Head shaking.. someone enlighten me PLEASE!?

[Ellemoo]

So, after spending March-October last year putting up with the annoyance of constant headshaking, it has reared its ugly head again
Can anyone tell me any more info about headshaking? I used a nose net last year which did help slightly, and have ordered a new one (since i found the mice had eaten original one).
One thing i just cannot understand is, when ridden, my girl shakes her head constantly. Yet on the lunge...nothing.
Is this normal?
Any suggestions/info would be great

 

[Clava]

Could be bridle or saddle fit in that case. My mare Hshakes on and offthe lunge so very different. What if you tack her upon the lunge? or ride on the lunge?

 

[5bs]

Mine started today as well, and he is not being ridden, whilst leading him out in hand. The sun can make them head shake ( sun sensitivity ) , I also had hay fever type symptoms to, all sorts in the air.

 

[Ellemoo]

Hmm, not sure about riding on the lunge.
I dont understand why I would agree about bridle/saddle fit, but shes been happy as larry up until now, and was exactly the same last year- just between those times of year which was why i assumed it was just 'head shaking'.. but wasnt sure if it was 'normal' to not do it on the lunge...

 

[tafyx]

I cant give you any answers to the problem, only tell you about my experience of owning a headshaker. I always ride in a nosenet although some days he will not headshake at all. I find that it usually starts after about fifteen and twenty minutes of riding when he starts warming up. Although I think his is mostly allergy related, dust, flies, midges and certain plants, its also something to do with his nerve endings as he can suddenly have an involuntary spasm where his front leg will suddenly come up, almost like a twitch. I would rule out teeth and tack problems just in case. some headshakers go better in a bitless bridle, but I have not gone down this road yet. I tend not to brush him too often especially before being ridden as this can also set him off, so long as the bridle and girth areas are clean I dont bother! I am hoping he does not get any worse but take it each day as it comes, as I say, its not all the time. I hope it does not get any worse for you as I know it can be very distressing for both horse and rider.

 

[Ellemoo]

Thanks guys
Tafyx- some good tips there thank you- ill try the not brushing thing.
Its so frustrating, last night she was so busy twitching/flicking/wobbling her head that she started tripping over her own feet a couple of times Its totally taking the enjoyment out of riding for me and her!

 

[Dumbo]

Try a bitless bridle - my horse shook his head constantly, left my arms dead! In a bitless bridle he is so much happier

 

[FionaM12]

Try a bitless bridle - my horse shook his head constantly, left my arms dead! In a bitless bridle he is so much happier

The solution for Mollie proved to be a bitless (Dr Cook style) with no browband. A normal bitted bridle without a browband slides down her neck, but the cross-under holds in place fine. The browband proved to be a major irritant, and I tried several types, textures and different sizes.

I also use a nosenet from April.

 

[Ellemoo]

Can anyone explain why the bit/noseband/browband makes a difference? I thought it was pollen or similar that caused headshaking (hence the certain months of the year) or is that not always the case?

 

[Simbacat]

My mare tosses her head when she is agitated - I'm not sure if that is the same thing as headshaking. She does it when she is nervous of a new route on the trail or if she has been over excited by a fast canter and is now trying to calm herself down, Sometimes its like she is grabbing the bit out of my hand. When she calms down it stops - I don't know if that helps.

 

[DuckToller]

The trigeminal nerve has been implicated in some cases of headshaking - I can't possibly do that justice in a few words, so google it perhaps

We found our headshaker stopped after we had his tear ducts flushed out. He had had a bit of a mucky eye so it was a case of 'while you are here' to the vet, and the stuff that came out was like glue, so she did it again and it came out clear.

Since then he has been a different horse, and we have his tear ducts flushed out every 6 months or so. I doubt it will help many others but it is a cheap option to try next time the vet comes.

 

[Clava]

Can anyone explain why the bit/noseband/browband makes a difference? I thought it was pollen or similar that caused headshaking (hence the certain months of the year) or is that not always the case?

A bridle may create a pressure point on the trigeminal nerve which seems to be what misfires causing them pain. It is a serious condition and what may seem annoying headshaking can be extremely unpleasant for the horse.

Once my mare starts (hers seems to be is linked to rape pollen) anything can set her off including the fly mask. A nose net makes no difference. Nose nets do not stop pollem but are thought to disrupt the air flow around the nose.

 

[FionaM12]

Can anyone explain why the bit/noseband/browband makes a difference? I thought it was pollen or similar that caused headshaking (hence the certain months of the year) or is that not always the case?

As I understand it, it's believed to be neurological pain which is caused by pressure in various points of the face, or irritants (pollen etc, although it's not necessarily allergy), possibly even sunlight. It's perceived pain rather than "real" so hard to find the cause and doesn't respond well to pain killers.

The pain may be similar to neuralgia in people.

I knew nothing about head-shaking until I bought Mollie. I spent hours reading online and experimented with different ideas to try to find a solution. In the meantime, I contacted someone from her past and discovered she'd once had a very severe head trauma (road accident) and the vet confirms this could be the origin of her issues.

You need to work out what triggers it, and work towards avoiding the trigger.

 

[FionaM12]

Can anyone explain why the bit/noseband/browband makes a difference? I thought it was pollen or similar that caused headshaking (hence the certain months of the year) or is that not always the case?

Also, in Mollie's case the bit doesn't seem to be the issue. The only reason we've gone bitless is in order to not use a browband, as explained in my earlier post.

