Is your Horse a Headshaker?

Claire156

I'm an Equine Manual Therapist and am currently doing a dissertation on headshaking and its effects on the equine musculo-skeletal system.

Does anyone have a headshaker they would like to have checked out?

I'm based in the south.

Wicked

HI ya

i have a TB and she shakes her head all day in the stable. not when riding her though. i don't want her checked out but its interesting what your doing.

my lady would make you dizzy sometimes she nods that much.

togster

Used to have a pony that did it constantly, een while riding. She was worse in warm humid days. We suspected it might have been polen or some other reaction. Vaseline around her nostrils seemed to work.

Interesting study.

*Miss Ní C*

elllo
yeah i have a TB and he often shakes his head, though mostly when cantering/galloping
fairly annoying as it sometimes feels like i don't have control!!!!

One of my old horses (a tb) used to do it.

Light hands and fly spray seemed to fix it.

convert

*Miss Ní C* wrote: »

elllo
yeah i have a TB and he often shakes his head, though mostly when cantering/galloping
fairly annoying as it sometimes feels like i don't have control!!!!

I know it may sound completely obvious, but have you checked that his teeth are ok and that the bridle fits properly and the bit is the correct height in his mouth?

I've ridden lots of TBs who'll shake their head when hacking out or just before they're about to do work on the gallop, but have never ridden one which shakes their head when actually cantering....

*Miss Ní C*

yes, i got teeth and all checked out, i changed the bit when i first got him and that lessened the headshaking,
tried vasaline around his nostrils yesterday evening and that seemed to help