My horse just started headshaking a few months ago and I’ve been trying all of the main suggestions (acupuncture,chiropractic, Cypro, doxy, magrestore, melatonin, spirulina, nose net) and am creating a list of possible next steps which include allegry testing, scoping ears, X-rays of head, pulse dex treatment, etc. I’ve read about Dr.Madigan and the product he helped develop, Top Stock, but haven’t seen a ton of testimonials. Has anyone tried that? This is so overwhelming!
I don’t think Top Stock is available any more. I tried all of the things on your list except Dex pulsing, I also tried gabapentin…
I am also interested in possible solutions and have tried melatonin with mixed results. Does anyone know what is or was in Top Stock?
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More info, please. Gelding or mare? (I’m assuming not stallion, but I guess it’s possible.) Age of onset? Is headshaking seasonal or year round?
Yes I own one. Won’t burden you with the details unless they’re relevant.
Hello! Hershey , and observe. I haven’t had him tested for allergies yet, but it is on my list.
Here is the description of Top Stock from Amazon.com
For the horse that struggles with sudden and involuntary head tossing movements that seem to be intermittent or unintentional? He or she could be suffering from a common syndrome known as headshaking. Headshaking is a well-known term used to define this odd and problematic behavior, most prevalent during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Behaviors associated with headshaking may vary between horses. Many will shake or jolt their head into the air in an abrupt and unexpected movement. Some horses may aggressively rub their muzzle on the ground or on nearby objects, as well as continuously snorting and sneezing in an attempt to alleviate their discomfort. Interestingly, most researchers agree that even though headshaking may be initiated by former medical issues or injuries, the source of the behavior can also originate from a stimulus to bright light known as “photic headshaking”. The light stimulation triggers an abnormal communication with the trigeminal nerve and powers a continued response that results in an uncomfortable and irritating feeling for the horse, known as neuropathic pain. Dependent on the level of brightness and amount of exposure, this hyper stimulation of the trigeminal nerve controls the nerve endings in the face. The physical motion of headshaking is a reaction by the horse to relieve the tingling sensation felt when the nerve is stimulated. TOP STOCK for Head Shaking horses contains antioxidants and vitamin concentrations that help to target overactive nerve tissue in equines to reduce the prevalence and intensity of the headshaking syndrome. UC DAVIS CASE STUDY Dr. John E. Madigan: A product that shows great promise is Top Stock Headshaking formula, from New Zealand; in one uncontrolled study, seven out of 10 horses improved while using this supplement. Most pathology studies have found no lesions or other physical problems with the trigeminal nerve, so it must be a chemical instability that causes it to fire inappropriately.
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I had an OTTB that was a headhshaker years ago. It was so bad he would throw himself to the ground at times. I tried all the usual meds mentioned above. Nothing helped. So I took everything in his life apart piece by piece, including turnout, feed, hay and vaccinations. Did each change, one at a time and broke up the vaccination process. I narrowed the worst reactions down to the affect of the flu and rhino shots, and stopped them. He was symptom free that year, and every year since without those two shots. Some say its a herpes virus that lies in the facial nerve that gets triggered, and for some reason on this horse that was his trigger. Now, this was before the USEF rules about vaccinations, so I am not sure how you would go about showing a horse without them today. Possibly get titres done? He was symptom free for the rest of his life.
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NMK: I’ve heard others mention a connection between Flu/Rhino as well. Hershey had his shots in the spring though and started shaking in September, so I am not sure how related that is but I will definitely keep it in mind. We changed his bedding, then his hay, then his turnout to night time…all without change. I might try changing grain, but he has been on the same grain for several years. I am hopeful that we will figure it out and I am glad he is not as bad as some horses, but it still breaks my heart to watch him tick. As we all are, I am limited on funds and have tried to do 1 change at a time…so I have a feeling this is going to be a lengthy process. Thank you for your comments!
In my research I found that it may be related to inflammation of the trigeminal (facial) nerve. My horse would bang his head in a dark corner. The first really bad episode was a few months after the spring shot regime for him as well. I keep my horses at home, and can close the herd so going without the vaccines was easier for us than it may be for others. I wish you luck; it is a frustrating and lengthy process. After two years symptom free, I actually forgot he ever had it.