 

[milliepops]

Another thing worth trying is a full face net. My mare headshakes in bright sun, in hand as well as ridden. A nosenet makes a slight difference but she is loads better in a face net. There seem to be lots of different causes so what works for one horse may not help another, but thought I'd mention it.

 

[amandap]

So, after spending March-October last year putting up with the annoyance of constant headshaking, it has reared its ugly head again
Can anyone tell me any more info about headshaking? I used a nose net last year which did help slightly, and have ordered a new one (since i found the mice had eaten original one).
One thing i just cannot understand is, when ridden, my girl shakes her head constantly. Yet on the lunge...nothing.
Is this normal?
Any suggestions/info would be great

Feeding salt is definitely worth a try. Have a look at this experience and there are links to info on the thread.
http://ihdg.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=gh11&action=display&thread=126659

It does sound more related to being ridden in your horses case but you never know if you don't try.

 

[whizzer]

Think mines pollen related,doesn't shake from sept/oct til spring. Just started again, was a very mild case until had extensive sinus surgery & was worse much last 2 summers. Shakes on the lunge in the school but then isn't so bad while ridden in school. Manages to forget about it while jumping but shakes on hacks,walking through long grass & near tall hedges really sets it off. Last year a nose net & ear veil helped,this year I've just started using those & then I'll go from there. I'm keen to try a micklem bridle when I can afford one,I've bought a equilibrium face mask for field use as shakes in field but won't tolerate being stabled in the day so thought I'd give one of these masks a try, I've spoken to vet about using antihistamines but I'm not hopeful about trying anything that needs to be eaten as the horse mostly will not eat any feed during the summer so I don't want to pin my hopes on stuff that had to be eaten! It's frustrating as the shaking is annoying even though I know he can't help it!

 

[Ellemoo]

oh wow, lots to read up on and try out!
Not just a simple case of pollen up the nose then
Thank you everyone for your imput

 

[Lamusique]

With my boy he head shakes/flicks his head at certain noises, he has had everything checked and after great expense I was told he doesn't like flies!

I have started feeding him magnesium which has helped a little and I ride him with sheepskin ear plugs - another option...... Good luck. x

 

[Archiepoo]

mine was better if he wasnt turned out or ridden in bright sunlight at all -

we turned out at night in summer and he couldnt be in an outside stable,

he would start to go nuts if he got sweaty so clipped out his head and neck all year .

nosenet didnt help but having his teeth done every 6 months helped which is also linked in with facial nerve pain.

hayfever eye drops (for humans -dead cheap from chemist) everyday all year into both eyes helped enormously

also being on rubber matting with just a sprinkle of shavings reduced the dust, and NEVER groom inside!

 

[ldlp111]

My mare suffers from what I call the funny ear and jerking her head like a fly is touching her nose. I tried her on the suppliment by Naf called shake relief which seemed to help last year. She only does it during the summer months so assume it's pollen related. I have already put her back on it this year after having had a break from it over winter. She also hates fly masks not sure if because of a fly getting stuck or due to nerve issues as some days she'll be fine so I've taken to leaving her without a mask, otherwise some days I find her constantly headshaking and twitching and even running around field or with her head in a bush, after taking mask off after these outbreaks she goes mad for head rubs. I did think of trying a net but that wouldn't give her relief in the field.

 

[redriverrock]

My TB has started today, not really bad but enough to be abit annoying when ridden and it cant be nice for him either. We find some days are better than others but it is certainly weather/pollen related. We find this time of year particularly bad and we have noticed he always starts when the pollen on the enormous willow tree next to the school starts. We have fly masks with the full face that covers his nostrils and ride with a net if he is bad but none of them offer a complete cure, he never does it in the winter and late summer/autumn.

 

[lucylockett]

There's a post on these guys Facebook page from a Doctor doing some study on head shaking looking for people who horses suffer from it.
https://www.horseradar.co.uk/

 

[somethingillremember]

Hi , if you look at University of Liverpool Equine Hospital , Prof Knottenbelt has spent years looking into head shaking and sarcoids . Read up what he has to say as it covers , i think, all your questions.

 

[Farasi]

My mums tb mare headshakes in the spring/summer it is def pollen related. Nose net help but the best solution has been antihistamine. Mum buys human loratadine from Morrisons, a quid for a packet. Katcha has 6 tablets a day and it was a revalation last summer. Vaseline round the nostrils on a bad day also helps.

 

[Holly Hocks]

If it's definitely pollen related, you can buy 500 Piriton tablets online for about £10 - I gave my mare 20 per day divided into two feeds.

 

[redriverrock]

If it's definitely pollen related, you can buy 500 Piriton tablets online for about £10 - I gave my mare 20 per day divided into two feeds.

Im convinced my TB's head shaking is pollen related so this is very interesting...have you asked the vet if it is OK as I think I may give this a go but would be worried i was causing some harm?

 

[Clava]

I recently read that human antihistamines have little affect on horses (which I think my vet also mentioned when I asked him).

 

[Holly Hocks]

Im convinced my TB's head shaking is pollen related so this is very interesting...have you asked the vet if it is OK as I think I may give this a go but would be worried i was causing some harm?

Yes my vet said that it was fine - he wasn't convinced that it would help but I used it anyway - it definitely stopped her runny, swollen eyes (she's a delicate soul!)

 

[hnmisty]

Someone may have said this, if so apologies, I haven't read all the replies.

Head shaking can be caused by problems with the sinuses. my mum helps out with the carriage driving RDA group at home, one of their horses was a bad head shaker and it turned out that her sinuses were to blame. She had an operation and is better now. It'd got to the point where they couldn't use her for driving anymore.