Last year our 20+ appendix started head shaking. We had the vet out and he noticed some gnats in his ears. So we went with daily ear checking, spraying for flies and purchased a Guardian Mask that has 94% UV protection. Is there anything new in this area? I did a search and didn’t see anything - hopefully I didn’t miss any posts. This year, he’s shaking his head more often and seeking the shade. Naturally I feel bad for him as he’s under the overhang and he wants to be with the other horses. Every now and then he’ll run out to them and sometimes, they come back with him and sometimes not. I thought I would purchase some Quiessence also. Any ideas where to get the nose nets or other ideas I can try? This definitely seems to come on in the spring. We use fly predators, so the flies really aren’t bad. Thanks in advance.
Cyproheptidine, high dose magnesium. I have mine on spirulina also. I am not sure which is helping so I am keeping with the program as he seems much better as of late. He rides with a nose net and is in a dark barn during the day.
Sounds like a photic headshaker. Sunlight causing abnormal stimulation of the nerves in the face and muzzle.
Is reverse turnout an option? Keep him inside, in a dark or artificially dimly lit stall during sunny days and outside when it’s really overcast, and at night?
spacehorse is right on the nose with the Cyproheptidine recommendation as well. It helps block histamines and serotonin, and is often given to headshakers with success.
I just ordered the nose net and some Quiessence. Where do you buy the cyproheptadine? What dose do you give, how many times a day, etc.? They’re in a pole barn with a 10’ (?) overhang. We can switch from day to night turnout. We have a creek that runs right through our property and even though we’ve fenced it off, our little Connemara will often go through it with the first half of her body to graze. The creek is about 10’ deep and we lost a horse that fell in right after we moved here. So I’m still a little nervous about night turnout. We’ll talk about it though. I haven’t heard about Cyproheptidine, so I’m thankful for the recommendations.
You will need a prescription for cyproheptidine
For headshaking, I tried many magnesium supplements and saw improvement only with NupaFeed and MagRestore. NupaFeed is expensive and messy so I ended up with MagRestore and used it for years in conjunction with Melatonin.
Although it’s much more expensive, I found the Equilibrium nose net much better than the Cashel one. The netting is shaped so that it cups the muzzle and provides the contact that seems to interfere with the HS-ing trigger.
But every headshaker is different so you really need to experiment (and give it time – which can be frustrating) to find out what helps your horse.
@lintesia Thanks for the info. I ordered the nose net that is standard for the Guardian Head/Fly Mask that he wears. Supposedly that keeps out 94% of the UV rays. We feed using a Hay Hut and she said it wouldn’t be a problem. As I ordered the Quiessence, I’ll see if that works. If not, I’ll try the MagRestore and Melatonin. 'll also do a cost comparison to see what’s less expensive. I feel bad for the poor guy. Thanks so much.
