their horses are not trying to make the holes bigger and wearing through the bottom like they were with their traditional muzzle. In other words, their horses are not bearing down and scraping the bottom, so the muzzle lasts longer.
If anyone has any more questions, feel free to reach out to us! We love hearing from our customers!
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I love my Greenguard, but I’m afraid that my mare’s teeth definitely wear worse in the GG. She’s worn muzzles for years with no issues until the I got the GG last year. But I will say, if your horse’s teeth can tolerate it, the GG is a much lighter and durable brand of muzzle.
Just wanted to throw this out there also - it may also be a function of aging since your mare is older now than when she was wearing the other muzzles. Horse’s teeth really do wear much more quickly as they age.
Also wanted to note that the correct orientation of this muzzle is very important to the issue of teeth wear, which is is why we include detailed instructions with our muzzle. You want to make sure the muzzle is turned so that the Greenguard logo is facing the front per the instructions and the slots are oriented up and down (vertical). If this muzzle is turned the wrong way then the slots will be oriented horizontally/side to side, which can lead to horses catching their teeth on the slots. Anyways, just thought I would mention it since we have seen a few cases of this. It is very important to read the instructions!
Below is a photo showing the correct orientation from the perspective as if you are the horse looking down into the muzzle. The top of the muzzle is at the top of the photo and the slots are oriented up and down. This is the correct orientation.
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Thanks for your response, Greenguard.
Yes - I’ve read the instructions and my GG is properly fitted and placed for my mare. She’s only 13, so age isn’t a detrimental factor with her teeth. Per my vet’s instructions, I have switched her back to the regular style muzzle. However, on really warm days, I alternate and allow her to wear the GG.
I really love the GG, just wish it were a better option for my mare.
