Hey guys!
Today, I’m going to talk about the Greenguard Grazing muzzle. Last year, my horse came down with EPM, so she had to take some time off from riding for treatment and recovery. This couldn’t have happened at a worse time, because it was the summertime in North Carolina. At that time, we boarded at a facility where she lived in a very large (12-ish+acres) LUSH GREEN PASTURE. She’s already an easy keeper, but combine that with taking some time off from riding and exercising, and I was about to have a very serious problem.
At one of her checkups, my vet was very concerned that she had gained a bit of weight. She was starting to get some stress rings in her hooves, and we were really getting into the danger zone of potentially having one medical condition (laminitis) on top of another. The last thing I wanted was for her to be in pain or to have more vet bills.
Unfortunately, I was unable to pull her off of pasture at that facility… even though it was my vet’s orders and there were smaller paddocks available… I had been a client with 2 horses there for almost three years and NEVER asked for anything special, but the barn owner was unable to accommodate my horse’s pressing medical needs. (Needless to say, I moved shortly after.)
Limiting Grass Intake With a Grazing Muzzle
In the mean time, I had to do my best to limit her grass intake! Being the sensitive thin-skinned Arabian that she was, I tried numerous muzzles on her and they would all leave terrible rubs on her face after just a few hours! She was taking them off left and right too, and who could blame her!?
Getting a Greenguard Grazing Muzzle
As per my usual, I did a TON of research and finally decided to bite the bullet and get a Greenguard muzzle. I amazon primed it, and had it in two days! I also opted to get their comfort safety halter, because it has a lot of nice features. It has velcro for safety, padding for comfort, a strap down the front to keep the muzzle in place, and it’s surprisingly light! I can’t imagine what a pain it is to wear a big heavy halter an muzzle on your head 24 hours a day.
I followed the sizing directions (bit size) and it fit her perfectly. Although it looked big on her to me, it worked, and I think that’s just part of the Hannibal-Lector-style design.
Pros of the Greenguard Grazing Muzzle
- Limits grass intake
- Lightweight
- Breathable
- Did not leave one single rub mark on my horse’s face
- Stayed on my horse’s head
- She couldn’t get it off and didn’t seem to want to try to remove it
Cons of the Greenguard Grazing Muzzle
- Pricey!
All in all, I absolutely love the Greenguard. We’ve since moved to Idaho, and it’s a scrubby desert out here, so I don’t think I will need it, but I’m glad to have it. JUST IN CASE. The only drawback is the price, which is much higher than the cheaper canvas options, but in this case, you truly get what you pay for.
At my old barn, I couldn’t count on somebody to put a muzzle back on her if she got it off, so it was critical that I found one that worked. Even though it’s more expensive that traditional canvas grazing muzzles, the potential savings in vet bills or crippled horses is SO worth it!
Should You Buy a Greenguard Muzzle?
If you’re on the fence about a grazing muzzle or you’re worried about your fatty on spring grass, I highly recommend the Greenguard! You can get it on Amazon, and they’re great about returns, so if you decide you don’t like it, it’s not a huge deal, unlike the many canvas grazing muzzles I bought at local tack shops….
Happy trails!