Headshaking or am I paranoid?

[Caol Ila]

If you watch this video, you'll see that about six seconds in, Hermosa flicks her head. It's the only time she does it in the video.

However, she does this frequently and more emphatically when she's in the field. Especially these days. Right before foaling, when she was doing lots of anxious pacing, she did a lot of head flicking along with it, regardless of whether I was physically there or not. She does a lot of it now when I'm trying to get near her and Caso, and she's moving away from me and wants me to get lost. I've watched her on my camera, and she does it a fair bit when Caso is galloping off and she's running after him. She doesn't do it when she's relaxed, ambling about, grazing. Back when I could do things with her (LOL), she never ever did it with a headcollar on, not once, regardless of what we were doing, and as you can see, it's pretty minimal in the free lunging. She would do it in her old turnout field when under some pressure, like another horse moving her away from the gate. She'd calmly walk away from it, but flick her head a couple times. Could she be a headshaker? Is it just an anxiety thing, heightened by motherhood? Does anyone else's PRE do this? Should I flap?

 

[ester]

she's just being a horse

 

[HappyHollyDays]

My 11 year old gelding does that all the time. He is very opinionated and that’s the way he shows it.

 

[shortstuff99]

My same age PRE does this exact head toss when she is being a bit sassy/ playing etc. I wouldn't worry!

 

[Caol Ila]

Okay, cheers. I've never had a trigeminal headshaker or seen one in person and was thinking, is this how it starts?

 

[ester]

I'm not being funny but even my ancient welsh cob does that in the field

 

[milliepops]

I have a photic headshaker and its def not the same as the sassy-headtoss.

 

[milliepops]

I'm not being funny but even my ancient welsh cob does that in the field

Yeah I was thinking I've seen 4 of mine do that today ?

 

[paddy555]

Okay, cheers. I've never had a trigeminal headshaker or seen one in person and was thinking, is this how it starts?

no, your horse is just being a horse! She's not flicking her head or shaking it. This is nothing like head shaking.

 

[Caol Ila]

In that video, she only does it once. Would you guys worry if it's fairly repetitive (under certain conditions)? I've never seen a horse do that as much as she does. It occurred more frequently a few days before she foaled, and she does it more often now than in pre-foal days.

 

[ester]

No, she's a sassy mare.
I can guarantee the blonde sassy mare that lived here did it just as much!

 

[Caol Ila]

My OH thinks she just enjoys flicking her mane around.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

To me that is a “I’m so sassy and sexy” mane toss.

My pony does like a short sharp sideways flick which you can tell is completely uncontrollable when the pollen is affecting her. Then when her tooth was bad it was a full up down toss that would practically start with her nose on the floor and her head would come up almost to hit me in the face whilst riding.

Then I get a sassy flick like your video when I have the audacity to ask her to work nicely/leave her haynet/say no to dragging me to the grass verge/when another horse dares to come within 10 metres of her.

 

[milliepops]

Its really really nothing to worry about.

 

[Caol Ila]

Gypsum's approach was usually a straightforward, "I am going to squash you." No sassy head tossing needed.

Is that Kira in the front paddock? That is exactly what Hermosa does.

 

[paddy555]

Its really really nothing to worry about.

you must have my stallion. He does exactly that even with the voice over.
the more pleased he is the more he does it. Far from worrying it tells me he is feeling pretty happy.

love your video.

 

[milliepops]

Yes that's kira, Queen of the sassy hair toss.
I have got millie's headshake on video but it's on a stick somewhere not YouTube. It's a very quick flick straight up and down, uncontrolled and not deliberate.

 

[shortstuff99]

Its really really nothing to worry about.

Sass queen right there ?

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Mimosa tosses her head constantly.

Totally normal, prancy young mare stuff.


Mim doesn’t do it under saddle or when working in hand unless she’s bored of waiting or she thinks what I am doing is a waste of her precious time.

 

[milliepops]

Oh I get it under saddle on an extra sassy day ?

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Just Sass, Faran does it. I get full blown head flip and circles occasionally followed by showing me his tummy flash and belly button, depends what level the Welsh-o-meter is cranked on to that day ?

 

[milliepops]

Often performed at speed, too... slightly tricky from a balance pov ?

 

[Apercrumbie]

Often performed at speed, too... slightly tricky from a balance pov ?

God I'm getting a crick in my neck just watching her great videos

Agree with the others, nothing to worry about.

 

[Cortez]

We call these "nose pirouettes"; very Spanish-y trait.

 

[EmmaC78]

My horse is a headshaker and it is a very different sort of action to what is in your video.

 

[Caol Ila]

Often performed at speed, too... slightly tricky from a balance pov ?

That is Hermosa. I watched her do it at a fair rate of knots on my CCTV today, when Caso took off across the field like he was running the Belmont, and she ran after him.

 

[Caol Ila]

Double post. Computer faff.

 

[Red-1]

Rigsby does it whenever I fail in some way, he squeals really loudly too.

It could be if breakfast is late, if I faff with the haynet, if I ask him to step back when he wants to leave the stable...

He too has a magnificent mane to dance.

 

[Sheep]

Our very sassy mare (we sadly lost her last month) used to do this. I caught it on slow mo once. Very flattering.

 

[Berpisc]

I have a 30 year old welsh part bred who does this when she is waiting at the gate for her breakfast sometimes. One of my other mares did it. I understand it as a gesture.