tips on headshaking?

[Bossdog]

Our cob has recently started headshaking and I'm not sure how to begin investigating it.

She only does it when being tacked up and ridden out, she's in an eggbut snaffle and a flash ergonomic bridle. She's out all day, in at night on good quality straw and rubber matting and only gets a handful of hifi lite, a spoon of stroppy mare herbs, garlic and drop of veg oil. She's bombproof on the road and great in traffic, not too excitable. She only started hacking out a couple of months ago but the headshaking is quite bad and is ruining any enjoyment we get when hacking.

She has been ridden in the school/field up till now with no problems so it seems psychological.. unless riding on hard groud could be causing it (walking only on roads, trotting on softer ground).

Any ideas would gratefully received.

Jules xx

 

[Ahrena]

I would say could it be a pollen allergy, but with it being winter and my own mare (who has a pollen allergy) is fine without her nose net now...I wouldn't think its the hard ground.

Has she had her teeth done recently? If its only when she's tacked up and ridden, it might be a pain issue? If not her teeth, maybe her back/saddle isn't right?

 

[spaniel]

I would ask a vet to come an assess her, they generally check the ears and flush the eye sinuses then may do head xrays just to check there isnt a blockage or an abcess deep in the cavities. Your horse might be headshaking when bridled due to pressure pain and that might be because of a seed or a foreign body stuck inside somewhere.

Friends horse went through this recently and nothing unpleasent was discovered but it put her mind at rest and confirmed that the horse has an allergy rather than something more sinister.

 

[kombikids]

a GOOD equine dentist sorted mine out in twenty minutes.. good luck, hope you solve it

 

[Cop-Pop]

My mare used to do it really badly until we discovered that when she 'foams at the mouth' the froth was making her itch like mad. I take a towel everywhere with me now and I haven't had a problem since.

 

[Coffee_Bean]

Try a nosenet and other things people have said. Nosenet works wonders for me

 

[Minnies_Mum]

My TB has been a headshaker (summer months only) for about 4 years. He wears a nose net in summer, which is very effective, so we assume it is a pollen allergy. He's never actually been assessed by a vet for his headshaking because we tried the net and it worked. He also has Global Herbs "Shake Free" supplement, which is wonderful and stops him shaking in the field (when he obviously doesn't have his riding net on). I think this only works for pollen allergy though, so it is worth getting a vet/dentist to have a look at him, as it can be caused by so many things. Hope you get to the bottom of it.