MiJodsR2BlinkinTite
Well-Known Member
(Edited): sorry this is longer than I'd wanted, sorry!
OK, so have a mega-quandery here.
Bought my cob mare when she was a 7yo, nearly 2 years ago now. She's 9 now.
Bought her as a "project"; apparently in a previous (loan) home she'd (their description) "bolted" with the young rider on her at the time, this had happened when she'd met a trailer with a pig in it, combined with a saddle-slippage, combined with a helicopter overhead. I rode her to try her out, and just knew that this mare was not a "bolter". Dunno how, but just "knew" it.......... she just didn't feel right for a bolter!
Anyway, I thought she'd suit me (happy hacking) and as I rather liked her, brought her home.
This mare was used in RDA, and is bombproof. She's 101% happy with all traffic and we live near to a regional airport with allsorts flying overhead, so knew this wasn't the problem.
When I'd brought her back home and tried to mount her, her reaction was an immediate "no", she moved away from the mounting block. So I got vet/physio out, and physio found a pain issue in her sacro-iliac area, which after rest and a further check, she could come into work.
Things have been fine up to around early-Spring this year; she's always been a little bit headshaky but we put this down to flies or midges which were around at the time. But she's got worse, much worse, since this, and will literally shake her head around like its an elephant's trunk.
Her teeth were done on routine vet's visit in January, she's had another vet-check since and he couldn't find anything causing the problem. She's also recently had chiropractic, and so have I! (I always make sure horse AND rider are done!). Nothing hugely significant found by either professional.
We have tried different bits (she's currently in a waterford, have tried pelham and kimblewick) - no difference.
We've put her in a nosenet, AND tried a full face net. We fancied there was a slight, very slight, improvement, but not a hugely significant one.
Back at the beginning of lockdown or thereabouts she did trot up lame on the off-fore, she was hugely obese at the time and when the vet could get out and saw the situation he immediately put her on a 1% of bodyweight over 24hrs, regime. She has lost 30k and we are in the process of losing the remaining 30k that she needs to lose. She is no longer lame and vet has cleared her to start work again. All well you would think!
But the problem is, the headshaking, which has reared its ugly head again. The first week after vet clearance, I rode her - in line with instructions - for 30 mins a day, just walking. This was solo, no other horse with her. I worked her forward and she wasn't just slopping along on a loose rein. No headshaking, none at all. Flies, midges, pollen, etc., all there, but no headshaking. Not once.
Have now increased her workload and at the yard where she's at, there's lots of hillwork. Have ridden her in company three times this last week; all of which times she's headshaken horribly. She seems the most stressed when she's behind other horses in a narrow lane/track; the only time on that particular ride where she didn't headshake was when she was out in front with plenty of space in front of her. Vet instructions have been to ride her forward to make her use herself and not allow her to stumble along. This mare has, we suspect, been driven in the past, and has significant muscular atrophy due to field-rest, and needs to work to build up condition so she can work properly and safely.
I took her out yesterday. She was with another horse - which was behind us the whole way. She headshook for the whole time (just over the hour), apart from two occasions. (1) when she was cantering - we had a lovely long canter and she didn't headshake once; (2) when I literally dropped the reins as an experiment and didn't work her from behind so she could just stumble along. On this ride, as we were on an off-road track and it was easy and safe to do so, I experimented with giving her "choices", i.e. she went forward as asked to, and as soon as she started to headshake I turned her in a small circle to either side. Basically "saying" to her, lookie here, you've got two choices - yes we recognise that going forward may be uncomfortable, BUT going in a circle is even more so - and hey, the choice is yours.
I am perplexed. The headshaking seems much much worse in company, which tends myself and my trainer at who's yard she's at, to be thinking that this is behavioural rather than a physical issue.
This is a lovely mare; she has a nice gentle temperament and she suits me well. But I'm getting the awful feeling that if we can't sort this and/or figure out a way of dealing with it, I'm sadly going to be having to think about her future as currently if she's ridden in company, she is unrideable. I won't sell her as won't pass on a problem, and as she needs exercise to keep her weight controlled she will not be suitable for loaning out as a field companion.
So to summarise: things we've tried are: nose-net, whole head-net, different bits, different bridles, padded headpieces, riding her bareback, riding her with just a headcollar. All of which times she's headshaken to either a greater or lesser degree.
When she doesn't headshake: when ridden solo (not more than any other horse would because of flies/midges etc.). i.e. not excessive. She doesn't do it when led, or in the stable or field.
When she does it: when ridden in company, especially in stressy situations like when she's crammed in behind other horses in a small space like a narrow bridle-path or woodland track.
What's not been tried: martingale(s), draw-reins, long-reining, lunging. That's what we'll be trying next........
Vet did mention referring her up to Bristol vet-college as they specialise in head-shaking there. I'm in Devon so that would be a possibility; however I don't have vet-insurance so would have to take a deep breath and think about the costs of that............