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I haven’t tried Top Stock—although I know that many of the posters on the HS page on FB say that it has worked for their horses. I’m not sure how available it is in the U.S. Also, I hear so much about how a product works “wonders” for one HS, and doesn’t do a thing for the next. The triggers are so highly variable, you really need to do what NMK did—and hats off to you NMK!! I board my horse so I can’t imagine trying to manage through all of those turnout, feed, hay factors individually. The Flu/Rhino vaccine connection is intriguing! Unfortunately, my young horse started HS in the late fall of her 3 year old year. Started up out of the blue (which is how everyone says it seems to happen). I did the entire battery of tests at a university vet clinic last January. She was scoped, radiographed, allergy tested, etc. and nothing came out very significant except we identified a few things she was allergic to. I wanted to start by trying the “go to” medication (Cyproheptadine). It has helped immensely—although I still use a nose net for riding on the days when she is HS through the Cypro. Also—she is not what I would consider a “bad” headshaker, at least so far, I can ride her when she is experiencing HS symptoms. She wants to rub her nose on her leg a LOT, and sometimes flips her head (mostly when walking on a hack)—but for the most part, she is completely rideable. However, I know some of them can be dangerous and quite unrideable when they are having a HS episode! It’s definitely a frustrating syndrome!!
In my long and tiring immersion into this problem I found that Dex actually does help (by accident, horse got a bee sting and was full of hives) but it’s tricky so not a long term cure. The Cypro is a seven day withdrawal for USEF so that is not really a good answer either. When they started to demand 6 month regimens of flu/rhino, my heart just sank for all those horses that may be negatively affected by it. After I stopped, he was symptom free for the rest of his life.
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Hershey81, unless you’re in the southern hemisphere, what you describe is an atypical presentation for headshaking. Usually lengthening days/ change of light angle and pollen are considered triggers as you well know. Part of the problem with the condition (trigeminal neuritis) that it probably is a symptom with many different causes. Any given horse suffering from it may have a different cause than three others with nearly the same headshaking. Makes it very frustrating to deal with!
FWIW my mare started headshaking a couple of weeks after a tick bite. It was so bad she was unrideable, and I can’t tell you how many times we considered putting her down since she was obviously miserable. Ultimately we developed the strong suspicion that neurologic Lyme was the cause as her titers were sky high. Treating her with Doxy was ineffective, but combining Doxy with Rifampin (which crosses the blood/brain barrier) stopped the headshaking in two days. A full course of antibiotics would result in no headshaking for a couple of months afterward, but it would resume seasonally. Until we bred her.
We bred for an early foal to make sure it would be strong enough to handle the mare’s head rubbing and the mare was put on regumate to make her pregnancy was retained. That summer there was minimal headshaking. As it turned out, her post foaling summer there was even less headshaking. Foal is a long yearling, and I’m hoping that the headshaking will be nonexistent next year.
What does this all mean? Beats the heck out of me and all the vets we consulted. But your description of Hershey makes me think he has something going on throughout his nervous system and the trigeminal neuritis is just part of it. If you feel like spending a little extra money, try the Lyme test that Cornell does. And best of luck!
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Hi Frugalannie: We actually did send off a lyme test to Cornell but it came back negative. The odd thing was that while we sent it we just went ahead and put him on 5 days of doxy and after about 3 days he got better. When the test came back negative we didn’t continue the doxy and a week later he started ticking again. After discussing next steps with my vet, i opted to try another round (but 2 weeks) of doxy. He has now been on doxy since last Wed. and I don’t see any real change. He still has another 7 days but i think we would have seen a change already. but I am going to wait the doxy out and try cypro next. I get so overwhelmed by the possible options that I am trying to make a list and be systematic about it! Thanks!
Have you tried a nose net? This solved the problem for my horse (after 2-3 wasted years before I tried it). I don’t show him, but I think that there are ways to get around the problem at a show, including whipping the net off at the last moment before going into the ring. I have tried a few different substances that short of helped, but the magic bullet for me was that nose net. My theory is that the netting disrupts or changes the way air flows into the nostrils. You can get inexpensive nets for around $10-15 and they are worth a try.
