Headshaking

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anuvb

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Something I've mulling over of late:

What are people's experiences with head shakers? Are they getting more common or - putting extreme cases to one side - are we all becoming a bit paranoid that the first sign of irritation means that a horse is classified as a head shaker? Surely horses are like humans and some are more prone to allergies than others?

What can be done to treat them? What have people found most effective? Have you ever not been able to ride/compete a headshaker? Or conversely have you competed a headshaker up to a high level?
 
I think headshaking is a symptom with a multiple of causes

I've had 2 headshakers in the past

1. 16.2 7/8th TB 1/8th Connemara eventer - had jumped Intermediate tracks. He had classic headshaker symptoms - photosensitive, worse when worked or when hot, stopping to rub nose on knee etc. I could ride him but not comfortably in the sun or hot weather.
Long story short - had old whiplash injury to 2 vertebra in neck - vet said he had pressure on his facial nerves - so it was like he had a permanent migraine :( He was manipulated, had rehab physio work - came sound, stopped headshaking

2. 16hh 7/8ths TB - eventer. Started headshaking when the pollen started every spring, stopped in October once the leaves died back..... different allergen every spring. Ist year hawthorn blossom, 2nd year oil seed rape pollen, 3rd yr cow parsley etc etcI couldn't ride him when he was bad - he used to shake his head so violently he would flip his reins over his head. I used to ride him in a headcollar or bridleless in the school. We did a lot of ride and lead!

He had homeopathic tablets from Chris Day (hom Vet) - different combination of tablets each yr.
He went advanced, clear round Blenheim 3* and was long listed for the Swedish team.... He had his tablets all his competing life :)
 
Thank you for posting your success with your headshaking horses, its fantastic to hear such great achievements despite their problems. May I pick your brains a bit more? My mare suffers with allergies, photo sensitive, rape, cow parsley I suspect, the lot. You say you used homeopathic pills, were they the end solution, or were they in addition to riding with a headcollar, riding and leading etc? Did you keep them in during the day? Did you stay away from rape fields etc as much as you could?

I'm trying equiwinner patches at the moment and am pretty sure I am going to give her a second course as I feel I have to see this through. There is some improvement I believe, as she no longer snatches her head away when you touch her nose, but very itchy and sensitive as soon as you put the bridle on, although we still have a couple of days to see if we get a result from the first course. Of course, it may not work for her and then I'm back to square one.

Would really appreciate any further info or ideas. She is such a poppet and oozes talent but ended up a brood mare for most of her life as I suspect she was given up on as a youngster. In the winter my 80 year old mother hacks her out and I think she'd be fantastic on the M25 as long as there were no trees!
 
OOps! Apologies Anubv, didn't mean to hijack your post. This is the first encounter I've had with headshaking personally, but I understand it can develop in horses up to 10 years old, after that they tend to be in the clear! I have heard that a suggested cause has been linked to the EVA vaccine, but I wonder if it is becoming more prevalent since fertilizers and weed killers became under stronger scrutiny, certainly I do not remember being savaged by horse flies as a child as I am regularly with these recent summers. I believe a lot of nasty bugs were killed when the crops were sprayed, but also have to take into account that our climate has changed quite a lot too. It would certaily make for an interesting survey.
 
I've tried pretty much everything from vets to quacks. Mine's had hayfever May to Sept for the past 6 years, she's tense and spooky, coughs, snatches the reins, chucks her head around, streaming eyes, etc. Also suffers from COPD in winter. Two years ago I couldn't ride more than five mins because she couldn't catch her breath (high allergens during scoping)
Shiatsu every four/five weeks has all but cured it. I'm staggered, and a very happy owner. She's much happier and now a normal horse. Added benefit is that she's like a different horse, calm, relaxed, soft and, most important, a pleasure instead of a fight to ride. Best money (and I've spent a lot looking for a cure) I've ever spent ;)
 
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