An update on Millie's headshaking, napping and spooking....
Firstly the Meadowsweet - I used an infussion of this which I fed without adding it to her feeed - and Millie loved it - lapping up the liquid, but only for a couple of days.
Her headshaking has almost stopped now - even the involuntary tics are almost gone, but she's still intchy and tries to rub the inside of her top lip on walls, the floor, me, ... but again this seems much reduced. But the napping and spooking had become very very bad.
Still being convinced that this wasn't just 'behavioural', and ignoring the 'just hit it' (makes her worse) 'so just hit it harder' advice I was getting from some quarters, but also having had the vet check her out three times, with not much to see, I ask him whether he would recommend Physio, which he was more than happy to do. I'd already got Sue Palmer (from Stafford) booked and managed to bring the appointment forwards as she had a cancellation.
What Sue found was one very tense and sore horse - neck, shoulders, girth area, hamstrings, and most of all her back behind her ribcage - given how sore she was it's amazing that she would even let me get on her, and even more amazing that she was OK to hack in company and showing no lameness, etc!
Sue felt that the napping/spooking could well be down to the level of discomfort Milli had, and that this was separate from the headshaking (but could have been aggrevated by it).
She had her first treatment a couple of Monday's ago (about 1.5 hours of actual work) then a follow up treatment on the Thursday (Sue had a student with her and they mostly both worked on her for an hour) - I did masage and walked out in hand in between - she stopped wanting the Meadowsweet on the Wednesday, and the day after the second treatment she was uncomfortable enough to tell me NO! to massage thank you very much!! But she was OK again by the Saturday morning and enjoyed her massage session.
Sue had a look at my saddle but didn't think it was the source of the problem ... we talked through things that Millie had done over the last few months (including trying to jump out of one stable and kicking down a wall in another) - its possible that the severe headshaking was the last straw, triggering a level of discomfort that she could no longer accommodate - hence the napping, etc.
The arrangement was to start riding again on the Saturday, and try her out alone to see if their was any difference - I rode with company on the Saturday, and she was really striding out and happy to lead (we had to keep waiting for the 16'3 & 17'1 we were with - Millie's 15'2!) So the Sunday was crunch day - out alone - and it was PEEING down!!!! Well, Millie was a little different, but not what I would describe as better - she just chose different places to throw her toys out of her pram! The first stretch of the ride was pretty much a nightmare, and we only got through the farm that sits either side of the road with the help of the lady that lives there (picture a demented rocking horse, going from front to back legs who had to be lead to move forwards).
(Thanks Sarah @ Mill farm for the help!)
She did eventually settle, and was, at least, less spooky than before - we finished the ride, but by the time I got back I really was thinking we did have a behavioural problem that I was just going to have to work through with her. I contacted Sue with an update, and she said that she was in the area on Tuesday and could squeeze me in if I wished, for another treatment - yes please!!!
So, Millie had treatment number three on Tuesday just gone, then had Wednesday off, and I rode in the school on Thursday, then hacked alone this Saturday ... what a difference - not 100% but only a couple of really half-hearted attempts at napping, and no silly spooking, plus she seemed to enjoy the ride - soooo much better than before that I even did the riding club dressage (Intro A and P4) that I was scheduled for but not expecting to do yesterday, and she went really well considering we've hardly schooled and haven't had a lesson for over a month (and its been a lot longer since we had a lesson where Millie was really working properly). I've got my girl back ;D ;D ;D (I hope).
I'm to ride for the next couple of weeks and Sue is coming back on 30th to re-assess. Hopefully it's all forwards from here, but there is a chance that there is an underlying problem, which we should start to get a feel for on 30th ... in which case its back to the vet for bloods, x-rays, etc!!
The moral I think is - listen to your horse and listen to yourself - if I'd listened to others and been taken in by the fact that Millie was pretty much fine out with company (and had accepted that if a Chiro and the Vet couldn't really find anything much wrong then it was probably behavioural) I would have not found out what was going on and would still be struggling (and Millie still suffering).
Please wish us luck! Cheers, Ange.