tips to stop head shaking

[lincolnlady]

my horse is a really bad head shaker in spring/summer he does it constantly when we are out hacking. hes had all the usual checks teeth back vet etc. do any of you have any tips? we have rapeseed flowers all round us so maybe allergic? ive tried many fly sprays and he wears a fly fringe when we hack out but its making no difference theres also hundred of horrid flies around so i think these are really peeing him off. has anyone got any tips or something i can buy to help him? x

 

[jaijai]

Try a nose net. Equilibrium do a really nice one which is shaped and fits really well. Our boy has a tendency to head shake at certain times of the year and a nose net has really helped him.

 

[Odd Socks]

Yep, equilibrium nose nets are fab. You can also get full face masks with or without ears that attach to the bridle although I've never tried those.

I would say a nose net is definitely the way forward.

 

[lincolnlady]

Try a nose net. Equilibrium do a really nice one which is shaped and fits really well. Our boy has a tendency to head shake at certain times of the year and a nose net has really helped him.

i tried the half nose one and it made no difference do you think the full nose one that goes all the way round would make a difference? x

 

[lincolnlady]

ive just ordered the full airborn nose net off ebay so fingers crossed thank you for your replies xx

 

[jaijai]

Yes possibly.
The first nose net we tried was quite thick and just seemed to cover the front of the nose. The Equilibrium one is shaped so it fits around the contours of the nose and top lip. The adjustments on it are quite good so it is easy to get a nice fit. It is a finer net too and seems to be more effective at filtering out irritants and flies. Allergic reactions to rapeseed seem quite bad this year for both horses and humans. I don't know if it is linked to the very wet weather we've had. One of the horses on our yard was having breathing difficulties and had an asthma attack which the vet said was probably caused by the rapeseed.

 

[wellsat]

Do you feed salt? Worth adding a tsp to feed each night if you aren't.

 

[lincolnlady]

Do you feed salt? Worth adding a tsp to feed each night if you aren't.

no dont feed salt. he just has one scoop of sixteen plus (hes 21) what sort of salt should i use? just normal table salt or specialised stuff? xx

 

[wellsat]

Normal cheap salt from the supermarket. Might not stop the headshaking but I know people it has worked for and its good to add it to your horse's diet anyway. Certainly won't do any harm.

http://www.calmhealthyhorses.co.nz/whattodo.php#salt

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/equineheadshaking/?prop=eupdate

 

[lincolnlady]

Normal cheap salt from the supermarket. Might not stop the headshaking but I know people it has worked for and its good to add it to your horse's diet anyway. Certainly won't do any harm.

http://www.calmhealthyhorses.co.nz/whattodo.php#salt

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/equineheadshaking/?prop=eupdate

thank you will give it a try xx

 

[ThePony]

Do you have a bridle with a cut back headpiece and are you sure his browband is large enough? Makes a huge difference to mine. She is also funny with her noseband, a pretty narrow loose caversson is the only thing she'll tolerate, and I just take that off in bad periods anyway as it just bothers her.

Def agree with the above poster re salt, mine gets a generous palmful of salt each night, has made an enormous difference. She is still 'fussy' but not even in the same league headshaking as previous years.

 

[lara b]

Following a vetinary talk I went to I have also loosend big cob's noseband and try to do without the flash, makes a big difference! Apparently due to pressure on the nerve running down the face.

We now have comfort bridle, loose noseband, equilbrium nose net, Cashel riding mask for sunny days and Tri Teck fly spray to keep the midges away! With this combination we seem to have pretty much cracked it but time will tell!!

 

[lincolnlady]

i had his bridle professionally fitted to him so it wasnt that got him a nose net and hes a different horse!! hes completely stopped the headshaking rode him the other day without it just to test what he would be like and he was back to bad headshaking stomping his foot n kept slamming brakes on to itch his head on his leg lol

 

[lara b]

i had his bridle professionally fitted to him so it wasnt that got him a nose net and hes a different horse!! hes completely stopped the headshaking rode him the other day without it just to test what he would be like and he was back to bad headshaking stomping his foot n kept slamming brakes on to itch his head on his leg lol

excellent

 

[FionaM12]

Trial and error with Mollie seems to have resulted with finding the answer for her (fingers crossed!).

She hated her fly-fringe, it really drove her mad. She nubs her nose, sneezes and shakes her head from about April. Appears to be in pain the moment the bridle goes on.

Brow bands upset her (especially in summer), whatever the fit or fabric.

Ordinary bridles without browbands slip down her neck.

The solution: A cross-under bitless with no browband (the cross-under straps seem to stop it slipping) and a nosenet. Her head-shaking has almost entirely stopped. Huge sigh of relief!

It might not work with the next horse, but it did the trick for Molls, so far anyway.