Advice re. head tossing/sneezing...

[AFlapjack]

Friend's mare started throwing her head up and down during this year's shows. We thought of it as a boredom/tired 'thing' as pony rarely does it at home and it's the first year we've been able to take her out and about (had her for a year at the end of April).

Fast forward a couple of months to today. I was schooling her and she was tossing her head up and down nearly every stride (trot) and sneezed quite a few times too. Called it quits after about 20 mins as there was obviously something annoying her.

Could she have an allergy? Hay fever? Could it be the flies bothering her? She is fine in the field and when standing (minus in the line up at shows). Lives out 24/7.

Any advice greatly appreciated

 

[lynnandbella]

Pollen count is really high at the moment, try a nosenet attatched to noseband of bridle, then maybe look at getting teeth , back etc checked , if its only when ridden might be a prob with tack , my mare does it , hers is due to pollen and teeth as she is cutting new ones!

 

[DuckToller]

Mine tosses his head around, nose net never helped but I had the vet flush his tear ducts out as his eye was occasionally a bit weepy and amazingly the head tossing stopped.

But try a net first as it's cheaper!