How to keep a muzzle on your horse
With the summer grass as lush as it is the ponies are always at risk for lamanitis. I always try to monitor their grass intake, keeping them off of it during the day and muzzling them at night, as well as regular exercise for those who can be – because we all know that given the chance the ponies will eat and eat and then eat some more!
Well this year keeping them muzzled has been a challenge with both Minnow and Boomerang figuring out how to slip their muzzles when no one was looking. They gave us a few scares, which left me trying to search for a way to make sure they stayed put indefinitely!
So after a little trial and error (we tried halters overtop, flymasks ontop, tightening them to name a few) I think we finally found something that works – and after 3 days, so far so good! So I figured I’d share our solution for anyone else out there having trouble keeping their pony’s muzzle on. Here’s what the boys looked like in their muzzles before:
Supplies needed for Painting Pony anti-muzzle slipping:
- Browband (repurposed from old bridles we had laying around)
- Thin belt from Goodwill ($3.99 for a set of 2 at Goodwill)
How to:
All you need to do is add a browband to your existing muzzle set-up and slip the thin belt through it so that it buckles at the throat. Make sure to buckle it tight enough so that your pony can’t get caught on anything and it prevents the muzzle from slipping. It’s always best to use a leather belt so that it’s breakable if need be. And to fully make sure you muzzle won’t slip off, try pulling it off your pony’s head yourself. If it seems too loose, perhaps tightening it up all over may help.
The Result:
I hate to have to muzzle them, and I know they hate it too, but making sure they never over eat so that they live a long and healthy life is very worth it!
Anyone else have any DIY solutions for keeping muzzles on your horses?
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your post is very helpful. My daughters pony is amazing at getting his muzzle off and we have tried many different contraptions to try to keep it on. Wondering if you can tell me if the throat strap as long as it’s leather is safe left unsupervised in his pasture? Just wondering what your experience has been. Thanks for any further info on this. Jennifer
We always use leather belts from goodwill. We keep them pretty tight on their throats and we’ve never had a problem. If anything eventually the holes get stretched and they rip off them. I’ve got one that is really really good at getting everything off. Putting a fly ask ontop helps as well & we also rotate muzzles so he has a different kind on every week. Hope you have better luck keeping yours on!
I think this idea is brilliant. I attached the muzzle to his bridle and tied it where the Velcro is. Didn’t work. I then tied the top to the cow collar he has on. Gets it pulled down by the other horses and it’s dropped low enough to slip it under his chin. Your idea is just the ticket. Thank you! It’s so stressful to see your IR grazing to his hearts content!