Head shaking/flicking???

SamanthaG

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Ok, as some of you know we have a TB ex racer who came to us in Jan, he has had a few problems corrected since being with us (teeth, back, feet, saddle, weight).

Well, over the past week just once or twice he has flicked his head up whilst being lead in (didn’t think too much of it as he is a typical Tb when the last in, so we get bunny hopping and rearing and bucking, which he is slowly learning is not the done thing), the only way I can describe it is, say when a fly flies into there nose and they flick their nose out (like they are jumping at the feeling) hope that makes sense??

Well last night when I got to the field my boy was rubbing his nose along the ground itching his nostrils and doing the flicking of his nose thing, it took a couple of minutes to do his head collar up as he was doing it quite violently, it’s a 10 minute walk in from the field and he did it the whole way, and did the foal walk of rubbing his muzzle along the ground as well (windy day also) stood him up in the yard and he did it also, and tried to rub him nostrils up and down the corner of the wall, (to me it seemed like he had something up his nose) but as soon as he was in his stable (out the wind) he stopped. So popped his head collar on and lead him back out, and it started again.

I rang the vet and they said to keep a diary and the weather and when he does it.

I did wonder if he stopped whilst in as he was too busy eating, the vet said you could also argue the stable is the boring place so he would do it less outside, as there are more distractions, but he is a real indoors boy.

So roll onto this morning and he isn’t doing it, I am going to leave him in tomorrow morning with no food for a hour, so he is board and watch and see what happens and then spend a few hours in the paddock with him to watch him outside also.

His diet hasn’t changed apart from me adding magnesium into his food, and he has been in the same paddock for the past 3 weeks. No chemicals used in the paddocks either.

Has anyone ever herd of or experienced something like this? Could it be stress as he wants to be in? But if stress then why the relief when his nose is rubbed, but if something in his nose then why does it stop when he is in??

Ahhh

Ok I can breathe now!
 
It does sound to me like he is head shaking. Trees are full of pollen right now and this could be aggrivating him alongside bright conditions or flies. This will be why the vet will have asked to keep a diary - if the weather conditions are affecting him it may help to find out what is bothering him.
My horse head shakes. It is triggered by a combination of pollen I believe and flies.
He displays similar behaviour - head twitches, rubs nose on floor, will try and walk directly behind you with head in your back. It always worsens with work - ie the more he breathes in the worse it is.
It always ceases once brought indoors. He stables fine and will work in an indoor arena fine.
No supplements have helped him, but a fly veil helps to alleviate him stressing over the flies.

I would of course make sure his back, teeth etc are fine and then work with your vet to try and find the cause - although it may just be a matter of working though some remedies eg masks, supplements and see what works for him. Sadly it can be pretty frustrating if you dont find an easy solution. For some however, a nose net can be a revolution!
 
I would of course make sure his back, teeth etc are fine and then work with your vet to try and find the cause - although it may just be a matter of working though some remedies eg masks, supplements and see what works for him. Sadly it can be pretty frustrating if you dont find an easy solution. For some however, a nose net can be a revolution!

Done all that before this happened, we have only had him since Jan, he was vetted and I asked them if she head shakes or has any allergies or vices and they said no, so if it is where do I stand?

Does your horse do it all year around? He was advertised as currently a happy hacker
 
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