Seasonal headshaker

[ycbm]

Bummer! I had my suspicions last year but this year there's no doubt, Muffin is a pollen activated headshaker.

So, if you use antihistamines, which do you find most effective and how long before riding do you give them?

If you use anything else, what is it and does it help much?

He's on plenty of salt and a nose net doesn't do much.

Half a packet if cheese Tyrells to share 8f you can help. Thanks!


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[meleeka]

Well I’m trying not to speak to soon but mine seems to have cured himself this year. I am waiting to see if it’s to do with my track where the grass grows in the middle but it’s not very high yet so I’ll have to just wait and see. Mine used to be worse when hot so never went past walk by choice.

I’ve ever tried him on Loretadine. I get 180
Tablets for about £8 and he used to get 6 in the morning (600kgs) They pretty much cured him where nosenets, supplements etc didn’t make any difference.

 

[Shilasdair]

My old girl was allergic at this time of year - lasted from Easter to the end of May, fairly precisely.
I didn't find antihistamines to help much, but did use 'Beconase' nasal spray which really did help her a lot.

 

[ycbm]

My old girl was allergic at this time of year - lasted from Easter to the end of May, fairly precisely.
I didn't find antihistamines to help much, but did use 'Beconase' nasal spray which really did help her a lot.

Thats interesting, I have some spare Beconase, do you just shoot it up the nose?

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[ycbm]

Well I’m trying not to speak to soon but mine seems to have cured himself this year. I am waiting to see if it’s to do with my track where the grass grows in the middle but it’s not very high yet so I’ll have to just wait and see. Mine used to be worse when hot so never went past walk by choice.

I’ve ever tried him on Loretadine. I get 180
Tablets for about £8 and he used to get 6 in the morning (600kgs) They pretty much cured him where nosenets, supplements etc didn’t make any difference.

I have cetirizine, similar, and plan to try that.

He isn’t bad, just a tiny stream of clear water from his nose and slightly unsettled to school, and more manic than ever about anything touching his ears including, this morning, his own forelock blowing in the wind! I've got some hair gel to solve that issue, he's going to look like a right wooss ?

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[OdinsMum]

I’ve always used piriton, I tried nose nets and all sorts - even local honey. I’ve found piriton to be the most effective.

 

[ycbm]

I’ve always used piriton, I tried nose nets and all sorts - even local honey. I’ve found piriton to be the most effective.

Great Piriton is cetirizine, which I have a years supply of for myself. Thanks.

 

[gunnergundog]

There was a Q&A webinar last night with Dr Kirstie Pickles on headshaking. She seemed to think that magnesium can be useful (citrate or malate, oxide as last resort). Also, they got results with a sodium bicarb infusion and suggested alkalinising (is there such a word?) the pasture with lime may help. Also, POM fly repellents helped some neds. Finally, eye masks for those that were light sensitive.....guardian mask or eVysor goggles. This was hosted by he who shall be nameless.

 

[Shilasdair]

Thats interesting, I have some spare Beconase, do you just shoot it up the nose?

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Yes - you are supposed to squirt it when the horse inhales. My vet recommended it, and it did help. Made her more sneezy/snorty for about 10 minutes after administration.

I did find out just how long a horse can hold its breath for though.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

There was a Q&A webinar last night with Dr Kirstie Pickles on headshaking. She seemed to think that magnesium can be useful (citrate or malate, oxide as last resort). Also, they got results with a sodium bicarb infusion and suggested alkalinising (is there such a word?) the pasture with lime may help. Also, POM fly repellents helped some neds. Finally, eye masks for those that were light sensitive.....guardian mask or eVysor goggles. This was hosted by he who shall be nameless.

interesting about magnesium, I have a seasonal head shaker and currently use oxide. Will look at switching when my pot runs out.

ive been using Hilton herbs shake no more which seems to have really helped but is quite pricey. The main ingredient is echinacea so once the bottle runs out I’m going to try just using a tub of that and seeing if I get the same results.

Hope you find something that works, I find it hard watching my mare when she’s really uncomfortable.

