11/8/2023 0 Comments Hair flick head toss femalesI even alternately attached a hairnet and pantyhose to the bridle’s noseband, pulling it down over the muzzle, which is thought to provide counter-stimulation to the facial nerves (similar to putting your finger under your nose to stop a sneeze). I had her checked for a sore back and saddle fit tried different bits had her teeth floated and examined removed the bridle’s noseband changed the browband used ear coverings and applied soothing medications to her face, among many other non-successful solutions. Meg’s symptoms were consistent with photic headshaking, but I was in denial. Some cases spontaneously resolve, while others worsen as years pass. It often develops very suddenly, even overnight. It can be constant or intermittent and often occurs seasonally – spring to fall in North America – but not always. All breeds can suffer from the headshaking syndrome condition. John Madigan of the University of California Davis, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, have indicated more males than females are affected and the average age of onset is between seven and nine. Studies by one of the world’s foremost headshaking researchers, Dr. As in Meg’s case, symptoms in most horses are usually exacerbated by exercise. They may also strike out, rub on objects, refuse to move forward, or try to scratch their nose with their leg, all which can be dangerous to a rider or handler. To attempt to rid themselves of the bothersome/painful sensations, affected horses will shake their heads, generally in a repetitive up-and-down motion with a distinctive flick of the nose downward. That the sensation headshakers experience is similar to photic sneezing that occurs in some humans when they’re exposed to bright light and, at its worst, to an excruciatingly painful nerve condition called trigeminal neuralgia. In more than half of all cases, sunlight is the major trigger. The nerves are responding to a wide range of triggers, either combined or in isolation, that include humidity levels, stress, wind, sound, exercise, certain feeds, pollen or dust. It is believed that headshakers experience pain, burning, itching or tingling due to misfiring impulses of the branches of trigeminal nerve system, which runs from the brain to the eye, nose and jaw. But, in the majority of cases, no underlying cause is detectable. There are many reasons a horse might headshake: eye and ear conditions, guttural pouch infection, head fractures dental problems, jaw pain, and allergies. I had read about a painful and virtually untreatable condition called headshaking syndrome, but had never witnessed a horse suffering from the illness. The skin condition erupted again, too, this time causing widespread hair loss on her face and raw, bleeding spots. They subsided in the barn and during turnout. The involuntary reactions were most obvious when Meg was being led or about five minutes after the start of a ride or a lunge session. In addition, she would snort, sneeze, try to paw at her face with her hoof, stamp her feet, rub her nose on the fence rail and bury her head in my chest or in the middle of a brush box filler. They occurred more frequently and were more violent and distressing. In April, the tics returned with a vengeance. I thought it might be related to the tics and still wondered if it was all bug-related, particularly when, as winter approached, the irritation disappeared, as did the head-tossing. Meg is energetic and sensitive, so I wasn’t surprised that she was bothered by flies or bugs – although she had never exhibited any signs of being overly disturbed by insects in the five years I’d owned her.Īt the same time, Meg developed a skin irritation on the bridge of her nose, resulting in some bare patches. In August 2008, my 11-year-old Welsh/Quarter Horse pony mare, Meg, began to regularly flinch and toss her head up and down as though a fly had buzzed up her nose.
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