Advice wanted for horse head tossing

[Breagha]

Spoke to my vet this morning and we are now both on the same page and feel it is a pressure on the nerve that is causing her violent head tossing. So I have been given 2 options.
1. Retire her to the hackamore
2. get her referred to Clyde vets for possible nerve blocking and there is a treatment (coil I think) but it isnt 100% affective.

So going to think over Xmas and phone my vet back in the new year to decide.

 

[LittleRolo]

Do you mean ride her in the hackamore not 'retire her to the hackamore'

 

[Breagha]

Do you mean ride her in the hackamore not 'retire her to the hackamore'

Well I mean both....retire her from showing and ride her in a hackamore.

 

[nutjob]

I've had one with trigeminal neuralgia. It was diagnosed by administering a temporary nerve block. The horse is ridden before and after blocking. On blocking, the headshaking stopped, it was very obvious for my horse. Mine was much better for most of his life with a nose net and did most rc stuff without it being much of an issue including dressage and eventing. Later on he needed a full face net in the summer if it was very bright but by this time he was only quietly hacking anyway. At the time there were 2 poss treatments, the coil thing and PENS therapy. Both were quiet expensive and had limited success including quite a few who were worse after treatment. As mine was OK with the nosenet I didn't pursue this. He did need a pretty good fly hood when turned out in the summer with a nose cover and dark enough to exclude the bright sunlight otherwise you could see it was bothering him. The very fine nose nets like equilibrium are better than thicker ones which restrict breathing.

 

[Breagha]

I've had one with trigeminal neuralgia. It was diagnosed by administering a temporary nerve block. The horse is ridden before and after blocking. On blocking, the headshaking stopped, it was very obvious for my horse. Mine was much better for most of his life with a nose net and did most rc stuff without it being much of an issue including dressage and eventing. Later on he needed a full face net in the summer if it was very bright but by this time he was only quietly hacking anyway. At the time there were 2 poss treatments, the coil thing and PENS therapy. Both were quiet expensive and had limited success including quite a few who were worse after treatment. As mine was OK with the nosenet I didn't pursue this. He did need a pretty good fly hood when turned out in the summer with a nose cover and dark enough to exclude the bright sunlight otherwise you could see it was bothering him. The very fine nose nets like equilibrium are better than thicker ones which restrict breathing.

Hi,

thank you for your reply. Breagha seems to do it mostly when she has the bit in. Seems better in a hackamore but was still slightly head tossing when I hacked her yesterday. I am going through the motions of a few things just now. changed her to haylage, put her on Anti Histamines etc before I decide whether to take her for more investigations or is it going to be a retirement job

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

One of my horses is a very slight head shaker he doesn't toss his head much he rubs his head and on things, when his ridden he rubs his nose on his leg a few times in the whole time his ridden.

we think he has some nerve damage in his face caused by all the scoping he had to have due to repeated guttural pouch infections, the infection could have also contributed or caused the damage he has.

I use a sacro cranial therapist which I think can really help there are many of them around the country it might be worth a try it's not that expensive, I probably get her out 3 to 4 times a year or if I feel his got a bit worse.

I find certain things can be a trigger my horse can react more in sunlight clipping him can often make it worse as well, he sometimes doesn't want to be groomed either.

 

[Breagha]

One of my horses is a very slight head shaker he doesn't toss his head much he rubs his head and on things, when his ridden he rubs his nose on his leg a few times in the whole time his ridden.

we think he has some nerve damage in his face caused by all the scoping he had to have due to repeated guttural pouch infections, the infection could have also contributed or caused the damage he has.

I use a sacro cranial therapist which I think can really help there are many of them around the country it might be worth a try it's not that expensive, I probably get her out 3 to 4 times a year or if I feel his got a bit worse.

I find certain things can be a trigger my horse can react more in sunlight clipping him can often make it worse as well, he sometimes doesn't want to be groomed either.

Thank you. Breagha violently tosses her head when being ridden in a bit. She is now 10 and the problem really started getting worse in August. I have never heard of a sacro cranial therapist but will keep it in mind. I am waiting for a vet from Clyde to phone me back to discuss options.

I noticed the last time Breagha was clipped she was less keen on my clipping her face whereas she would stand with no headcollar on for me to do it. It is all food for thought.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Thank you. Breagha violently tosses her head when being ridden in a bit. She is now 10 and the problem really started getting worse in August. I have never heard of a sacro cranial therapist but will keep it in mind. I am waiting for a vet from Clyde to phone me back to discuss options.

I noticed the last time Breagha was clipped she was less keen on my clipping her face whereas she would stand with no headcollar on for me to do it. It is all food for thought.

My horse is not keen on being touched on his face but funnily enough he quite likes having it clipped! He takes offence to certain brushes and he only likes certain numnahs the natural wool nuumed ones seem the best for him, if I use something he doesn't like he will quiver and shake like when they get a fly on them, I have to be careful rugging him he actually prefers no rugs I can't over rug him and I tend to buy very light weight rugs.