Sneezing horse

[buzyizzy]

For a good few years, my horse has often sneezed about three times, particularly when out for a hack on a blustery day. I recently moved him to a new yard and every time he goes into outline in canter, he sneezes and sneezes and doesn't stop for absolutely ages. Last night it was 20 minutes. he is ridden in a Dr Cook Bridle and tbh im thonking of putting him in a bitted bridle to see if he is just being evasive. Eventually he will and then I manage to get some decent work out of him, but he pulls my arms out with his sneezing. He hasn't done a lot of work in the school for about a year and has had a fairly easy winter, so this is the first time he's been worked hardish. He doesn't sneeze out hacking, even going up steep hills in trot.
Any ideas?

 

[ImmyS]

Sneezing can be caused by irrititation of the nasal passages eg dust or food obstruction etc but sneezing is often a sign of releasing built up tension, the sneeze is an attempt by your horse to release this tension.

Has this only just started doin this recently? Is he relaxed or a bit highly strung? Does he find school work difficult? Has he had all health checks recently?

Sorr for all the Q's!

 

[buzyizzy]

He hasn't done an awful lot of school work for a while and we recently, well on 8th March ,changed yards. Since then he's been in the school at least once a week, ridden, and once a week on the lunge. The rest of the time is hacking out. He has oodles of energy, hasn't coughed once and only sneezed 8 times in a row last night on the lunge, then that was pretty much it. He's on soaked hay and dust extracted bedding, although he does get dry hay in the field, off the ground. He isn't getting very puffed, saddle and teeth done last November. It's been intermittent, but Monday was many, many more sneezes. He is probably not finding the work terribly easy due to lack of practice, but he's definitely getting more supple. Once he had stopped sneezing, he did some really fab canter work, 10m circles perfectly balanced. He is a bit highly strung, very, very desperate to please.

 

[ImmyS]

He hasn't done an awful lot of school work for a while and we recently, well on 8th March ,changed yards. Since then he's been in the school at least once a week, ridden, and once a week on the lunge. The rest of the time is hacking out. He has oodles of energy, hasn't coughed once and only sneezed 8 times in a row last night on the lunge, then that was pretty much it. He's on soaked hay and dust extracted bedding, although he does get dry hay in the field, off the ground. He isn't getting very puffed, saddle and teeth done last November. It's been intermittent, but Monday was many, many more sneezes. He is probably not finding the work terribly easy due to lack of practice, but he's definitely getting more supple. Once he had stopped sneezing, he did some really fab canter work, 10m circles perfectly balanced. He is a bit highly strung, very, very desperate to please.

From this, I personally really feel that it is purely a tension/energy release for him. As you said that he sneezed at the beginning of lunging and then worked well after? And as you said he is a bit highly strung at the beginning of work he probably does have excess energy, which he releases bough blowing. when he sneezes out hacking is there ever a pattern? Has he just passed something he wasn't sure about? Did for example a car pass fast? Did he spook at something a little while before?

 

[Gloi]

I think I would try him out in a different bridle just to see if there is a difference. The Dr Cooks might be putting pressure on his nose in a way that irritates it and makes him sneeze when you try and work him in an outline. There's no harm in trying anyway and at least you'd know then.