Help/advice on headshaking please

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jayvee

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I have self diagnosed my mare (via www info) who is showing all the classic symptoms of headshaking. My mare appears more prone on hotter, sunnier days.
Symptoms are..
mild intemittent nod to a quick sharp jerk. But not violent.
Ears flop sideways.
Eyes look surpressed.
Rubbing of nose on fetlock, and on any surface like stable door, field fencing and on road!

Other symptoms I have experienced but unsure if connected, so maybe someone can help, or can relate to these problems as part of head shaking syndrome..
Reluctance to canter/open up. Head goes down, as if to buck, though do get the occasional buck! Or head goes up in resistance in the trasition request, even on very loose rein.
Seems to hold breath, particularly in canter (anyone experienced this?). When she does breathe alot of 'blowing/snorting' goes on. I always took it as an emotional release, but now wondering if breathing is actually painful at increased speed (trot/canter+) hence the resistance, holding of breath and blowing??
I feel terrible that I haven't picked this up before. But symptoms are mild.
Saddle fits (pro checked) this will happen riding bitted or bitless. Teeth have been recently floated -no probs there.
I am going to bring her in in the day with field companion (though fine to bring in on own) on hot sunny days. Full fly mask on RELIGIOUSLY if staying out on less sunnier days and am going to try the muzzle mesh on the bridle for riding.
Is ther anything else I can do to help her?
I will call the vet if I can't seem to ease the condition, so any advise much appreciated. I have never had a shaker before and I am really upset by it, for her :-(
 
Ok, I can help a bit. What you say does sound like headshaking, but a few of your observations point to something else causing it. The specific problems to canter and the resistance could be something else, possibly a hock issue.

However it could be true headshaking. I have a mild headshaker, and have completely eliminated the symptoms by feeding NAF Shake Relief and putting a human decongestant balm in the nostrils every time I ride. It has been a revelation, I can now hack through long grass on a hot sunny day with no problems at all. In the past that would have been impossible. However, the problem with headshaking is that every case is different
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If I were you I would get the vet, have any physical problem (hocks/suspensories etc) ruled out and take it from there. Good luck!
 
I have had 2 headshakers - not sure if my experience will be useful to you as both were caused by completely different things.

So far as I understand it, headshaking is a symptom of a variety of causes.

They were both very reactive to bright light, heat - got worse when they worked/sweated - they would snap their nose back/to one side as if a large insect had flown into them. One got very distressed - to the point where he would shake his head so violently that the reins would catch on his ears (and given that he was ear-shy too, this was not a good thing!)

The first was a result of 2 displaced vertebra from an old whiplash type injury, giving him constant pain around his eyes and forehead - like a permenent migraine - hence worse during work and hot/bright weather. He also rubbed his nose almost constantly when ridden. He was manipulated under sedation, spent 3 months walking in straight lines on long reins and then had 3 months off in the field.

The 2nd had a pollen allergy - diagnosed by Chris Day, the homeopathic vet. He gave him acupunture to his face (his sinused streamed for hours afterwards), checked his foot balance and that his saddles fitted. Then he gave me homepathic tablets - 6 different ones to be taken either daily or 2xweekly. He had a different trigger every year - oilseed rape, hawthorn, cow parsley - started about March/April, continued til the end of the eventing season on his tablets. He jumped round a 3* on his tablets - was unrideable without them.

The muzzle mesh didn't work on either of them - they lived in - one didn't like being out at all, the other was hell to catch!

Best of luck with yours
I can strongly recommend Chris Day - he was really brilliant (although not cheap - he was well worth the £300 fee back in 1996!)
 
Thanks will look into the NAF shake relief.
I think her hocks are ok, she passed a 5* (1yr prior to my purchase, which I saw) and a 2* vet on my purchase, though I fully appreciate this could mean nothing now. I bought in November - winter month hmmm!!
She is much happier and forward going hacking out. Serioulsy hates the school (which, actually seems to encourage the headshaking sometimes) so maybe a surface allergy/dust thing?
I will get the vet if I can't ease or solve the problem with basic trials and errors for a few weeks. Now that I feel I have hit on something!
I always felt something was wrong but thought she was just being either a dominant resistant mare or young and wobbly. I am only glad that I have never laid into her because I just felt there was a reason but I didn't know what, now I think I know, I just need to know and learn about the condition and do best for her.
Though I don't think our ridden career is anywhere near over though :-)
 
Oh to add.. she was purchased (prior to me) for dressage, so I often wonder if something has gone wrong or over cooked a young horse there, she would have been 4 and was an Irish import, probably as a 3yo?? she is now turning 7.
Breed unknown, but looks shire x TB , very muscular, not heavy (dunno if that could mean anything).
 
We have a true headshaker and now use the NAF shake relief. It has made a huge difference to her and she is so much happier and settled to ride. I do have to play around with the amounts as some days she is better than others. Today for example she had a more "shakey day" due to the heat and direct sunlight. On days like this i increase the dosage. Ring the NAF helpline and they are really helpful. I can really reccommend it.
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I agree with the Naf Shake Relief, it helped my lad last year to some extent but the dosage needed to be high and it worked out very very expensive. I believe one of the main trigger factors for my horse is pollen and this year cetirizine antihistamine tablets have improved him no end. I would def get a vet to check your diagnosis, some aspects sound like a typical headshaker but others sound like there maybe something else going on. There are many different trigger factors for headshaking and you will probably have to try lots of things before you find something that may help your horse.
 
I also have a headshaker and an equilibrium nose net has proved very successful. I have also managed to pin point the cause to high levels of tree pollen. Grass pollen etc doesn't seem to affect him. So I keep a close eye on the pollen count and keep a nose net on him at all times when the tree pollen is high/he shows symptoms of shaking.

However the strange behaviour in canter with your horse is not something I've come accross. It might be worth getting the vet out to make sure she's not in any pain.
 
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