Touch trigger headshaking - same as Valegro & whiskers

[Kezza]

Hello, has anyone had experience of a horse whom headshakes if light rain or snow or a bit of rubber from the school hits his nose? Valegro had same symptoms and in Carl's book he says they tried acupuncture but eventually they believe he grew out of it. I've also seen comments from people saying they saw Valegro in a nose net. My boy is 13, been under saddle for 3 years, came from a show producer so has always had whiskers off. I've had him almost a year and had left his whiskers and bridle path to grow. When I tried him he threw his head up and down if cantering behind another horse, apparently he'd always done that, in anticipation of mud flying up at him and if it did he got quite upset. He would occasionally shake his head side to side when riding and I put him into comfort poll bridles and plaited his forelock and top part of his mane and this stopped that. Sometimes I use a fly veil also. He hates having his ears touched but is getting better. On one occasion it snowed lightly whilst I was riding him and he threw his head up and down in protest, he had his fly veil on over his ears. Then believe it or not I hadn't ridden in light rain or snow until Weds of this week. For the past few weeks he's been getting upset in his field by tiny black flies, displaying the same behaviour, throwing head up and down. I put some diluted coopers on his nose and it helped. So to this week. Weds we started off walking to the arena and it started spitting and he got very upset. I got on and was hoping the rain would stop but it didn't and I had to give up and take him in. He only settled once he was back in his stable. I then suddenly thought about his whiskers and the fact that they'd fully grown back and he'd had them off for the last 3 years at least so I clipped them off and in the field Thursday he was more settled. I rode him last night and it was dry but he still threw his head up and down a bit. He's very sensitive and remembers bad experiences for ages so I'm hoping he just needs time to get used to the fact that his whiskers have gone. Funnily enough if I put a flash on him, even loosely he gets upset and stuffy. He's very sensitive generally.

So, has anyone else got any experience of this? What did u try, what worked?

I'm wondering if a nose net might help but he might hate that as it'll be touching his nose. I've also thought about de sensitisation by perhaps sprinkling shavings over his nose and rewarding him with a treat when he doesn't overreact. And I'm considering acupuncture.

He's healthy, teeth are fine, tack fits, back is fine and he's fit.

 

[Damnation]

Could you put a barrier cream on his nose? Just a random thought but if you just whack a thick layer on his nose it might stop him "Feeling" things coming up at his nose?

ETA: Mayball your Vet for advice if he is so hypersensative? And I'd get a physio out, he could have issues in his poll/neck?

 

[Kezza]

Hasn't thought of barrier cream, thanks! He is a tad headshy but poll and neck are fine, he rides like a dream

 

[Templebar]

Out of interest, what colour is he. I have a mare who is chestnut but she goes liver in the summer and she is potentially a head shaker, throwing her head up and down in the field and ridden and when ridden sometimes it can be so violent she cant move forward as she puts herself off balance. We have now had wolf teeth removed which has helped loads, but we also think it was her mane tickling her ears, so now hogged she is much happier in her head carriage.

Vet and instructors all think she is extremely sensitive, especially around and in her ears, as she loves them being touched and scratched.

 

[Charlie007]

My lad headshakes but his trigger is pollen. I found leaving whiskers on helps alot. Have you tried a full face mask to ride in. It perhaps seems like his nose is the problem but it can be the nerve that runs down the side of the face. It could be painful when the rain or snow hits this nerve.

 

[D66]

Have you tried a micklem bridle, they are designed to avoid the facial nerves. You can hire them before buying.

 

[Damnation]

Hasn't thought of barrier cream, thanks! He is a tad headshy but poll and neck are fine, he rides like a dream

I think if it is a hypersensativity issue, the barrier cream might also catch some of the pollen etc that may be irritating him, without the need for a nose net.

I would still be getting vet advice, there could be something causing it, especially if he can be headshy.

 

[Kezza]

Thanks for your replies. To clarify, this is not seasonal, not bridle related, it is most definitely hyper sensitivity of the ears and nose to touch. My vet is putting me in touch with their approved acupuncturist but I'm keen to hear from other people whom have experience of horses like mine and particularly interested in whether acupuncture helped. Thanks ever so

 

[Kezza]

My lad headshakes but his trigger is pollen. I found leaving whiskers on helps alot. Have you tried a full face mask to ride in. It perhaps seems like his nose is the problem but it can be the nerve that runs down the side of the face. It could be painful when the rain or snow hits this nerve.

Yeah I've read about the nerve but if I tap his nose with my finger he's fine, it's almost like its when he can't see where it's coming from? It's also interesting that he's improved with going back to having his whiskers off

 

[Britestar]

Have you tried a micklem bridle, they are designed to avoid the facial nerves. You can hire them before buying.

This. My 24yr mare headshook from breaking. Last year, changed her into a micklem and its completely stopped.

 

[Kezza]

This. My 24yr mare headshook from breaking. Last year, changed her into a micklem and its completely stopped.

My boy is no different in or out of a bridle. Light rain, tiny flies, snow and anything flicking up and hitting him on his nose are our enemy ...

 

[Britestar]

She was exactly the same, honestly. In the field, being ridden... If fact she'd barely been ridden for 8 years and when she came back to work she had a regular bridle on. My friend was riding her under the condition that if she tossed and shook her head as before she would stop, as friend couldn't stand her doing it.
One day we stuck the micklem on and hey presto. Worth a try I think.

 

[Kezza]

She was exactly the same, honestly. In the field, being ridden... If fact she'd barely been ridden for 8 years and when she came back to work she had a regular bridle on. My friend was riding her under the condition that if she tossed and shook her head as before she would stop, as friend couldn't stand her doing it.
One day we stuck the micklem on and hey presto. Worth a try I think.

Hmm, yes Carl believed using a double on Valegro helped him as the curb sits on an acupressure point. And now they can also use a snaffle so I guess there might also be an element of learned behaviour that needs to be carefully undone. I'm not sure about changing anything until he sees the acupuncture therapist and vet early March but might give a nose net a try and/or perhaps barrier cream

 

[heatk07]

i had a 7 year old section d that did this, any kind of rain really upset her. I couldnt get professionals to understand that it was literally only when it rained that she did it. I used a Mctimoney chiro with limited sucess, she stopped completely for a few days, then had a bit of trauma (stifle locked) and it came back instantly. I tried the chiro again a few times but she wasnt sure what exactly she had done the first time that had stopped it. i tried various masks and face covers but nothing really helped, i stopped using my snuggy hood face mask as i felt the pressure actually made it worse. I spoke to a couple of osteopaths that suggested it was trigeminal nerve pain, they were aware of a couple of horses that had ben de-nerved but the nerves had grown back and the syptoms were worse than before the op.

 

[Kezza]

This. My 24yr mare headshook from breaking. Last year, changed her into a micklem and its completely stopped.

i had a 7 year old section d that did this, any kind of rain really upset her. I couldnt get professionals to understand that it was literally only when it rained that she did it. I used a Mctimoney chiro with limited sucess, she stopped completely for a few days, then had a bit of trauma (stifle locked) and it came back instantly. I tried the chiro again a few times but she wasnt sure what exactly she had done the first time that had stopped it. i tried various masks and face covers but nothing really helped, i stopped using my snuggy hood face mask as i felt the pressure actually made it worse. I spoke to a couple of osteopaths that suggested it was trigeminal nerve pain, they were aware of a couple of horses that had ben de-nerved but the nerves had grown back and the syptoms were worse than before the op.

I don't want the op and I'm really hoping he's not in pain as he's fine with me touching his nose and face. Hopefully the acupuncture therapist will know more as she's also an osteopath, Sue Devereaux