17/05/2025
I get a lot of questions about trigeminal mediated head shaking. I don't know what the answer is. I can tell you about our experiences of it. So here goes,
I bred Jack, his mother a Dutch warmblood with amazing lines, and my 💖 horse, she did everything and I had her for well over 20 years, his sire a Hannovarian who was a successful eventer.
Jack's birth was text book, and so was his upbringing. I knew he was going to be a big fella (17.2hh) as he just kept growing! I showed him in hand from a year old. He won most classes. He floats and of course is stunning! I backed him at 3years then let him grow and rode him gently over the summer as a 4, 5 and 6 year old. He always had the winters off as we had no facilities and he was quite spicey as well as the fact I didn't want to over do him.
The best ridden year was a 5 year old, we did our first dressage test and came 3rd. He started jumping small courses, he did his first fun ride.
Brought back in the spring when he was 6, May 2017 he started headshaking out of the blue on the way back from a ride. This progressed so much so in july 2017 he was nearly pts due to self harming in the field. He went to Bristol to see one of the leading vets in the country on this condition. He had an entire work up from nose to tail including CT scans, he was give am absolute clean bill of health. And here after nerve blocks confirmed him to be a TMH. Grade 4. So bad he cannot work.
From then on we trials PENS therapy x3 to no avail, we tried various POM V drugs, neutraceauticles, face masks, nose nets, creams, balms, oils, herbs, hocus pocus crap. We have been on various trials both with the uni and other vet companies and sadly to no avail. He has had massage therapy, various other holistic approaches.
It is not pollen related. He is a year round shaker. Actually worse autumn, winter, spring and relatively shake free in summer 🥁....or not.
You see, there is no pattern. So what you think is a trigger one moment, is not the next. Sometimes it can be wind or rain, snow or sunshine or hay or the sound of a chainsaw or strimmer, but then other times even a few moments later doesn't bother at all! That's what's so difficult about it.
We have altered diet,we have even had him on zero grass, we have tested the soil, the water, and there is nothing that anyone can pin point.
The symptoms are short sharp head flicks he can't control along with blowing his nose and rubbing his face, We say it is facial pain, however, I think it is more an irritation rather than pain itself. It lasts seconds. It can happen as a one off, or come in clusters. Or not at all. Then you think he is cured! Then it happens again.
Put him down people tell me. That's not a wrong call, but its final. Then he gallops about plays with his buddies and comes whickering to me when I come to see him. He knows the sound of my car, my voice and he loves learning so we practice some tricks he has learnt through positive reinforcement. He is a happy horse. Yes he has moments of irritation and its bloody annoying for us all. He has clunked me a few times with his involuntary flicks! But, he is on the whole a happy fella, living his best life. He doesn't owe me anything. I had the privilege of being able to breed him, produce him and ride him. But from his point of view as a horse. He is able to mix with his pals, graze, groom, play eat and drink and have fun.
That's all I want for any of my pals, to enjoy their life.
I'm happy to msg anyone who wants to know any further information.
If you want to donate you can do so by paying direct into the Langford Animal Health and Welfare Charity making sure to stipulate this is for the head shaking trust.
Thanks for reading! 🥰