Hoping that someone somewhere might be able to shed some light coz we're all scratching our heads with this one.
OK, so have a mega-quandery here.
Bought my cob mare when she was a 7yo, nearly 2 years ago now. She's 9 now.
Bought her as a "project"; apparently in a previous (loan) home she'd (their description) "bolted" with the young rider on her at the time, this had happened when she'd met a trailer with a pig in it, combined with a saddle-slippage, combined with a helicopter overhead. I rode her to try her out, and just knew that this mare was not a "bolter". Dunno how, but just "knew" it.......... she just didn't feel right for a bolter!
Anyway, I thought she'd suit me (happy hacking) and as I rather liked her, brought her home.
This mare was used in RDA, and is bombproof. She's 101% happy with all traffic and we live near to a regional airport with allsorts flying overhead, so knew this wasn't the problem.
When I'd brought her back home and tried to mount her, her reaction was an immediate "no", she moved away from the mounting block. So I got vet/physio out, and physio found a pain issue in her sacro-iliac area, which after rest and a further check, she could come into work.
Things have been fine up to around early-Spring this year; she's always been a little bit headshaky but we put this down to flies or midges which were around at the time. But she's got worse, much worse, since this, and will literally shake her head around like its an elephant's trunk.
Her teeth were done on routine vet's visit in January, she's had another vet-check since and he couldn't find anything causing the problem. She's also recently had chiropractic, and so have I! (I always make sure horse AND rider are done!). Nothing hugely significant found by either professional.
We have tried different bits (she's currently in a waterford, have tried pelham and kimblewick) - no difference.
We've put her in a nosenet, AND tried a full face net. We fancied there was a slight, very slight, improvement, but not a hugely significant one.
Back at the beginning of lockdown or thereabouts she did trot up lame on the off-fore, she was hugely obese at the time and when the vet could get out and saw the situation he immediately put her on a 1% of bodyweight over 24hrs, regime. She has lost 30k and we are in the process of losing the remaining 30k that she needs to lose. She is no longer lame and vet has cleared her to start work again. All well you would think!
But the problem is, the headshaking, which has reared its ugly head again. The first week after vet clearance, I rode her - in line with instructions - for 30 mins a day, just walking. This was solo, no other horse with her. I worked her forward and she wasn't just slopping along on a loose rein. No headshaking, none at all. Flies, midges, pollen, etc., all there, but no headshaking. Not once.
Have now increased her workload and at the yard where she's at, there's lots of hillwork. Have ridden her in company three times this last week; all of which times she's headshaken horribly. She seems the most stressed when she's behind other horses in a narrow lane/track; the only time on that particular ride where she didn't headshake was when she was out in front with plenty of space in front of her. Vet instructions have been to ride her forward to make her use herself and not allow her to stumble along. This mare has, we suspect, been driven in the past, and has significant muscular atrophy due to field-rest, and needs to work to build up condition so she can work properly and safely.
I took her out yesterday. She was with another horse - which was behind us the whole way. She headshook for the whole time (just over the hour), apart from two occasions. (1) when she was cantering - we had a lovely long canter and she didn't headshake once; (2) when I literally dropped the reins as an experiment and didn't work her from behind so she could just stumble along. On this ride, as we were on an off-road track and it was easy and safe to do so, I experimented with giving her "choices", i.e. she went forward as asked to, and as soon as she started to headshake I turned her in a small circle to either side. Basically "saying" to her, lookie here, you've got two choices - yes we recognise that going forward may be uncomfortable, BUT going in a circle is even more so - and hey, the choice is yours.
I am perplexed. The headshaking seems much much worse in company, which tends myself and my trainer at who's yard she's at, to be thinking that this is behavioural rather than a physical issue.
This is a lovely mare; she has a nice gentle temperament and she suits me well. But I'm getting the awful feeling that if we can't sort this and/or figure out a way of dealing with it, I'm sadly going to be having to think about her future as currently if she's ridden in company, she is unrideable. I won't sell her as won't pass on a problem, and as she needs exercise to keep her weight controlled she will not be suitable for loaning out as a field companion.
So to summarise: things we've tried are: nose-net, whole head-net, different bits, different bridles, padded headpieces, riding her bareback, riding her with just a headcollar. All of which times she's headshaken to either a greater or lesser degree.
When she doesn't headshake: when ridden solo (not more than any other horse would because of flies/midges etc.). i.e. not excessive. She doesn't do it when led, or in the stable or field.
When she does it: when ridden in company, especially in stressy situations like when she's crammed in behind other horses in a small space like a narrow bridle-path or woodland track.
What's not been tried: martingale(s), draw-reins, long-reining, lunging. That's what we'll be trying next........
Vet did mention referring her up to Bristol vet-college as they specialise in head-shaking there. I'm in Devon so that would be a possibility; however I don't have vet-insurance so would have to take a deep breath and think about the costs of that............
Hoping that someone somewhere might be able to shed some light coz we're all scratching our heads with this one.
Last edited:
