what to try

[_daisy_]

i need some help and advice guys:
Chant has been turned away for nearly 4 weeks due to me thinking she had a sore back. managed to get an urgent appointment for a physio to check her out. So ive had one of Vicki Spaldings physios out on Monday and good news, she cant find anything that would be causing Chantins head nodding/tossing, shes definitely not a headshaker. So her back has been checked and shes told me to start riding her. She had a slight bit of tension round her poll and at her withers but nothing serious and probably due to her starting "proper" work.
So ive now got to see what i can do to help her feel more comfortable (or see if its just her misbehaving - which it could well be!). Her saddles and bridle fits so thats good news tone thing the physio has told me to ride her in is a wool sleeve on her head piece - fine no probs ive got one of those. She also mentioned trying her with sleeves on her cheek pieces.
So was thinking of trying different numnahs (eg wool, cotton and thickness eg thin thick) also gel pads etc, as well as trying her with different bits. Shes currently wearing a aurigan KK snaffle with lozenge in and was thinking about investing in a myler loose ring comfort snaffle. Do you think that this would help or would a normal snaffle be better?
Also going to have diarise everything with her - how she behaves to certain hacks, weather conditions, different types of work (eg schooling, hacking etc)
Shes not getting any feed atm only grass and she is currently living out 24/7.

I also think that she might have a problem with her daily routine. Im think of changing her routine to see if she would benefit form a strict regime where she is stabled at night, fed at strict times, turnout for specific amounts of time, working at specific times. The reason im thinking of this is when she went to my instructors she was really quiet and had none of this head throwing - she was stabled most of the day, played out for a coupel of hours, went on the horse walker twice a day and then had a schooling session, but slowly since she came home shes getting worse
Could it be that she is one of these horses that has to have everything laid down to a specific time etc? Does anyone have a horse that cant cope with 24/7 turnout?

Can anyone think of anything else i could help her with?

 

[Oaksflight]

Hey Sarah, glad to see there's nothing physically wrong causing the headshaking. Have been meaning to PM you to ask how it went. Did the instructor change anything else? I would give the strict regime idea a go, perhaps the extra exercise she was getting was helping? (Obviously depends on what she's like in the field)

Sx

 

[red marksman]

You mention that she improved at your instructors place. Could it be that she has an allergy to something in the fields she is turned out in and it is irritating her nasal passages?

 

[_daisy_]

was going to PM you to let you know how wed got on. She charged us £45 per horse and £20 travelling costs which we split between the 3 horses so about £7 each. Nothing else on top.

Im glad theres nothing physically wrong with her too but like the physio said shes been off work for nearly 4 wks - maybe if she had pulled a muscle its sorted itself out already.
Fingers crossed for tonight - going to lunge her to see how shes moving.

 

[Oaksflight]

Def. could have been. I rode Hal the day before physio came out (y'day) and he was practically sound. Got my hopes up, but they're now heading downhill again (see post in vet!). Let me know how you get on lunging her. Red marksman's thought is also v. good! I'd possibly keep her in strict routine, if no improvement after a fortnight or so, then look into allergy. Although I imagine if it was an allergy you'd have noticed through weeping eyes or such already?

x

 

[_daisy_]

that has been mentioned to me before. She was in an internal stable at my instructors yard and there were horse all around her, whereas where i am she has an outside stable.
It could be an allergy to something where we are but i cant afford to keep her permanently at my instructors (£150p/w).
It is one of the lines im thinking of going down. Going to diarise things like how bad the flies are, can always check to see what the pollen rating is on the BBC before i ride cos that might have something to do with it.
What would be any help to her if she does have an allergy? (she currently wears a full crusader quiet riding mask when i ride her.)

 

[_daisy_]

ill go have a read now. yes good idea about 2 weeks or so. Shes coming up at the weekend once ive sorted the fencing out for her so ill see how she goes after that. Going to vary her work as well so might school her a couple of time a week, lunger her a few times and then hack her out.
she doesnt have weeping eyes-assuming this is because she wears a full equilibrium max mask in the field. If she didnt wear this it would be a different story as the flies would eat her face. She doesnt have any discharge from ehr nose either

 

[Oaksflight]

Doesn't sound like an allergy to me then, but I'd still keep that as an option. Your instructors yard must be nice at £150 pw! When is it that she headshakes mainly? Is it just when being ridden? Have you tried riding without the mask?

 

[_daisy_]

its a lovely yard - massive indoor arena, big outside arena, horsewalker, individual turnout. if i could afford to keep her there she would be there now - she came on so well with my instructor.
head throwing varies. It normally starts after about 10mintues of work - starts as ntohing really but after about 30 mins it can get quite violent. tried her with and without the mask and shes better with. Tried her without her flash and breastplate and neither seem to make much difference.
Been thinking of trying her in a standing martingale, hackamore, everything is going on my list to try!

 

[vicijp]

Try removing the noseband and then the browband, see if the removal of any pressure on her face/sinuses makes a difference.