reggie's headshaking and salt - miracle cure?!

[mrsfields]

i really don't want to jinx this, but have to share...

my Reggie has been a severe headshaker since winter 2009, started when he was just 4, almost became unrideable, and i tried everything... vet was at a loss, said it was nerve pain rather than allergy, and could offer no solution... i was able to manage him when ridden using a home-made nose net made out of tights as traditional nets were ineffective - it seemed to be the tip of his muzzle which was causing him problems - he would drag his nose along the ground, try to box himself in the nose with his front feet, twitch his head, and shake up down up down - it was very distressing...

wasn't sure if it was pollen, dust, flies or what, but he was ultrasensitive and would even twitch and shake with little drops of rain...

anyway, we brought them home to our farm last summer, and i wondered if the change in his home would make a difference, but it didn't really - he was still twitching in the autumn, settled a little in the winter, and then started twitching/shaking badly again about 2 months ago

they're both on forage-balanced minerals, and had a feed plan done with Forageplus which has been brill, especially for their feet... but were only getting a fairly small maintenance amount of salt (9-12 g) plus their licks

then i read an article online about electrolyte imbalances and headshaking due to high potassium in grazing/forage, which recommended upping salt and sorting out minerals... was basically at my wits end, as it's really distressing seeing Reggie suffering like that, even when he's just out and about in the field/track, so i thought what the hell and increased his salt - the recommended amount was 10g per 100kg body weight

well, i don't know if it's just a blip, but it's been about a month now, and he doesn't seem to be shaking/twitching any more - we haven't had many flies as it's been chilly these past few weeks, but i've been watching him like a hawk and he's showing no signs of discomfort, and hasn't even been twitching/shaking in the rain/drizzle - he used to put his nose to the ground constantly if it was raining slightly as he couldn't bear the raindrops on his nose poor lad... and this morning it was really drizzling, and not one twitch....

i'm almost beside myself with excitement but i keep telling myself not to get my hopes up yet, in case it's just some weird blip (he's been headshaking pretty much constantly since 2009) - has anyone else had any experience with this??

[jill]

Oh, that is good news, long may it continue. It seems everyone is catching on to salt as a miracle cure for everything from physiological to behavioural problems, and as a generic mineral with no profits for anyone it is unlikely there will be any clinical trials. Always worth trying IMO, like varous minerals, especially magnesium - my three have had salt added for a few weeks now, I am hoping it may help my Reg with his stringhalt and poor musculature. At the very least it helps their water intake - your report makes me think it could help.
Good for you for finding out this stuff, I do really really hope it is a long term solution.

[mrsfields]

ah thanks Jill! i really do hope it works too!

here is the link to the site i found the info on - it was so random - it was a link bertie666 posted a while back in another thread on feeding salt, and i had a look and then spotted the info on headshaking... there are different sections to click on for further reading on the left - they seem to be selling their own minerals, but there's some really interesting info on there... they do mention stringhalt too... if it works, it's such a simple solution, it's crazy (in a really fantastically brilliant way lol!!)

www.calmhealthyhorses.com/neuro.html

[daisysp8]

I`ve been adding salt for a few weeks now funnily enough after asking about it on here a while ago as my lad was desperate to lick the milton solution i use on his feet.

I hope he does continue to get better for him. Sounds very positive so far.

[kafee]

That's VERY interesting, thank you for posting. Raffles was diagnosed with a pollen allegy 12 years ago, after tripping over himself while doing that walking along with his nose on the ground. Wearing a nose net from February to about July sorted the problem for him. After reading on here about the amount of salt a pony needs, I've incrreased the amount I've been adding to their feeds. I will be interested to see if he still needs the nose net this year.

[ladyndibs]

Thankfully mine don't seem to have any major problems and I do already add salt as they won't touch any slat or mineral licks but it seems I may need to increase it as I'm not adding as much as recommended, at the moment they have approx a tablespoon a day.
Does anyone know roughly how many grams that is or do I need to get the scales out?

[clipclop]

I have a mare who gets easily tense and upset. Calmers didn't work, neither did supplementing with magnesium.

