headshaker - any useful remedies??!

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Pookies

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My old boy is a seasonal headshaker (spring-autumn). Its only during exercise so doubt its photosensitivity but I think its more likely either pollens or flies. Does anyone have any good remedies or advice I could try? I don't want to go down the medication/supplement route unless I've tried other options first. Thanks in advance!
 
Hay fever tablets (cetirizine hydrochloride) ten tablets in morning feed. Has worked with every horse I have tried it on.
 
I used to ride one, tried all sorts from medication to a pollen net. Most was tried before I started riding her and every year it got worse and nothing worked for a long period of time. She was shaking less when jumping or out hacking on long rein, still shaking slightly, but nowhere near as bad as flatwork and dressage in the arena.

Eventually I got a new RI and she made us work towards being straight, both for me and horse. She had a lot of problems with this and it took weeks/months, we worked over the winter towards this and some spring she was only shaking slightly. Even in the height of the summer where she normally would not be rideable, she was fine, just the occasional shake. We ended up doing a lot of flatwork and dressage. Her brother used to be exactly the same, also headshaker. His rider rode the same way as well and he improved massively as well.

Horse I have been riding on hacks from a riding school is the same, shakes his head. It gets worse if you keep to much contact, I would almost suggest he is trying to fight it. He is also easier on one side than the other. But there is nothing I can do about it all.
 
Of course it could also be a real pollen allergy, but I would not automaticly assume now that it is pollen that is causing it.
 
To be honest I don't know what's causing my horse's shaking but I have to start somewhere and I guess that as we come into spring the most likely culprits would be flies and pollen, so figured I'd start there!
Thank you :)
 
Pookies said:
Thank you both! Can I ask - the certirizine tablets dosage, is that as recommended by a vet?
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No, I based it on human dose and multiplied it up according to weight. Then I usually reduce it by a tablet a day until I find the optimum dose per day.
 
A handful of table salt in every feed horses are not good at self adminstering salt from lick so a good handful can make a massive difference to headshakers. Something to sodium potassuim balance and the fact they drink more so flush stuff out of their system
 
There was a study on TheHorse.com recently about treatments and their success rates:

- Fly masks (for UV protection) - 53%
- Nose net - 53%
- Fly control - 21%
- Antihistamines - 48%
- Melatonin - 47%
- Magnesium supplementation - 43%
- Melatonin + magnesium - 55%

If you want to avoid medication, maybe try the nose net and magnesium supplementation (which does wonders for other body systems as well!). If no improvement you could try the medication.
 
Pookies said:
My old boy is a seasonal headshaker (spring-autumn). Its only during exercise so doubt its photosensitivity but I think its more likely either pollens or flies. Does anyone have any good remedies or advice I could try? I don't want to go down the medication/supplement route unless I've tried other options first. Thanks in advance!
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Past and present advice from H&H members here >>>http://horse-care-and-advice.weebly.com/h.html
 
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