Sam's diet has helped thin him down, but it's been rough on muzzles. They've been broken or slipped off and left in the field (He doesn't exactly bring them back when requested).
The muzzle has also cost Sam his position as alpha out in the fields. Magic's been emboldened. He can get lippy with Sam and Sam can't bite back!
Worse than that, the muzzle gives Magic something he can grip. He bites the muzzle (while Sam bites air inside the muzzle) and then shakes it around. This pulls muzzles into all sorts of interesting positions until they come off and/or break.
Carrie caught Magic in the act here. If there was audio, you'd hear, "Knock it off!"
Magic would've sounded like a stooge running off, "Woo-woo-woo!"
Or maybe he reads like Dory, "Es-cop-pay!"
And it happens all too frequently. Sam was standing in the field with his muzzle in his mouth when I took this picture.
He couldn't get it off. He just kept eating with it.
I can imagine him wondering why the grass tasted funny, shrugging, and keeping right on at it.
Sams's still the alpha when it comes to getting food. He will push past anyone if he thinks it will get him a spec of grain a second sooner!
Sam and Magic are still buds, though. They pick, but they can't stay away from each other.
UPDATE: The muzzle's status can change in a heartbeat! I put Sam out with his muzzle one morning.
He had it on when I went to do some work and checked. I took maybe 10 minutes and found this.
The problem was created and fixed in under a minute each time!
Muzzles aren't free, either. I think Carrie said she spent $40 on a muzzle that the boys broke in two days. She gets to figure out ways to fix them, because that's a rate we can't afford to sustain!
That is so funny about the muzzles! Those are pretty smart and beautiful horses!
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