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The net may also work the way the beaded fringe attached to nosebands works, and the head rubbing, pressing etc. works. It stimulates the nerves involved continuously so they deplete and can’t send any more signals until the ionic balance is restored. Or I think that’s what one vet tried to get me to understand!
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OP said in the first post that they had tried a nose net. 
Hope you find something that helps, OP! I rode for a guy who had one that started head shaking when it came over to the UK from Ireland. Nose fringe helped some, but not much. They tried a ton of things and never really got anywhere with it. He didn’t do it horribly though and was still pretty rideable with it so I’m not sure they ended up trying anything too crazy.
I know someone else who had some success with shockwave therapy, but she also moved areas around the same time so there was no way to be sure if it was his change in environment or the shockwave.
Hi! I just ordered this supplement for my horse. He began showing symptoms a week ago today. He had a rare form of ERU (equine recurrent uveitis) called heterochromic iridocyclitis + keratitis and had to have his eye removed last October. He recovered from the enucleation well, and then began showing signs of HSS last Sunday when he came in from the field. It was completely out of the blue. Would love to know everyone’s experience with this supplement and what what other HSS treatments you have tried…
Thanks
I’m struggling with a head shaking episode right now with my 8 yr old TB gelding. It started a few weeks ago here in Florida. I always associated it to allergies, because in spring he’ll start with watery eyes and lots and lots of blowing. My vet suggested over the counter generic Zyrtec, and that seems to help immensely with those symptoms. But, again this spring, he started with mild headshaking. He’ll flick his head for hours when he’s outside. Bring him in the barn and it seems to subside quite a bit. It makes me think his may be triggered by sunlight? But, some days he’s outside on a sunny day without a flymask and absolutely no headshaking! Frustrating, right? So, that makes me think it’ could be some sort of allergen (grass pollen) triggering it. He’s on Smartpak’s spirullina supplement and their A and E supplement which is supposed to help support their immune system. Not convinced it’s working. This will be going into summer #3 with this whole headshaking problem. It comes and goes all spring and summer, and then goes away all winter in Michigan. The good news is that he never has it under saddle. Once again, I’m looking for any advice on managing it. Heard of the Top Stock products as well.
Hi! I’m sorry to hear your horse is experiencing HSS symptoms as well. My veterinarian told me that sunlight can be one of the main triggers for HSS, combined with the pollen and spring blooms everywhere. Too much sunlight triggers a response in the trigeminal nerve in their face and can cause a burning, tingling, painful sensation which causes the horse to flick their heads and toss them. I imagine it’s like when you have to sneeze but can’t. My horse’s symptoms began a week ago and he is already showing improvement after limiting his turnout and keeping him in the dark. He is very sensitive to the light, and prior to this condition, he had his eye removed from complications due to uveitis in October 2019. I too am putting him on spirulina and a calming supplement with magnesium until the Top Stock comes, but I have seen a large improvement with the 1/4 previcox I’ve given him the last 3 days. His symptoms definitely became more quiet.
I had posted above in 2017 about my headshaking (HS) mare. A update follows. Please note: I am not a veterinarian and the experience I describe is anecdotal.
My mare’s foal was a long yearling when I first posted, He is now 4 (just to give you a timeframe). While the mare’s HS stopped while pregnant and was lessened the summer she had the foal by her side, it came back the following summer. About the same time I began taking CBD Oil for nerve pain associated with a messed up back. It worked well for me. A minimal dose allowed me to sleep through the night for the first time in years.
Thus, when mare began to HS again, I decided to try a little CBD. I gave her the same amount that I take (10 mgs as I recall). Day 1, no change, Day2, less headshaking. Day three none. I gave another dose day 4 and none thereafter and the headshaking didn’t come back until the summer following. So now when she starts I just give her a tiny bit of CBD under her tongue (or as close as she’ll let me get) for 4 days in a row and I have a comfortable horse for the rest of the year.
Best of luck to all facing this problem . As I said previously, there are probably lots of causes which is why no one solution will work for every horse.
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Just FYI, the USEF rule has a clause in it that if your horse has adverse reactions, you can provide a note from your vet stating so and that along with a temperature log will suffice.
