Worried - Is this headshaking?

mahorse

mahorse

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Hi

I'm really worried my horse has started to headshake. I have had her over a year, and last year no problems.

Over the last week she has started to throw her head around quite a bit when being ridden although not every time. Yesterday she even wiped her nose on the road a couple of times when we were hacking out and she just seemed really p'ed off and uncomfortable.
It was worse when on the fields and we do have a lots of rape here, on the roads she was fine. There were quite a lot of flies/midges around, but I had put fly repellant on.

Do you think I should just wait a bit and see if it continues while she adjusts (?) or try a nose net before speaking to vet?

Any suggestions please? Thanks.
 
I'm afraid it does sound like head shaking.

Personally, I would speak to the vet to discuss the various causes and management techniques. Its very easy to spend lots on different supplements/masks/nets etc, and then find that she needs teeth/saddle adjusting.

Mild headshakers can be managed and stay in full work. The only time my guy is excused work is hot, still, muggy days. He prefers to hide in his stable.

Good luck finding a solution. Hopefully she will settle down once the rape finishes flowering.
 
Hi there,
Rape flowers seem to make me, my oh and my mare particularly sniffy so it may well be doing the same for your mare! Do you find she is better or worse depending on the time of day you ride? If I ride my mare in the evening then she goes mad with shaking her head and snatching at the reins. In the morning she is loads better as there are far fewer midges around - the midges seem to make it much worse than flys do. She totally hates anything over or around her nose so a nose net just doesn't work for her. She is ridden in a grackle atm and she gets bothered by the bottom strap after a little while and trys to stop to rub quite alot. No noseband is better but even though her bit is comfortable I don't have the brakes and control I would like! I have trimmed off her whiskers aswell, I know this is a contentious issue, but she seems to have no ill effects at all and it makes her a little less sensitive around her nose, which for her seems to be the prob.
Good luck with your mare, once you find the trigger(s) then at least you have something to go on and can work on relieving it!
 
Thanks, I have the vet coming Thursday anyway, so may just attack a pair of tights to put over her nose when I ride today and tomorrow!

ETA - Glosgirl, thanks, I'm riding this afternoon and tomorrow morning, so we'll see if there is a difference.... it just seems like one thing after another with my mare, but thats horses!! As it has only just started, combined with her being turned out again I'm hoping its just the spring time pollen etc. I get hayfever too and it only last a month, fingers crossed its the same for my girl!
 
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That's interesting, my rising 5 year old has started to root down through the bridle and throw his head a bit, he did it constantly last time I rode in the evening. I did wonder if he may be headshaking but thought it must be something to do with my riding or contact (he had his teeth done v recently and all was good, plus back and saddle ok). Thinking about it, it has started since the rape came into flower. Poor boy, I'll have to monitor it. (Having regular lessons too, to make sure its not me!)
 
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