Top Tips When Using Grazing Muzzles

Grazing muzzles are tools that can be useful with equids that are overweight or have some issue that require they have restricted intake of fresh forage.

The number of obese horses and ponies used for leisure and pleasure purposes around the world is growing. It is estimated that more than 50% could be classed as overweight or obese.

Keeping horses and ponies out at pasture with each other can be very beneficial in many ways. However, the intake of grass can contribute to obesity. It also can increase their risk of developing certain clinical conditions such as pasture-induced laminitis and insulin resistance.

Therefore, it is often necessary to restrict the intake of grass for many horses and ponies.

In this article, we’ll talk about grazing muzzles and offer you some tips on best use.

Grazing Muzzles

Individuals on restricted diets can adapt their grazing behaviour to eat more in a shorter period of time. For instance, in just 3 hours at pasture, ponies needing restricted diets can eat up to two-thirds of their recommended daily intake!

Therefore, restricting ponies’ diets by reducing turnout time might be less effective than using a grazing muzzle.

A grazing muzzle, when used effectively and appropriately, can be a very useful tool. It allows you to manage your animal’s weight whilst still allowing them to have time out grazing.

However, they do need to be used carefully and the following are some tips (not exhaustive) to help you do this.

Tips on Using Grazing Muzzles

Grazing muzzles must allow some access.
- Horses should have constant access to water.
- Total restriction muzzles (that prevent access to grass and water) are very unlikely to be suitable and should only be utilized under specific, very short-term circumstances or as recommended by your veterinarian.
- It is important to ensure that grass can be accessed through the base of the muzzle. If, for example, the grass is too short or too long, then it might be impossible or extremely difficult for the horse or pony to access the grass. This could result in abnormal or ‘stressed’ behavior.
One size/type does not fit all.
- Individual animals will suit different styles of grazing muzzles. The key is finding the one that works with your horse, pony, donkey, or mule.
Muzzles must be fitted carefully. (Author’s note: See the National Equine Welfare Council Grazing muzzle guidance.)
- Must be fitted to your animal according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. (This can sometimes be quite confusing. Asking for help from someone who has already used that type of muzzle can be very helpful.)
- Muzzles should not be too tight fitting and should be designed so that they will break away if the horse gets into difficulties.
- Remember that even if your horse keeps getting its muzzle off, you do not want to attach it so firmly that it could not break away if it gets caught. Try a different style of muzzle and/or check that the grazing is suitable for muzzle use.
- For ‘close fitting’ muzzles with a central access hole, the muzzle should be positioned such that there is at rest a 1-inch (25-mm) gap between the base of the muzzle and the horse’s nose. This enables the muzzle hole to be positioned below the incisors. There needs also to be a gap (0.5 inches or 12 mm) around the edge of the muzzle to allow movement of the jaw.
- Watch the horse grazing with the muzzle and adjust as required.
Allow for adaptation.
- An adaptation period is normally required. Therefore, do not leave horses/ponies for long periods of time when first fitted with a muzzle.
- Some horses even need to be positively encouraged to use the hole/slats to graze. Try introducing cut blades of grass through the hole or providing a treat (mint/carrot) in a similar way.
- Horses/ponies should not be left unsupervised while wearing muzzles until they have been observed to graze and drink.
Check that the environment is suitable for a muzzled animal.
- Check that the fencing and gates are suitable for use by animals with a grazing muzzle. You don’t want them to get caught.
- All feed and water vessels that might be used by horses wearing muzzles need to be smooth to minimize the risk of the muzzle getting snagged
Check muzzled animals regularly.
- Muzzles need to be checked regularly to ensure they are not causing any rubbing injury to the muzzle, cheekbones, etc.
- Also check for any wear and tear that might affect your horse’s health.
- The use of grazing muzzles can disturb herd social dynamics. Check that they are not being bullied and are not being prevented from accessing water. This sometimes necessitates the separation of horses in the group.
- Ensure that the animal’s teeth are checked regularly, typically every six months, as the use of muzzles might cause teeth to wear unevenly.
- Just because the use of grazing muzzles might reduce the amount of grass an individual can eat by up to 80%, it is still important to monitor them regularly for changes in their body weight and condition.
- Monitor your horse/pony’s behaviour regularly for signs of stress or frustration.
Important things to consider.
- All animals should have regular periods of time without a muzzle to enable them to groom themselves, and so on.
- If grazing muzzles are removed and animals are left to freely graze, there can be compensatory intake. This might increase the risk of obesity and laminitis. Consider stabling or non-grass turnout (with controlled amounts of an alternative suitable forage plus balancer) for the remainder of the day.
- Muzzles should not be used when there is no or very limited grass available. These muzzles are designed to restrict grass intake—not to totally inhibit grazing. When minimal or no grass is present, muzzles should be removed and controlled amounts of an alternative suitable forage (plus balancer) should be provided.
- For those that are very overweight or at high risk of laminitis, the author currently recommends that grazing muzzles should only be used as an additional method for restricting calorie intake, for example to further restrict grass intake during short periods of turnout on a low starch and sugar providing pasture with the horse/pony fed a controlled amount of suitable, alternative forage (plus an appropriate balancer) for the remainder of the day.
- Some people do not have a good perception of grazing muzzles. While they are not suitable for all horses and ponies, many adapt to wearing them very well. Although the author does not recommend using muzzles 24/7, two studies in miniature ponies found that wearing a muzzle effectively for 24 hours a day prevented weight gain without any evidence of stress. In fact, muzzled ponies spent more time foraging and had lower heart rates.