Head Shaking

[Joy]

Hi Avril and all safecobbers,

I just wanted to ask advice on what the forum users think is the cause of head shaking!

Dolly has started again! She also rubs both sides of her face on her legs!!! We were told it could be to do with sunlight hours, flies, neuralgia, bitting problems etc etc!!!

It is such a shame as I would really like to get her out and about! I will get the vets opinion on her but I wanted to ask for any more tips which may help!!!

In anticipation

Joy & Dolly

[Briony Anakin]

hiya,
head shaking can be down to all sorts of things,
a friend of mine's old pony began head shaking after 20 years of never shaking his head, we found it to be something to do with his teeth! he had some treatment from the dentist and was fine after that.

Just thought id add that as teeth is often something people dont think about regarding head shaking!

I hope you get to the bottom of it whatever the cause may be, and do let me know if you find out as im always interested to know other peoples experiences in these things!

Briony and Anakin

[angie]

Hi Joy,

I bought Ella as a known headshaker, and have found a nose net in the spring and summer to help. She had stopped over the last month or so, but has just started up again mildly. I'm putting it down to the sunlight that seems to have got brighter again. In the spring though, she had a really bad time when the rape was in flower with all the pollen. NAF shake relief seemed to help in that instance. She goes without her nose net over winter.
Good luck,
angie and ella x

[sarah]

Hi Joy, I used to have a mre that was a headshaker, and my vet came out to see her, and even hacked her out herself to see exactly what was going on. She decided she was suffering from allergic rhinitis - a reaction to pollen, both from rape seed but also from tree pollen. it would start about May, and ease off again about October. Her symptoms were head shaking, which on a bad day could result in her actually falling on her knees where she was so busy head shaking, and she would also stop suddenly in canter to rub her nose madly on her legs. We used a nose bucket, which did help, but we did have to avoid certain bridlepaths which seemed to make it worse, and the faster the pace, the worse she was.
I hope you can find a solution that eases her symptoms.
Good luck, Sarah.x

[avril]

Hi Joy,

Head shaking seems to be one of the biggest mystery conditions and every vet I've spoken to doesn't seem to know of a cure.

I'm a big fan of Global Herbs who have two products specifically for this, and we have used both with some success. We have tried nose nets also with some success.

We have also found tooth problems can manifest as headshaking, as can stress, adrenaline, and depleted immune responses due I believe to heavy fertilisation and insectidal spraying of crops.

We are about to trial a new product developed by a neuro scientist who claims 100% success rate. We'll have to wait for the Spring before we can start.

[lisandsaf]

Hi Joy,,
sorry to hear about your head shaking problem..
Ru a savvy club member, if so it may be worth checking out their huge Q and A section to see if there is anything in there that may help you,,
I havnt come across it myself other than Saf tosing her head in dominance when being asked to increase her pace, thankfully she doesnt do it to often now..
Lisa and Saf

[Joy]

Hi everyone
Thanks for feedback! All tips very welcome- will try nose net- have got a supplement!

It is interesting as she only seems to headshake while out on a hack! I have rarley seen her trot or canter even when out in field!!

She looks very much like a shire X and my husband was talking to a friend of a friend who owns a livery yard and the first thing he asked after seeing a photo of her was does she trot or canter at all!!! My husband said no not really and he said that it was his belief that her problem would be her large nostrils(and they are wide)Apparently in draught horses they are common to accomodate their pulling power!!! They can therefore , he told my hubby, be the cause of head shaking through irritation with pollens, dust, flies etc!!The reason he said that they will not trot or canter very often is that the nostrils obviously dilate even more hence more irritation!!! Apparently it was a common problem in working shires years ago and they were mostly destroyed for this reason as they could no longer work as it exaserbated the condition!!!! You learn something new every day!!!!

The moment Dolly got back from being walked in hand the other day-it was hot and there were a lot of flies about-she went straight to her water and swished her whole muzzle about in it for about 3 minutes as though rinsing her nostrils!!!

Anyway I have a new nose net and will try it this weekend

[Erika George]

Joy,
George had large nostrils and does inhale flies very quickly which is why I use a fly net. He was also prone to stopping very quickly to scratch his nose on his leg which with a novice rider would have had them on the floor. The nose net has solved this.
But this year for some reason he has developed rashes on his face which are very itchy, almost like sweet itch. He has never had it before and it has plagued him quite badly. I have also spoken to a lady whose horse has developed almost a type of excaema on her chest for the 1st time in 10 years. We have decided that due to the odd weather this year that there are some nasty biting midges around which are causing the problem. I have been bitten to pieces in the evening when poo-picking, this has never happened before. Also the very dry spell has made the horses skin very dry also.
I have treated George by bathing his scabs in a lemon-balm solution in the evening which he finds soothing and then by plastering him with anti-fly ointment in the morning, which he is less pleased about.
It is now clearing up and hopefully with the weather cooling down now and the wetter weather then problems will sort themselves out.
Certainly there is no chance of him being bitten by midges tonight given the amount of mud plastered to his face ;D
Let us know how you get on.
Erika & George

[valda]

Hi Joy,
Nev is prone to this from time to time and I'm sure it's due to pollen / polution. I use the nose nets and the Global Herbs supplements and it seems to do the trick.

I noticed a new nose net being advertised recently which is meant to be up to 50% more effective than the standard ones - it's been designed by a showjumper I think. I'll have a rummage and see if I can find the advert.

Fingers crossed the net and supplement improves the situation.

[Joy]

Hi everyone,
Very interesting- I have got the equilibrium nose nets but would be very greatful for details of the other one!!!Thanks Valda!

Yes-I agree with you Erica about these horrible little black flies-they are everywhere- I have noticed them covered my dog and her water dishes and when I was riding the other day I was getting nose and mouthfuls of them!!!!

Dolly nose does get very dry with a few blister like marks on her nostrils- I have been putting some sudocreme on it!!

Anyway fingers crossed for the nose nets! I'll keep you posted!
Hope you are not too full of dust from the muddy George,Erica!

Thanks again
Kind regards
Joy