I tried oxyshot and it made a difference. Since it doesn't contain much more than salt water, I tried supplementing with sea salt. The difference is amazing, like a different horse.


Sent from my C6603 using proboards

[clipclop]

I have a mare who gets easily tense and upset. Calmers didn't work, neither did supplementing with magnesium.

I tried oxyshot and it made a difference. Since it doesn't contain much more than salt water, I tried supplementing with sea salt. The difference is amazing, like a different horse.


Sent from my C6603 using proboards

[Deleted]

Well if you wanted to try to find out, you could stop the salt and see if the headshaking returns, then put him back on it and see if it stops again. That would prove it's not the weather.

[mrsfields]

Apr 5, 2013 14:16:42 GMT 1 ladyndibs said:

Thankfully mine don't seem to have any major problems and I do already add salt as they won't touch any slat or mineral licks but it seems I may need to increase it as I'm not adding as much as recommended, at the moment they have approx a tablespoon a day.
Does anyone know roughly how many grams that is or do I need to get the scales out?

it might be best to weigh it, to be accurate - i use coarse non-iodised sea salt, and 45/55 g works out as approx 2 tablespoons/2 small handfuls (i weigh mine out each day though and split between 2 feeds)

if your horses are fine though, they might not need extra...

[mrsfields]

Apr 5, 2013 13:32:18 GMT 1 kafee said:

That's VERY interesting, thank you for posting. Raffles was diagnosed with a pollen allegy 12 years ago, after tripping over himself while doing that walking along with his nose on the ground. Wearing a nose net from February to about July sorted the problem for him. After reading on here about the amount of salt a pony needs, I've incrreased the amount I've been adding to their feeds. I will be interested to see if he still needs the nose net this year.

oh reggie was doing that too - he would try to do it at walk, trot, canter - any speed - it was getting so dangerous... even leading him was difficult when he was really bad as he would just throw his head around - i always had to wear a hat because he would conk me on the head, poor lad! wearing the nose net transformed him when ridden though, but he still struggled without it, when stabled or in the field - the flappy nosenets/full fly masks didn't help him much as it was the tip of his muzzle that was causing him discomfort...

[mrsfields]

Apr 6, 2013 12:32:20 GMT 1 @michellep said:

Well if you wanted to try to find out, you could stop the salt and see if the headshaking returns, then put him back on it and see if it stops again. That would prove it's not the weather.

hehe i was trying err on the side of caution, so as not to get my hopes up wildly just in case, but i really do think it's having a massive effect on him - i really don't want to take him off it just to see - plus it's taken a good month to see an effect, so by the time the effect wears off, the weather will be warmer (hopefully) and flies will be back so i wouldn't know for sure...

he's been headshaking pretty much year-round in all weather since 2009, and has been worked in a nose-net constantly since about 2010, all year round, to keep him rideable... he would twitch even when just inside in his stable, keep his nose to the ground outside, and twitch frantically in the rain...

at the moment there are no flies so it will be interesting to see how he copes with those when it warms up a bit... but he's not been twitching in rain/drizzle - he's holding his head nice and normal, and is so relaxed - it's strange to see him so "still" which makes me realise he was constantly moving/shaking his head - he's like a different horse right now... he also used to constantly nudge me and try to burrow his nose into me, and he'd do the same with his field mate too - but that has also suddenly stopped...

really hoping it will last!

[mrsfields]

Apr 5, 2013 15:01:03 GMT 1 clipclop said:

I have a mare who gets easily tense and upset. Calmers didn't work, neither did supplementing with magnesium.

I tried oxyshot and it made a difference. Since it doesn't contain much more than salt water, I tried supplementing with sea salt. The difference is amazing, like a different horse.


Sent from my C6603 using proboards

that's really interesting and great to hear!

[jill]

Where do you get your salt from - supermarket? I have been doing but I struggle to remember to keep enough of a supply in.

[mandal]

Here's another link for you that makes interesting reading. Salt licks aren't enough especially in Spring. Fingers crossed for you and Reggie mrsfields. beefmagazine.com/mag/beef_dont_short_salt

I use table salt.