When you have a horse that requires a grazing muzzle due to sugar sensitivities or you just need to slow down their eating, it is hard finding the right muzzle that doesn’t rub and is comfortable on their face for extended periods of time. There have been so many innovative and lightweight designs that there is bound to be an option that will work for you and your horse.
Before grazing muzzles were created, owners were limited to dry lot turnout (if they had one) or keeping their horse locked in a stall for fear of causing health issues to their easy keepers! We all know this is not ideal as horses need movement, natural grazing, and social interactions with their herd.
A muzzle forces your horse to eat slowly and more deliberately and allows you to limit the amount of forage your horse can consume. Horses are meant to graze 16-18 hours per day, and grazing muzzles can be beneficial as they can consistently consume small amounts of grass while wearing the muzzle.
My horse, Gracie, is an 18-year-old Morgan who was diagnosed with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and now has Insulin Resistance (IR). She absolutely loves food and was not happy watching all her pasture mates enjoying the grass while she was stuck in the dry lot. I decided it was time to do research on the available grazing muzzle options to see what would work best for her. My biggest concerns were if the muzzle would cause rubs/sores on her face, ability to access water, breathable material, and not being able to slip it off. I was also concerned about the wear on her teeth that can happen from trying to graze with a muzzle on. After trying out a variety of muzzles, here are my findings:
I started with two canvas muzzles, Best Friend Grazing Muzzle and the Easy Breathe Grazing Muzzle. While I did like the size of the grazing hole on these muzzles, the canvas material gave her sweat lines, however, these grazing muzzles provide a lot of adjustability to fit different horse head shapes!
Best Friend Muzzle (Left) & Easy Breathe Muzzle (Right)
ThinLine makes the Flexible Filly muzzle which was so different than the traditional canvas or cage-like grazing muzzles! It boasts UV resistance, antimicrobial properties, and durability with plenty of airflow. I tried this one on my horse two years ago and it has been my favorite so far. She can get small amounts of grass and the muzzle is much more flexible in its’ movement. She was able to drink water, eat through snow covered grass, and even groom her pasture mates with no issues! I also like that it doesn’t directly touch her face so there hasn’t been any rubbing.
Thinline Flexible Filly Grazing Muzzle - The Thinline Halter is specially made to fit the Flexible Filly attachments without touching your horse's sensitive nose. These muzzles can also be attached to any standard breakaway halter.
There is also the GreenGuard muzzle which has received high ratings. I tried this muzzle and wanted to share my thoughts. I really like how open and breathable it is. The way it hangs on the halter leaves plenty of room for airflow. I have it attached to a nylon halter and I like that the muzzle attaches to the halter with breakaway straps. It's also convenient since it can be used on your horse's regular, everyday turnout halter. You won't need an extra halter just for the muzzle. It's also known to be “anti-escape artist” and so far, she has managed to keep this on! It can be used with your own halter or the GreenGuard Halter.
All in all, there are a variety of muzzles available on the market to fit each horse’s need. As they become more prevalent, new technologies are being created leading to great new products! If you are interested in trying a muzzle or are not sure which one might be the best fit for you, please reach out to us and we will be happy to help!
- Erica, Customer Service Representative
