Horse vs muzzle: rejected!

[Calvincrowe]

My aged gelding has successfully worn his Greenguard muzzle for over 5 years now every spring and summer. It is properly fitted and doesn’t rub. However, he is strenuously objecting to wearing it this spring! Refusing to try to graze (grass is not too long or too short), pacing, whinnying, pawing, working himself into a snit. I’ve tried three times to put him out in my ‘big field’ with it on, and three times we’ve failed. What am I doing wrong? What can I do to get him happily grazing with it on?

I will add: it’s an older muzzle and I just got a new one but haven’t fitted it yet (arrived yesterday). He has early stage EOTRH, but is grazing without it comfortably. I did buy the soft insert for the new muzzle.

I am so frustrated! He is also tired of eating hay in his dry lot, but with Cushings and IR, he must have restricted grazing and the muzzle has worked so well for so long!! Grrr!

[JB]

I would guess the EOTRH is making it painful to contact his teeth to the bottom of the muzzle.

Are the front-bottom areas of his incisors worn any? That can start exposing some nerves which also makes it painful to have something rub against it.

there’s a newer “hay net” muzzle whose name I forget, but maybe that’s an option? It literally looks like a miniature hay net, I’m just not sure how much grass it allows in real life. That might not feel any better, I just don’t know.

[Dbliron]

You might also consider pain medication. Our gelding with EOTRH improved exponentially on Prevequine daily.

[trubandloki]

@JB

I would guess the EOTRH is making it painful to contact his teeth to the bottom of the muzzle.

This was my guess too.

[NaturallyHappy]

Mine, too. Those green guard muzzles are hard. I wonder if Thinline’s Flexible Filly would be more comfortable. One can enlarge the hole, if need be.

[cayuse]

I agree with everyone saying it’s probably teeth related. My pony stopped eating out of a hay net when his EOTRH got bad. The “pushing” his muzzle into the net to grab hay hurt.

[Texarkana]

The soft insert also decreases grazing ability by 30% per the Greenguard people.

If it isn’t pain, the insert might be inhibiting him just enough to either prevent grazing or make it difficult enough to make him hate the muzzle now.

[OzarksRider]

@Calvincrowe, I feel your pain. My PPID/IR gelding has worn GG muzzles for years with no issues, but he destroyed three of them last year. He’s in a GG muzzle with a leather insert now, but I’ve ordered a Flexible Filly to try on him.

@JB, I think the hay net muzzle you’re referring to is the Sweet Net. I think the ring is metal wrapped with net string, and I wonder if that would be hard on teeth. I also wonder if that net would be restrictive enough for a sensitive IR horse. It looks comfortable though.

[JB]

@OzarksRider

I think the hay net muzzle you’re referring to is the Sweet Net. I think the ring is metal wrapped with net string, and I wonder if that would be hard on teeth. I also wonder if that net would be restrictive enough for a sensitive IR horse. It looks comfortable though.

Yes, that’s it, and I agree with your wonderings

[Pico_Banana]

I have the SweetNet muzzle. The ring is wrapped in the string, which is quite cushy. So it would be firm if pushed against, but a very different feel from the GG. I like it quite a bit even though it wasn’t overly successful with my mare. But I may try again this spring.

I also like the FF, which sounds like a better option for this situation as it’s completely soft - as long as it works. I know a lot of us - myself included - can’t figure out how to prevent horses eating through the side. The SweetNet avoids that problem.

[endlessclimb]

It would be super easy to enlarge the holes on the insert. It’s just rubber.

OP, was he grazing successfully this year without the insert? I wonder if he’s just super frustrated with it - it is very restrictive.

[OzarksRider]

The holes in the standard insert exactly match the holes in the muzzle, so enlarging them wouldn’t increase the amount of grass available. It’s the height of the insert that restricts grass intake a little more.

[endlessclimb]

It prevents them from grazing down lower, but it doesn’t restrict any more intake. The grass grows at the same speed. At least that’s what my logic is saying to me? I don’t know where @Texarkana’s 30% came from, I can’t find that on the website.

[trubandloki]

@endlessclimb

It prevents them from grazing down lower, but it doesn’t restrict any more intake. The grass grows at the same speed. At least that’s what my logic is saying to me? I don’t know where @Texarkana’s 30% came from, I can’t find that on the website.

It is covered in this blog post (found on their website).

How much do muzzles restrict intake?

[endlessclimb]

Huh. I’d be curious how they got that number with grass. Hay, I can maybe see it, but grass is going to stick through it. Yes, they can’t graze it as close to the ground, but grass grows.

[trubandloki]

@endlessclimb

Huh. I’d be curious how they got that number with grass. Hay, I can maybe see it, but grass is going to stick through it. Yes, they can’t graze it as close to the ground, but grass grows.

But does it grow fast enough for this additional thickness to not cause a problem?

I have no idea where they came up with the number, but it seems logical to me that thicker would cause more limitations on what the horse can reach to eat.

[endlessclimb]

I mean, grass grows at the same rate, until it gets to either max height or it gets scalped by a nonmuzzled horse. The difference in growth rate of the grass being grazed at muzzle height, or muzzle height + 1/4" is negligible.

[NaturallyHappy]

@Pico_Banana, I have one I use duct tape on. I’m not sure how to explain it well. I make sides w duct tape about half way between the nose and and the base of the muzzle. Then he can’t eat out of the sides.

[Calvincrowe]

Hey guys- thanks for all the thoughtful and helpful replies! I bought the standard insert (rubber) that does not restrict intake, other than height. Trust me, he can stand slightly less grass.

I am going to contact my vet about his teeth, but he easily and happily grazes without the muzzle. As soon as I can get his new one fitted and on, I’ll see if he’s just upset about being denied free grazing or if the muzzle hurts him too much. Then I’ll investigate another type. Sigh… old horses are $$$!! (But I wouldn’t trade him for anything, no matter how crotchety and pushy he is!)

[JB]

@Calvincrowe

I am going to contact my vet about his teeth, but he easily and happily grazes without the muzzle.

The difference is that a muzzle is pushing inward on his incisors if, assuming he’s like most horses, he pushes the muzzle down to get the most grass through it. That can wear the front/outer surface of even normal teeth, exposing some bit of nerve, and can also be enough pressure on even mild EOTRH that it hurts, even if the vertical pressure of biting grass doesn’t yet bother him

I hope it’s not a pain issue!

@Calvincrowe

old horses are $$$!! (But I wouldn’t trade him for anything, no matter how crotchety and pushy he is!)

I feel all this