Update on my headshaking mare

[Jinx94]

This time last year, my 4yo started headshaking.

She had a tonne of investigations, I maxed out my insurance and spent an additional 1.5k - as I had to pay up front and claim back from my insurers, that was all I had. We decided not to proceed with PENS therapy for her as the specialist believed that in our case it would not provide lasting results and would just prolong the inevitable. No painkillers touched it.

As a last ditch effort, I asked if it would do any harm to turn her away and what the percentages were for spontaneous recovery. I was advised that it would unlikely do further harm but we would need to continually evaluate due to the impact on her quality of life, we were given a 5% chance. I truly believed I would have to put her down.

She went out for a little over 6 months in a herd and (touch wood!) has fully recovered! Today she was long reined in the school for the first time since she's come back in.

We never found a specific cause and I doubt we'll ever know. Part of me is terrified that it'll start again, but we need to push forward and make the most of what we have.

I'm not saying that this will happen to everyone that turns their headshaker away, we were extremely lucky and I am grateful for this second chance every day, but if all other avenues have been exhausted then it's worth a try.

Photos of my beautiful girl for tax:

 

[ycbm]

Well done. Turning away can be a life saver. If I had to guess, it would be that she had an inflamed/pinching nerve which has recovered from having her neck stretched down to graze most of the time. I hope it's a permanent result, it's a great one. I remember you buying her aa a 2 year old, from her markings, don't I? Or am I mixing up with another?
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[nagblagger]

Brilliant update, long may it continue.

 

[Rowreach]

Out of interest, did you stop feeding her compound feeds, chaffs, anything at all sugar related (apart from grass) during this period off?

(I didn’t see your previous thread).

 

[ycbm]

Out of interest, did you stop feeding her compound feeds, chaffs, anything at all sugar related (apart from grass) during this period off?

(I didn’t see your previous thread).

This is a good question. Last year my horse was head shaking when fed Agrobs Wiesencobs, which I subsequently found out are high in legumes. He was very sensitive to alfalfa, another legume. He stopped when I stopped them, started again when I started them again. I didn't try a third time.
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[Jinx94]

Well done. Turning away can be a life saver. If I had to guess, it would be that she had an inflamed/pinching nerve which has recovered from having her neck stretched down to graze most of the time. I hope it's a permanent result, it's a great one. I remember you buying her aa a 2 year old, from her markings, don't I? Or am I mixing up with another?
.

That's the one!
In all honesty if I hadn't turned her away elsewhere, she wouldn't have made it to Christmas. It was awful seeing her like that.
That's a really interesting idea about the nerve. We did a head and neck CT myelogram which we had expected to show anything like that, but things can be missed!

Out of interest, did you stop feeding her compound feeds, chaffs, anything at all sugar related (apart from grass) during this period off?

(I didn’t see your previous thread).

Yep, she had grass and supplementary hay, turned away in a massive paddock with a decent hill.
The only change that the headshaking coincided with was her coming in after being out 24/7 in summer and being given hay. Initially she was so excited that she'd bury her whole head in it - originally I thought she'd got something stuck up her nose!

 

[Barton Bounty]

Turning away can often save a life, and can turn a horse into a more mature being too. It honestly can make all the difference I am sooo pleased for you

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

Firm believer in turning away and letting Dr.Green do their job.

Love the leg markings, been dipped in paint!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Pleased to hear she is doing well, and long may it continue. Don't want to be a party proper but pollen season is now over, if that's what she may have been reacting to? My old retired lad was an horrendous headshaker. I spent thousands trying to help him. He has now been retired for 5 or so years and now barely headshakes at all. I think his may also have been due to the stresses of being ridden and competed along with pollen. Fingers crossed for you.

 

[ycbm]

We did a head and neck CT myelogram which we had expected to show anything like that, but things can be missed!

Maybe a pinch point missed under the relaxation of sedation, who knows, but I do hope it carries on for you. I liked her and remembered her from those leg markings from the first sight of her.
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[Rowreach]

That's the one!
In all honesty if I hadn't turned her away elsewhere, she wouldn't have made it to Christmas. It was awful seeing her like that.
That's a really interesting idea about the nerve. We did a head and neck CT myelogram which we had expected to show anything like that, but things can be missed!

Yep, she had grass and supplementary hay, turned away in a massive paddock with a decent hill.
The only change that the headshaking coincided with was her coming in after being out 24/7 in summer and being given hay. Initially she was so excited that she'd bury her whole head in it - originally I thought she'd got something stuck up her nose!

Yup what I m getting at is that these behaviours can be triggered or exacerbated by compound feeds and chaffs and particularly sugary feeds and alfalfa (which gets into everything these days) so I would be very careful when introducing hard feed and would stick to straights and supplement/balance where necessary