Headshaking back with a vengence!

[tinastephenson]

Good things never last do they! We are back to severly bad headshaking and if anything worse...
I do not know if the flys and midges because of the hot weather are making things worse or if I am now becoming totally paranoid about documenting every weather change and what Curly does!
It had been raining was still cool and in open field and he head shook!
Yesterday in the field I could hear them thundering about, went to see what was upsetting them, Curly was headshaking badly in the field, which he has never done before.
Really do not know what to do for the best now..... will see how he is this week but I cannot let him be distressed in his own field.
I am hoping to arrange a holiday back where we used to live to see if he is bad there now. trouble is it will be beginning of september before i can go, then will the pollen be dying off anyway???
I am truly fed up with this... I love Curly so much and will never sell him but I moved to Wales to ride and am so upset that it is not possible. I will even consider loaning Curly to 5* home in area he is happy so I can buy another to keep here. Livery is mortgage money here in the beacons...... Its my birthday tomorrow and I will be 47 and I suddenly feel life is going too quickly, there is so much I want to have a go at and so little time.....
sorry for the winge just feeling so so fed up....

[suew]

Dont know anything about Pollen or headshaking but reading this did make me wonder about the midges.

Midges are worse in the evening or at least ours are. They also hate wind, because we are so high up the wind usually keeps them away.

The strange weather of the last few weeks has caused the wind to drop and we are being driven mad by flies and midges. I have had to buy Kayla a fly sheet.

Your comment about the sea breeze just made me wonder if the wind speed has any effect at all on the problem. Sorry if its another factor for you to monitor.

If it is made worse by the midges perhaps something like the sweet itch injection might give some relief.

[harveydales]

Oh dear Tina, I really do feel for you. I know just what it's like to become obssessd with every miniscule change in weather!

I think, whatever it is that sets off the headshaking, be it pollen or whatever, this causes the nasal passages to become inflamed and sensitive and then they start reacting to all sorts of stimuli which normally they wouldn't, including wind. That's what I found with Quest anyway. Once the autumn weather arrived, his headshaking would settle down and he wouldn't be so sensitive to things in general.

At the moment there are thousands of thrips/thunderflies round here. Don't know if it's the same with you but these blighters certainly set Quest off with headshaking aswell as the minute little midges which you can barely see. Big flies don't seem to be a problem.

I really do sympathise with you but don't have any solutions I'm afraid.

[suew]

Saw this and thought of you, no idea if it works but might be worth a try

cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ultra-Sonic-Fly-Repeller_W0QQitemZ320014084304QQihZ011QQcategoryZ16239QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[tinastephenson]

Thank you for the link, I have emailed the seller to see if any headshakers have used the item.
Thank you for thinking of me..... feeling so terribly sorry for myself ! sad but true.... best riding in wales and no horse to do it on.

[tinastephenson]

I took Curly back to West Sussex for a few days, I rode on the south downs, twice in different places and once on the beach. I had lessons in the school at my instructors and I rode him all around the tracks on her land. no headshaking.........

So I was convinced it was purely a area problem, came home and rode him two consecutive days, nothing.....

Took him next day on a different route, bad again!

All the hedges around us have been cut right back and I am now convinced, I think, that it has got to be a pollen type allergy? The one time he has headshaken since being back was when i foolishly rode him down a leafy lane down to a stream.

Or is it just because we have reached the time when plants etc would be dying back anyway? oh god, this is so so confusing!

[harveydales]

Yes, it is very confusing and frustrating isn't it? Quest was absolutely fine when he lived in Somerset and the headshaking only started after living in Lincolnshire for a few months.

Now he has the allergy, I would expect him to show some headshaking anywhere, even in areas where he didn't before although maybe not as severe. I really do think you will find Curly a lot better in Wales through the winter months. I only wish there was a permanent solution for this horrible allergy.

[tinastephenson]

I have been advised that it would be worth trying 'shakefree' from Global Herbs. I have used lots of their preperations before so willing to have a go, but they also told me to feed magnesium. not sure about dosages etc though, can anybody advise. Do not want to overdose him.....

[fran]

do sympathise having a headshaker myself. cant get to the bottom of it but i did try the global herbs stuff as did his previous owner but it didnt work. if your like me you will try everything yourself though. good luck

karen