Is this headshaking?

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Footlights

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Since this warm weather, my boy has been headshaking a lot in the field. Doesn't do it that much when being ridden, and he shakes it almost from side to side, not up and down. It it like he is just trying to get the flies away from him, but it is very excessive. I have been turning him out in a fly mask, what else can I do to help him?
 
We have a horse on the yard that is a headshaker, and the majority of his head shaking is characterised by jerky up and down movements, not from side to side (hope that makes sense!!). He also rubs his nose on his legs or the ground excessively, both in the field and when ridden.

I am no expert on the subject, but from what you describe, would suggest it is a normal reaction to flies and a mask or fly spray should help.
 
Thanks, it does look like a normal reaction to flies, but just excessive. He has been spending a lot of time just standing there shaking his head, especially before settling down to eat. He is covered in fly spray and has mask on, but maybe a mask with ears and nose would provide him more protection! He is a sensitive soul! Lol
 
Footlights said:
Thanks, it does look like a normal reaction to flies, but just excessive. He has been spending a lot of time just standing there shaking his head, especially before settling down to eat. He is covered in fly spray and has mask on, but maybe a mask with ears and nose would provide him more protection! He is a sensitive soul! Lol
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If it is excessive then it is not "normal", my headshaking mare looks as if she is shaking with flies, but it is the involuntary flicks and jerks which seem to make the difference. If he is a headshaker, then flies might be the trigger but taking them away doesn't always stop the problem of the trigeminal nerve firing (which is one explanation for HSers)



http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/dbs/research/headshaking/causes.htm
 
Thanks for the article, very interesting.

Even though his headshaking is excessive, he doesn't seem to 'flick' or 'jerk' - just shake.

If I bring him in he stops, so it must be related to pollen, light or flies.

I think first step is to get a fly mask with ears and a nose to see if that helps - can anyone recommend me a good one?
 
Footlights said:
Thanks for the article, very interesting.

Even though his headshaking is excessive, he doesn't seem to 'flick' or 'jerk' - just shake.

If I bring him in he stops, so it must be related to pollen, light or flies.

I think first step is to get a fly mask with ears and a nose to see if that helps - can anyone recommend me a good one?
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There is a school of thought that the underlying problem is linked to diet with flies, pollen etc being the triggers for the nerve to misfire. An excess of potassium from rye / clover fields causing strong mineral imbalances (K should be removed naturally through urination but this doesn't always happen). I have know a few horses totally stop shaking when they have changed foelds.

Out of interest have a read of this, particularly the last pages...
http://www.horsemanshipnz.com/articles/Aspects of Pasture.pdf

Equilibrium do very good fly masks :)
 
Footlights said:
Thanks, another interesting read.

Can I ask how you manage your headshaker?
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Well, I have just weedkilled my clover field lol (but i think clover is pretty awful for horses anyway). When on that field she gets very distressed but on short dry grass she is much happier, I have a fly mask with a nose net which helps but a nose net is no help at all when ridden. I do feed salt (as most horses don't get enough and she never touches a salt lick) and I'm interested to see how she goes this year as she only started last year.

I don't ride her if she is having an attack of shaking, but I'm lucky to have another horse to ride. At the mo she is recovering from a hoof abscess so once sound I'll start seeing if she shakes when hacking out. I think last year I brought her back into work properly in September and she started in June, but I spent a long time trying different things before I hit on taking her off the clover field (her head shaking returned this year only when it started growing again as she was back in that field in the winter)
 
Probably not relevant, but does he have something stuck is his ear?

Might be something worth checking?! ...You might need to ger a torch to look deep enough :)
 
My horse has recently started shaking his head, its not normal for him so I immediately looked in his ears and he had little black flies in there. The same ones he gets on his belly. I sprayed the inside of his ears with fly spray, clipped his ears inside and out and have bought a fly mask with ears.
 
Wow! I can't get fly spray on my boy at all let alone in his ears!

May not be the best thing to do as may go deep into the ears?
 
My TB is a head shaker and I have found that Aerbourn do a full nose net which covers the whole of the nose area. Much better then the Equilibrium one as that tends to fly up.
Also I have heard of putting vasaline or Vicks around the nose, and lastly, try feeding LOCAL honey, as helps with the pollen in the local area.
 
there are so many headshakers and its so debilitating ,with a vast array of symptoms and causes that to make a sweeping claim you can cure all is bound to make people sceptical! tell us about what you do and let us make up our minds! people are naturally suspicious especially when theyve seen what this can do to a horse so dont be surprised if your statement raises eyebrows:)
 
Moet'smummy said:
I have tried and I have put several posts on trying to explain but they keep being removed, so I am not going to waste any more time typing. Good luck with your horses, I'm very happy that I've cured mine, all I wanted to do was try and help others but I'm obviously not allowed to on this site.
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Advertising on the forum isn't allowed I'm afraid, especially when there is no proven scientific evidence of claim.
 
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