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  Discussion on Serious head-shaking and tossing
Author Message
Member:
Ndent

Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2003 - 4:14 pm:

I have owned my 5-year old paint gelding for a few months now, and have been riding him since December. The previous owner boarded the horse at our barn, so I have known him since last summer. Up until about a month and a half ago, he was a joy to ride--willing, going nicely in the bit, calm..Then, during the middle of April he suddenly (and I mean suddenly) started tossing , flipping, and shaking his head around while I was riding him. Coincidently it happened just a few hours after he received his first West Nile vaccine and his flu-rhino (which the vet administered orally). I assumed that his behavior might have been due to a bad reaction to the vaccine(s). But he has continued this behavior, intermittently, but more frequently (it's happened the last two times I've ridden him). Some people seeing him do it say he is just being "fresh", but it honestly seems like he can't control it. However, he doesn't do it (well, hardly at all) when I lunge him or free lunge him. But he will do it on the crossties in the barn (facing into the sun). He has also developed a reluctance to have his left ear handled (around this same time). I'm having my vet come out tomorrow to evaluate him for any potential physical causes of this problem. I have read your article on light-sensitive head shaking, and some of the info. rings true. Could the vaccines he received the day he started this behavior have triggered this condition (I have never heard of the had the flu-rhino vaccine administered orally--could that have caused a reaction?). Alittle more info--he didn't do this late last summer and fall (or all winter) when he arrived from Colorado. This is his first time east (I live in Massachusetts). Could it be an allergy condition? Thank you for your help. I am so frustrated. If it is purely behavioral, I will work on it, but I just want to make sure nothing physical is affecting him. Nancy
Member:
Dres

Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2003 - 5:01 pm:

boy Nancy, i can't answer your questions , but , i have several friends that have had horses with this 'head shakers' ..symptoms... one horse was born and raised by the owner never showed signs till he hit 4/5 years of age... she has had every test in the book done for him at UCD..( i am sure they learned a thing or two doing all the tests) she spared NO expense.. ( as she had the $$ to spare).. if she is to keep this horse alive, not putting him down for insurance, he has to be stalled by day in very dark conditions and only be out by night.. i don't think she is going to do this... the other friend bought a horse and had it shipped out here to California from the mid west in the dead of winter.. as soon as pollen season hit, the head tossing , striking, etc started.. she too ran tests and there was really nothing she could do for him... and finally, a personal girl friend got this 'free' horse , again dead of winter.. spring came and he started with the tossing stuff.. we all thought a behavioral issue... anyway she has found that if she rides him with a net over his nose and gives him allergy shots that she can get through this season... sun does NOT effect this horse... all other seasons the horse is ok , a small flare up in the early fall...

so don't rule out a physical problem here... as it seems to be a more common issue with horses these days.. or at least more folks are talking about it..

good luck ..Ann
Member:
Tangoh

Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2003 - 6:27 pm:

4 years old - head shaking - I had the same scenario with my gelding - he needed his teeth floated and a wolf tooth removed.
Member:
Hwood

Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2003 - 6:42 pm:

Hi, Nancy,
I agree that you should look for a physical cause for the head shaking . . . . there are several good ideas above. Your mention of his ear makes me think of my old Appy who has never done any head shaking (except to remove flies) until this February. It was very subtle . . . he would just give little pushes and intermittant jerks with his nose as he stood with his head in the corner of the barn . . . he chose to spend most of his time in the run-in barn for about two months. His appetite never flagged . . . but he would touch his nostril to one of the posts on the wall of the barn and gave little jerky motions . . . . I had a teen who came out to ride him one day in early April, and he tossed his head so much with the bridle that it took all the fun out of riding . . . something was obviously going on, but I couldn't pinpoint it, and the vet didn't seem to think it was anything important . . . but I know this horse, and it wasn't normal. I got right down into his ears a couple of times, and he really seemed to like it . . . . I don't know what it was, but after the last time of seriously massaging his ears, the head jerking stopped and he started to spend more time out of the barn . . . and now he seems completely normal again. . . . . so . . . .I guess I'd follow up on the ear thing first . . . .then the possibility of a tooth or sinus problem.
Go with your hunch that this is a physical issue.
Holly
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 7:41 am:

I do not think the orally administered vaccine caused your problem but there are no vaccines I know of that are effective when giventhis way. Perhaps the injection has created irritation that is expressed by head shaking but this would be unusual: normally the neck becomes stiff. YOu might try a course of bute to see if it goes away.

Your post does suggest photic headshaking. The article associated with this forum, » Training Horses » Behavioral Problems » Head Shaking explains the common causes of this problem and gives a regimen for diagnosing the problem.
DrO
Member:
Pbauer

Posted on Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 5:00 pm:

Hi, great information from DrO. I found a great informational site on "horse topics." There is a page on headshaking... www.horses-and-horse-information.com/articles/1098headshak.shtml
Hope this helps :-)
Sincerely, Tonya
Member:
Ndent

Posted on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 9:53 am:

Thanks to all for your thoughts and advice about my horse's head shaking and tossing. The vet came out and after a physical evaluation and watching him under saddle, she figured it was due to allergies (and partly behavioral). Once an irritation sets in, he starts overreacting. She had me start him on a course of Tri hist and suggested putting a net over his nose (like one of you suggested). I'll try that. Thanks again! Nancy
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