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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 303
| looking for ideas on why a horse would be shaking his head. This horse is extremely broke. He's a Peptoboonsmall horse and we use him to sort, and work cattle. He goes to Wyoming each yr for 6 months out of the year to work on a ranch . Around the end of October, a week before he came back from Wyoming, he started shaking his head. He would shake his head while being ridden or just grazing in the pasture. He has had his teeth checked, ears checked, been scoped. Had blood work pulled all came back normal. Vet decided to give him same meds you would give for EPM. That did not work. He's been given another round of antibiotics and seems to work briefly but always goes back to shaking his head when you ride him. Doesn't stand and shake his head in the pasture as bad though. He's just now in the last week been given a cortisone shot to help in case of allergies. Again seems to help a little in the pasture but if you ride him he shakes his head. You can ride him in a halter or even with just a string around his neck and he still will shake his head. Any advice, suggestions, or ideas as to what could be causing this and how to fix it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! |
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Location: Texas | Shakes his head like the bridle or bit is bothering him, or like his ears are nothing him. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 303
| More like the bridle is bothering him. But he shakes his head out on the pasture with nothing on him. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 669
Location: Central Texas | Look up shaking head syndrome and see if this may fit your horse. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 307
Location: Florida | Have his ears checked out. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 173
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow | This isn't to alarm you but I had a five year old horse with the same issue and we exhausted all options. She passed away, very much unexpected. Because of the suddenness my vet did an autopsy. She died from an aneurism. I remember is wasn't a normal shaking of the head it was very different. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 303
| Thank yall. His Ears have been checked and are fine. I looked up the head shaking syndrome and this could possibly be it. He doesn't rub his nose on anything that I have noticed though. I was leaning towards neurological too... but just can't figure it out. Thank yall for the advice...it is much appreciated! |
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Location: Texas | If it is an aneurysm and caught soon enough, surgery can be done to relieve the pressure... Hope you find answers! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 669
Location: Central Texas | adp_4984 - 2015-04-15 1:40 PM
Thank yall. His Ears have been checked and are fine. I looked up the head shaking syndrome and this could possibly be it. He doesn't rub his nose on anything that I have noticed though. I was leaning towards neurological too... but just can't figure it out. Thank yall for the advice...it is much appreciated!
Does he shake his head horizonally or vertically? I believe the vertical shake is what they look for in the shaking head syndrome. I researched it a lot some time ago because I thought my guy may have a very mild cause of it. He would only do it ever so often during the start of a warm up and then would rub his nose on his leg. He has allergies also so I can't be sure if the warm up caused his nose to become irritated from sneezing etc. He never does it just standing or turned loose that I have observed. Hope you find out what it is. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 303
| Yes he does shake his head vertically
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 669
Location: Central Texas | adp_4984 - 2015-04-15 3:53 PM
Yes he does shake his head vertically
Sounds like you may want to have a vet check it out for shaking head. |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
 
Location: Where I am happiest | UC Davis has a FB page and there is a really good article on head shaking on their FB page. Here is the link. https://www.facebook.com/UCDavisVetMed?fref=ts
Edited by ThreeCorners 2015-04-15 8:39 PM
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4557
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | Might want to check the withers or along the neck. You have ruled out the head. Some nerve or injury is causing this. |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | BabyJ - 2015-04-15 9:37 AM
This isn't to alarm you but I had a five year old horse with the same issue and we exhausted all options. She passed away, very much unexpected. Because of the suddenness my vet did an autopsy. She died from an aneurism. I remember is wasn't a normal shaking of the head it was very different.
So sorry for the loss of your mare |
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| Not sure if this has already been suggested,but have you considered "head shaking syndrome" there's lots of info online you can google it. But here's a video that came up when I looked on YouTube http://youtu.be/FwNmvTwDuEM |
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