Sudden onset headshaking- any ideas?

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wormhugs

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Hello all,
I'm posting on behalf of a friend at my livery yard. She sold her horse about 3 months ago to a girl who is keeping him at working livery. She got a call last night to say that he has started headshaking quite violently (last fortnight) and the riding school feel he is no longer safe to use for clients as he has been flinging his forelegs up to try and rub his face.
The new owners have had him endoscoped and it came back all clear. They are talking about having him put to sleep, so my friend has said she will have him back for a month to try to get to the bottom of it.
She asked for advice last night and I was trying to think of helpful things. The list of things I thought of are:
-get endoscope redone and thorough vet check
-get teeth checked
-check fit of bridle and bit (they have changed his bit)
-get back and neck checked- he used to get his back looked at quite regularly and now doesnt
-he is on straw at new place, was on shavings previously and now doesnt get much turnout. Could be irritated airways?
-allergy to pollen- try a nosenet

Hmmm, anything else I can suggest to her? I do understand that the outlook for a persistant headshaker is not a particularly rosy one if he is becoming dangerous to ride. Any thoughts much appreciated! Ta!
x
 
For it to be a sudden onset I would think that it has got to be a localised allergy.

The first thing that I would do it give him some antihistamine and put a nose net on..... Is there any oil seed rape being grown near by ? a friend of mine had a real problem one year when this was grown.
 
For God's sake there's no need to talk of having him PTS simply for headshaking, unless there is a serious underlying physical problem that is not related to allergies. As BBoo says, oil seed rape is common irritant, although you can hardly ask the landowner to stop growing it simply because your horse doesn't like it, so short of moving the horse to another yard out of range of the horrible stuff, you'll have to find ways of dealing with it. All the things you list could be looked into. I've now had two (strangly both chestnuts) who have responded fantastically to nose nets, do give them a try. My first horse was very similar to yours, and was almost unrideable in summer until I got him into a net and my new loan boy was suffering horribly until 2 weeks ago when I got him in a net as well, and since then he's been a changed horse. There are also a multitude of supplements on the market, which I haven't tried as the nose net does the job.
 
Talking about being PTS is a little dramatic isn't it? Check ears for midge bites, little drops of blood & see if anything has 'moved in'.
 
Thanks for the replies. I don't know if there is any oil seed rape nearby where he is stabled now, I do know there is none round 'our' yard, so it is a possibility. I think my friend was more than slightly aghast that they were suggesting having him put to sleep after only endoscoping him, hence the having him back for a month to try to get to the bottom of it.
At least I havent missed anything obvious from my 'hitlist'!
 
Teeth first, then i'd get his neck checked as one of mine started chucking his head round suddenly, nothing wrong with his teeth, back lady who was up for anouther horse took one look at him, told me he wasnt right in his poll, she put it right and weve not had a head shaking problem yet.

Anouther problem common among head shakers is a tree pollen allergy, a nose net or bonjella up the nose should sort that quickly.
 
Thanks for this, will have a browse and pass on the details to the ex-owner!
laugh.gif

Ta!
x
 
Yeah, I was thinking maybe poll pain too. After the teeth & bit check!
I've been thinking a bit more about the tree pollen and oil seed rape pollen suggestions, and don't know if it isnt the wrong time of year? Everything looks to be covered in seeds and fruits, rather than still flowering, hmmm.
Am inclined towards something hurting him instead. Thanks for all your thoughts!
xx
 
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