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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Kansas and loving it | I bought a really nice14 yr old mare last May. We have been getting along great. Even went to a barrel racing clinic and learned quite a bit. Her mouth is a mess and I am working closely with my vet on getting her teeth level again. But she never showed any outward signs of problems. Now that we are coming into winter my riding is really spotty, I don't get off work until 4pm. The last 5 times that I have ridden her she has picked up a habit I can't figure out. She will intermittently shake her head. Not s full shake, just mainly tip her nose out to the left. I thought maybe I was in her mouth, but she still does it at a walk with loose reins. I put a sidepull on her, and she coninued to shake her head. Any ideas why she is suddenly shaking her head?
Edited by rockette 2013-12-07 10:30 AM
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
  
Location: Kansas | I knew a girl who's mare did that, turned out to be EPM. I'd consult with a vet first, to rule out anything health wise, then move onto training issues. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 557
Location: Kansas and loving it | I have heard that there is no coming back from epm. Unless you have serious money to treat. Is that right? |
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Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | Not true, this girls horse made a full recovery and is back hitting the 1D at jackpots......but it took about 2 years |
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Member
Posts: 26
| rockette - 2013-12-07 11:00 AM
I have heard that there is no coming back from epm. Unless you have serious money to treat. Is that right?
That isn't true, especially if you catch it early enough. I have seen lots of horses with it that have come back the treatment is around $250 for the generic. MANY horses get it and their owners never know it, but they get over it. You would be amazed out how many have it. A lot of cutting futurity trainers just treat all their horses for it as 2-3 year olds because so many of them get it, from what I understand it is a dormant (sp?) bacteria that usually flourishes in times of stress.... But, you need to jump on it now. My first thought was mouth hurts, different bit or chiro too. Good luck |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 557
Location: Kansas and loving it | Thanks for all the help. Monday I am calling my vet for an appt. I really thought my years of bad luck with horses had come to an end. Hopefully answers are found. |
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| rockette - 2013-12-07 10:28 AM
I bought a really nice14 yr old mare last May. We have been getting along great. Even went to a barrel racing clinic and learned quite a bit. Her mouth is a mess and I am working closely with my vet on getting her teeth level again. But she never showed any outward signs of problems. Now that we are coming into winter my riding is really spotty, I don't get off work until 4pm. The last 5 times that I have ridden her she has picked up a habit I can't figure out. She will intermittently shake her head. Not s full shake, just mainly tip her nose out to the left. I thought maybe I was in her mouth, but she still does it at a walk with loose reins. I put a sidepull on her, and she coninued to shake her head. Any ideas why she is suddenly shaking her head?
Read your original statement again about not having a problem until your vet started messing with her teeth ...
Don't you think that changing the level either across the mouth or up and down to the rear of her mouth would change the ligament and jaw bone hinge enough to sore her up and create the head shaking??
The greatest mass of nerves in a horse is in their face and from their ears down to lower part of their jaw bone. .. Just changing bits etc without the teeth changes can get a horse to shaking its head...
Look at human dentistry .... if you have a crown or filling done ... the dentist has a little strip of carbon paper he slips inbetween your teeth and asks you to clamp down on it to see the impression so he can level out the high spots on the new dental work .... if he doesn't ... you can't even close your mouth comfortably ... let alone chew to eat without cracking your jaw ... lol ..
I have found so many times a problem is created by us humans wanting to help or correct something that did not need correcting since the horse's muscles, ligaments or bone structure had permanently adapted to the "problem".
I would concentrate on your most recent change rather than jumping off the deep end with some new fad disease that is difficult to identify or treat ....
GOOD LUCK ... and keep in mind that time is your best friend .. to perhaps let the teeth grow out enough to fit the horses face again ... (horses teeth are bone and growing all the time OK??)
