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  Discussion on 26 year old gelding involuntary head bobs, nods
Author Message
Member:
ellebell

Posted on Saturday, Jan 8, 2011 - 9:07 pm:

I've had my 26 year old QH gelding since he was 3. He has not been ridden in years and has a stable life with other geldings. Nothing has changed recently in his environment that I know of. He has been healthy and problem free his whole life.

I've noticed in the last month or so (could have started earlier, in warmer months) that he seems to be having involuntary head movements--nods and bobs-mostly vertical. He does it alone or when he's around others. It seems to distress him a little. They're not small subtle movements, but fairly dramatic. Is this something that is probably related to his age?
Member:
scooter

Posted on Saturday, Jan 8, 2011 - 10:31 pm:

My old mare does this too, mostly in the warmer mos. I have never really seen her do it in the winter, but in the summer she gets almost violent about it. Hers seems to be related to flies but not sure, a fly mask doesn't make a difference. She started this in her mid 20's, she is 31 now.
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2011 - 8:40 am:

One of my geldings did this for about a month; I called a friend who has the tools to do teeth, thinking it was something with his mouth. My friend never got over here due to one thing or another, but he quit the weird head thing.

I am thinking he just had something stuck in his teeth maybe? He would also chew with his head almost curled around to one side of his body.

It went away on it's own. My suggestion would be have an equine dentist check his teeth and his jaw area out for starters.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2011 - 8:51 am:

Hello PRU's,
The key word to solving this problem is "involuntary". What makes you think that the horse does not voluntarily initiate the movement?
DrO
Member:
ellebell

Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2011 - 10:31 am:

Hmmm . . . good question. I guess I just assumed it because he'll be standing quietly and then his head jerks and seems to surprise him, and because he's never done it before. But that's just my interpretation. I guess I really don't know. Is there a way to tell for sure?
Member:
scooter

Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2011 - 10:57 am:

My mare's almost seems involuntary, Dr.O. the strange thing with PRU's and Flash is it is a vertical up and down, not a sideways get the flies off headshake... does that implicate anything?

If I'm standing close enough to her and she does this and catches you it could knock you out! PRU is your horse like that too? I can't hold her head and make her stop it either!

She had her teeth done this year and it made no difference, when I had her on the free choice mineral (ran out, need more) she didn't hardly do it at all. The Free choice mineral has extra se. Of which we are deficient. I need to get more of that! Wonder if low se. could cause this?

PRU are you in a Se. deficient area?
Member:
ellebell

Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2011 - 11:56 am:

My gelding's teeth were checked and floated in the fall. I give him a vitamin & mineral supp. that I think would take care of se.
Member:
ellebell

Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2011 - 11:58 am:

And no, I can't make it stop by holding it, but I couldn't hold any horse's head if he wanted to move it or didn't mean to move it. And this guy's head is large and could kill you to!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Jan 10, 2011 - 1:45 pm:

Horses shake or nod their heads for a number of reasons. It can be a sign of irritation or pain but not necessarily just on the head. It can also be behavioral and occur when excited, a greeting, and/or challenge. Involuntary motion of the head would indicate a neurological disease either peripheral or central sort of like a mild clonic seizure. But from your post I do not see anyway to differentiate them. You can read more about causes of headshaking in horses including the interesting case of photic headshaking at HorseAdvice.com » Training & Conditioning Horses » Behavioral Problems » Head Shaking including Photic and Medical Causes.

If this continues to be a unsolved problem I would start with a good physical exam by your veterinarian that included a neurological exam with assessment of the cranial nerves. Hopefully he will be able to see the activity and may form an opinion on whether this appears as normal head nodding behavior or appears involuntary.
DrO
Member:
lynnland

Posted on Monday, Jan 10, 2011 - 3:15 pm:

Hi,

I just read briefly through the post and have a bit of a silly question. Any possibility that he is dozing and startling himself awake? Seen my guy do this after a long weekend of showing. It's your comment about it happening when he is "standing quietly". Seems a little obvious but might be more likely and noticeable if he isn't getting the amount of REM sleep he used to (for whatever reason).

Good luck
Member:
cinn

Posted on Monday, Jan 10, 2011 - 5:25 pm:

My N/H horse does this, I figure it's part of his condition. You can tell he surprises himself and can't help it, and you can hear his jaw bite closed.
Member:
ellebell

Posted on Thursday, Feb 17, 2011 - 8:39 pm:

After observing my old gelding several weeks, I don't have an answer as to what causes his head bobbing, but I do know that stress seems to exacerbate it. I saw that when across the fence from the mares with their foals or the yearlings, he seemed calmer, so I put him in with a yearling that is recovering (my wormy underweight little colt who is rapidly gaining weight under Dr. O's advice), and the old gelding's head bobbing immediately lessened. Since then,I've kept him in with the babies or younger horses and he's so much better. He rarely bobs, and if he does, it quits when I feed him or pet him. I tried to put him back in with the geldings, including his lifetime companion, and he immediately freaked out and started bobbing like crazy. So . . . that's all I know.
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