Headshaking to pollen?

[Shilasdair]

Hi
My old mare is allergic to spring pollen and headshakes for about six weeks (she's just started). Conventional vets can't do anything much - anyone have any homeopathic vet/home remedies?
I'd be grateful and so would she (sneeze!)
S

 

[spaniel]

You can buy 'mixed pollen' homoeopathic tabs at the chemist but need to be using them before the season starts really. however they may still help. If you prefer you can feed honey but this must be produced as close to your grazing as possible as this will contain traces of the specific allergens.

 

[Shilasdair]

Hi Spaniel
How many of the homeopathic tablets would she need, assuming they're for humans? The honey is a good idea - and I'm sure she wouldn't object to eating it.
My vets suggested giving her some form of steroid, and if memory serves I would have to stuff 44 pills down her neck - not a hope!
S

 

[claireross]

Mine has a nosenet and it stops him completly

 

[lucy245]

Try a nose net or Equine America make a supplement called Shaker Gard - never had a head shaker so ìm not sure if it works or not.

 

[Shilasdair]

Thanks Alise and CCJ1, the trouble is she headshakes, snorts, rubs her nostrils on her front legs in the field....so just rubs nosenets away.
I have tried stabling her, but she injured herself on the walls when the head twitch happened (she can't control it) so is safer out, I suppose.
All suggestions gratefully received.
S

 

[spaniel]

I think the dose is 3x 6c tablets three times a day.

 

[Shilasdair]

Thanks!
S

 

[Tempi]

the tablets are a very expensive option.

My mare is a headshaker.

She wears a nosenet pretty much all year round when ridden, and a full face fly mask (covers her nose aswell) in the stable (during the day if shes in) and out in the field all year aswell, unless its raining. Her allergy has got worse yearly, which most do. It will eventually be that she has to keep her nose covered all year round (we have about two months currently - dec and jan - when she dosent need to wear a full face mask in the field).

I feed her Skratch and Zephyr by Global Herbs which have also worked wonders and really helped make her more settled and reduced the shaking. You introduce it to the feed very gradually in tiny amounts as its very strong smelling and not many horses like it. Bloss now eats her full dose of both daily, however it took a while to build up to (around amonth). Phone Global Herbs up and they will advise you aswell.

 

[eachdubh]

Using a nosenet stopped my friend's Welsh Section D from being a really bad headshaker. He always wears one in the field, and when being ridden. She also gives his nose a good wipe round every day when he's in to get rid of any pollen (a bit like me having a shower every day during the pollen season - I get hayfever too). It took him a wee while to get used to it, but he's a whole lot better now.

 

[hollyzippo]

I had a horse about 10 years ago who head shook so violently he'd flip at xc jumps as couldnt see. He would probably be bad enough to be put down nowadays but was pretty unrecognised then.
We used Weleda 'mixed pollen' tablets from feb on wards building up from 1 to 4 tabs by about now. He stayed on those until october but was 99% better! He could concentrate enough to do everything and only had an occasional nose twitch if riding past a rape field, but no violent shaking atall!

We also used a net but they were less robust then so I took to using tights for day to day and a net for competing!

 

[spaniel]

£5.90 for 400 tablets.

 

[Shilasdair]

Thanks folks
As I said, she won't keep a nose net on...I'm lucky that she only headshakes for a couple of months...it's just distressing to see her snorting and sneezing.
The tablets seem a bargain at £5.90 (bearing in mind I have a £4k vet bill for my other girl's colic surgery!!!)
S

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

[ QUOTE ]
Mine has a nosenet and it stops him completly

[/ QUOTE ]

So does one of ours, works great.

 

[XmisshorsestyleX]

Is there any alternative to reducing head shaking in the show ring? assuming your not allowed to wear nosenets??

 

[hollyzippo]

I used to show and WH mine that I mentioned above- the mixed pollen pills were great- as I said, need to start them on a low dose in feb tho.

 

[BethH]

My friend has a bad headshaker and she swears by chinese herb biscuits from Horsewise. They come in a black and gold oblong tin and they do several types for different ailments, but her's specifically helps pollen allergies/head shaking - could be for upper respiratory?? She just feeds them in the summer and swears he is much happier when on them. Most major feedbarns should stock them, think they are around £24 for a tin which should last at least a month

 

[Shilasdair]

Thanks BethH
Will try to find them and give them a go....hayfever's horrible for horse and human, I guess.
S