Annoyed/Allergy/Vet??

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Jake has fairly recently (4 weeks or so?) started shaking his head. He does it side to side sometimes (classic fly irritation shake) which is fine, but he more often throws his head up and down quite dramatically. He does it only when hacking, fine in the school, he does it in company and on his own, in the cold and hot, and on road and in woods. With two different bridles, but doesn't do it when he isn't being ridden.

I have pretty much eliminated flies, although an ear bonnet helped a little.
I have tried a nose net.
I did swap him onto haylage as the hay was pretty dusty.
I have cleaned his bridles and checked them over.
His saddle has been checked.
His numnahs have been changed.
His bit has been changed.
He is not sensitive around his head/ears/nose at all.

And now I have sort of run out of ideas. I think it may just be impatience as he does it every time I ask him to stand, he doesn't do it in trot, but does when we stop trotting, and he doesn't do it when we canter or have a hooley up the downs.

If you agree that that is likely the cause, any tips for nipping it in the bud? Making a sharp noise when he does it stops him that time, but he does persist, and it is fairly constant and very very irritating.

Jaffa cakes if you got all the way to the end!!

 

[Janah]

Have you had his teeth checked? My pony head shook because of his teeth.

 

[BBP]

Can't say for sure but 4 weeks times well with tree pollen coming out. Mine started 4 weeks ago and his is definitely pollen allergy or a nerve sensitisation. Apparently bright sun is a trigger for some so you could try a fly mask to reduce uv light? There are so many possible triggers, I'm having a bit of a nightmare helping mine to feel better.

 

[SusieT]

teeth chk = they can have fractured teeth

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I will certainly get his teeth checked asap, the only thing that was making me think it wasn't this is that he doesn't do it all the time, he is fine in the school, or if we are trotting...

If the teeth check doesn't flag anything up then I will have a look at a pollen allergy perhaps. Thank you for your replies!

 

[GrandmareS]

We had a mare who did this and it turned out to be a back proble which when treated, head shaking stopped, The back man couldn't understand how she had tolerated anyone on her back!

 

[Zipzop]

I would also get a chiropractor to check him, the atlas joint, top of head may be off. He may just find it irritating when you are riding and asking him to flex or when the headpiece sits on it and causes pressure

 

[cobgoblin]

Try riding him without a noseband.

 

[Greylegs]

Try riding him without a noseband.

Daft suggestion, but try a longer brow band if the nose band idea doesn't work. I knew one once who head shook because his brow band was too short for his forehead.

 

[ossy]

I'd try a ride in face mask, equilibrium do one, so you can see if it's a facial nerve/eye relation rather than nose or eat. My head shaker was a facial nerve reaction.

 

[Ladyinred]

Bitless frequently helps with a headshaker if it proves not to be an allergy. A Dr Cooks or a sidepull will give you all the control you need and might well be your answer.

 

[Leo Walker]

Have a read of this:

http://www.calmhealthyhorses.com/neuro/head_flick.html

The timing would tie in with the grass starting to come through