 

[mavandkaz]

My boy is a seasonal head shaker, seems to be tree pollen related as worse in spring and autumn - particularly bad when it's windy and leaves are falling off the trees.

The first year he was on pollenx, 10 citrizine antihistamines a day, and ridden in a nose net and fly veil. This all helped but he still had his moments.

I then couldn't get the liquid pollenx and he refused to eat the powder. So I switched him to a supplement from Hack Up Bespoke. The ingredients don't look like much, but it made a huge difference. I was able to take him off the antihistamines, and if I forgot to put on his nose net it wasn't the end of the world (but still used it daily) he was also able to go nose net a fly veil free during the winter.
It also worked out cheaper then the pollenx and their customer service is amazing.
Might not work for everyone, but certainly worked for my lad

 

[scats]

Millie is a seasonal headshaker. I use a nosenet. Antihistamines didn’t do anything. She’s not too bad, so I just put up with it really. She is affected by pollen and sunlight.

 

[gunnergundog]

interesting about magnesium, I have a seasonal head shaker and currently use oxide. Will look at switching when my pot runs out.

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If you use oxide the advice was also to feed boron as that helps the take up/digestability.

 

[BBP]

I use cetirizine, 1 tablet per 50kg of his body weight, so he gets 8, always in the morning and then another 8 in the evening if I want to ride then or if he looks like he is unhappy. He has a full nosenet (a bit like a nosebag) for ridden work which I find better than the ones that only cover the nostrils. Looks awful though! He’s ridden bitless but when his hayfever is bad his nose is sensitised so I ride off a neckrope a lot. I tried riding in a flymask as he is hypertensive to bugs hitting his face but I can’t find one I like.

 

[DiNozzo]

I'm sure I read on a thread that Vaseline in the nostrils really helped someone with pollen issues but can't find it now!

No personal experience though so might well be talking bollux!

 

[milliepops]

full face mask helped Millie lots (nosenet useless),I used the equilibrium one but I think she was more affected by sunlight than pollen. As he's so sensitive about his ears it may help lots or may be the complete opposite of helpful!

 

[Bradsmum]

Also have a seasonal headshaker who is also light sensitive. Have tried Pollenex, antihistamines and mag ox over the years. All worked for a while but eventually I was at my wits end as nothing was working and it was distressing to see him out in the field obviously uncomfortable. I thought the worse and considered PTS (not lightly) and then last year I was on a pilot scheme with NAF. It worked very quickly, he was comfortable out in the field (with a fly mask) and I was able to start working him again which I hadn't been able to contemplate. So this year there is a new NAF Shake Relief formula available and it's working. He still has occasional episodes when it's particularly bright sunshine but on the whole it is working.

 

[ycbm]

I wouldn't be able to get a facemask on him. He is seriously dangerous if you try and touch his ears. This morning he went wild just because I pulled his forelock under his browband.

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[Bradsmum]

You can get fly masks with no ears, similar to having a bridle or head collar on.

 

[ihatework]

I'm sure I read on a thread that Vaseline in the nostrils really helped someone with pollen issues but can't find it now!

No personal experience though so might well be talking bollux!

A friend of mine managed to get a test out of their 5* horse with seasonal head shaking by using nostril vet and Vaseline. We got the timing down to a fine art!

 

[shortstuff99]

I would be careful if you use beconase as I know in humans you can get bad 'rebound' congestion, and using for more than a couple of days can damage the blood vessels and cause bleeding. As my ENT told me off for this ?

 

[Midlifecrisis]

Vaseline does work on some horses...old fashioned remedy worth a try.

 

[ycbm]

Benadryl did nothing, trying ceterizine tomorrow. And vaseline if that does nothing. Took off his browband, put it back on. The thing that had most effect was plastering his forelock down with gel.

I know this is a pollen thing because he is snorting and I can see the trickle of water from his nose, but it seems to have made him doubly sensitive about anything touching his ears and he was bad enough about that already.

Fancy chucking your head around snorting because your own forelock is brushing your ears! Idiot horse ?

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