One of the true privileges of working at GG Equine is getting to know the members of our herd, both the horses and the owners who care for them. It’s a true joy to meet and see the same horses in our social media timelines year after year. An indisputable sign that spring has arrived and grazing muzzle season has started is the appearance of familiar faces. Kelly and her horses have been members of our herd since 2019.
We met them that spring when Kelly bought a GreenGuard Grazing Muzzle for her senior Paint horse Wendy. Wendy had heaves and traditional muzzles were uncomfortable and stifling. From the first time she tagged us in a post, Kelly was confident that GG Equine would "be the only brand that I buy from now on."
Their story follows a pattern we’ve seen repeated many times. Kelly told us she’d "owned multiples of other" grazing muzzle brands. She noticed immediately that Wendy "took to it much faster than the other brands she used to wear." And since day one, she’s never had “any worries of her getting it off."
George and Wendy, April 2019
That’s been Kelly’s experience for the past five years and three horses. Her herd includes Lucy and George, a pair of retired Thoroughbreds, who also wear GreenGuard muzzles. Kelly’s early experience with GreenGuard convinced her that the muzzles were "durable and most importantly, comfortable, for my easy-keeper mares."
With time, practice, and daily use during the season, Kelly’s horses got used to turnout time meaning muzzle time. In 2020, Kelly told us that "Wendy and Lucy put their noses in the muzzles when I put them on at turnout time, so I know they are happy and comfortable wearing them." Kelly regularly posted photos of Wendy, Lucy, and George each season, and we were always excited to see them and follow their progress with each passing year.
That regularity is comforting, but it does make it harder when horses we become familiar with leave us. Kelly let us know that Wendy passed away in April of 2022 at the age of 27. Wendy’s "heaves became difficult to manage" and Kelly "couldn’t keep her comfortable any longer. She had a good, long life, though, and always stayed at her ideal weight thanks to GreenGuard muzzles."
Lucy and George grazing, July 2020
When we checked in on Lucy and George in late summer 2022, Kelly said they were "retired and living their best lives." For easy-keeper pasture puffs, no news is good news. It’s reassuring to see these gorgeous thoroughbreds season after season, looking fit and healthy and active on grass rather than pacing in dry lots.
The GreenGuard muzzle gives horses like Lucy and George the opportunity to live normal lives. They spend time every day socializing with each other and enjoying each other's company. They get regular, daily exercise, and they get to keep foraging for grass, which keeps their digestive systems functioning properly.
Lucy in her GreenGuard muzzle, April 2024
In 2024, Lucy’s beautiful face popped up in our timeline once again. Kelly says that Lucy is "25 years old now and her muzzle keeps her weight in the ‘just right’ scale." It’s hard to tell any difference between Lucy and George, who is now 20 years old, from the day Kelly first tagged us and today. They are well and truly settled in as part of the GG Equine herd.
It's humbling and reassuring to see Lucy and George turn up in our social media feed season after season and year after year. That’s a testament to Kelly’s stewardship as much as to the horses' consistent use of GreenGuard muzzles. The routine of diet and exercise, coupled with regular vet, dental, and farrier visits, are all vital parts of keeping senior horses not only healthy, but also thriving.