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 557
Location: Kansas and loving it | BARRELHORSE USA - 2013-12-07 11:29 AM
rockette - 2013-12-07 10:28 AM
I bought a really nice14 yr old mare last May. We have been getting along great. Even went to a barrel racing clinic and learned quite a bit. Her mouth is a mess and I am working closely with my vet on getting her teeth level again. But she never showed any outward signs of problems. Now that we are coming into winter my riding is really spotty, I don't get off work until 4pm. The last 5 times that I have ridden her she has picked up a habit I can't figure out. She will intermittently shake her head. Not s full shake, just mainly tip her nose out to the left. I thought maybe I was in her mouth, but she still does it at a walk with loose reins. I put a sidepull on her, and she coninued to shake her head. Any ideas why she is suddenly shaking her head?
Read your original statement again about not having a problem until your vet started messing with her teeth ...
Don't you think that changing the level either across the mouth or up and down to the rear of her mouth would change the ligament and jaw bone hinge enough to sore her up and create the head shaking??
The greatest mass of nerves in a horse is in their face and from their ears down to lower part of their jaw bone. .. Just changing bits etc without the teeth changes can get a horse to shaking its head...
Look at human dentistry .... if you have a crown or filling done ... the dentist has a little strip of carbon paper he slips inbetween your teeth and asks you to clamp down on it to see the impression so he can level out the high spots on the new dental work .... if he doesn't ... you can't even close your mouth comfortably ... let alone chew to eat without cracking your jaw ... lol ..
I have found so many times a problem is created by us humans wanting to help or correct something that did not need correcting since the horse's muscles, ligaments or bone structure had permanently adapted to the "problem".
I would concentrate on your most recent change rather than jumping off the deep end with some new fad disease that is difficult to identify or treat ....
GOOD LUCK ... and keep in mind that time is your best friend .. to perhaps let the teeth grow out enough to fit the horses face again ... (horses teeth are bone and growing all the time OK?? )
Thanks but even walking with a sidepull which had no bit dhe still does it. I have tried to observe her loose and nothing. I just rode amd ponied a horse with me and she didn't fdo it. Now I am ready stumped. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 557
Location: Kansas and loving it | Her mouth has to be fixed because she has difficulty eating grain. She will drop 90 percent out of every month full. We have been to KSU about the other fractured teeth. All vets agreed her mouth cannot be left in that condition. The uneven teeth would eventually cause a mouth full of accesses. |
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 Another Barbossa
Posts: 2187
Location: Central Iowa, surrounded by corn! | If it is as bad as you say and a lot of work is being done I would sure keep an eye on the TMJ and poll! She may need some work done to help keep everything aligned while she adjusts to the change. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 557
Location: Kansas and loving it | My vet also does chiropractic work. When I call Monday to make her appt to get her teeth done again. I will make sure and have him check the tmj and poll. Thanks everyone. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 920
| I have had some who were sore in there mouth shake there head, put a hack on and they still do it more out of habit. Hope you get her lined out. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I would suggest speaking to your vet about buting her for a week to let the muscles, ligaments, and nerves time to adjust. As with any major change there will be inflammation of the surrounding tissue.
I would also check your horses temp, resting hr, and see if there is any nasal drainage. As my horse who started head shaking had a guttural pouch infection. Mine had no other symptoms, but some will have increased temp and increased hr |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| I have had horses with bad teeth almost worse with a hack, i think it is because the hack clamps down on there mount and if there bite is off, its like gritting your teeth if you got one of your teeth that the dentist did not grind down enough. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Have her ears checked, she may have gotton something in one of them, tick maybe thats causing pain. |
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Fire Ant Peddler
Posts: 2881
| rockette - 2013-12-07 11:00 AM
I have heard that there is no coming back from epm. Unless you have serious money to treat. Is that right?
My horse ran at the APHA World Show WITH EPM. He is RESERVE WORLD CHAMPION in Pole Bending. We have been treating him for two years now. Hopefully we got it this time. The treatment that my vet recommended is $200 a treatment. I spend more that on injections. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 989
| My gelding used to walk down the road with his head to one side or the other. I couldnt get him to walk straight. I took him to vet after vet and finally found one that put his sacrum back in. It was out for a long time and took adjusting it twice, but after that.. he has not walked with his head to one side at all.
My colt also started tipping his head while eating one day. Dentist was scheduled for that week anyways and it turned out he had a sharp edge that just got to the point of starting to bother him. It could be something like that too. |
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