clava
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Post by clava on Jun 2, 2013 15:51:32 GMT 1
no problem Solly and Clava! i know how horrible and distressing headshaking can be for both horse and owner, so i'm really pleased this could be helpful to others... Lulu, salt is a basic requirement for horses, vital for proper body function - even in Getty's book (Feed Your Horse Like a Horse) salt is described as one of the basics for feeding a horse, with forage and water, and she recommends adding 2 tbsp a day as a matter of course, which is roughly what Reggie has been getting, and which is actually less than the amount he would need in medium/high levels of exercise... and they should always have access to plenty of drinking water in any case... Totally agree, most horses do not get enough salt. I feed all my horses extra salt now and it has before a common supplement on the barefoot forums too (along with bicarb). Many owners seem put off by feeding salt as it is bad for humans, but we get lots in most packaged foods and our requirement is no where near as much as a sweating horses is. Today I galloped past a full bloom oil seed rape field and not a single snort or flick, something has changed for my mare for the better! I'm just hoping it works for more headshakers and can really be a miracle cure for some of them.
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Post by portiabuzz on Jun 2, 2013 21:37:40 GMT 1
horray for salt
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clava
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Post by clava on Jun 4, 2013 14:02:11 GMT 1
Today I could weep, after a lovely gallop ride I put her out and now she is head shaking again. It is windy and dusty, but I just don't know what the exact trigger was but I am devastated that it hasn't worked again, it was all looking so hopeful.
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Post by mrsfields on Jun 4, 2013 18:22:51 GMT 1
Today I could weep, after a lovely gallop ride I put her out and now she is head shaking again. It is windy and dusty, but I just don't know what the exact trigger was but I am devastated that it hasn't worked again, it was all looking so hopeful. oh crap, i'm so sorry to hear that clava! the info i read said they can have good days and bad days... did she get very sweaty? and do you give extra salt after exercise that produces sweating? my maintenance dose for Reggie (55g split between 2 feeds), although it seems quite a lot, is actually quite a bit less than what my feed plan advises me to feed after exercise (85g after 2 hours of exercise that causes sweating, given after exercise and drinking)... i really hope she settles down quickly! it is such a worry!
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Post by mrsfields on Jun 4, 2013 18:40:35 GMT 1
clava, just a thought, did your mare headshake constantly or just when ridden before?
Reggie used to headshake constantly, and the only time i could manage it was when he was ridden with a nose net covering his whole muzzle, but the rest of the time he was distraught... at the moment, he's not headshaking at all BUT he isn't in proper work - like i mentioned above, a few weeks ago he did start twitching slightly after 10 min of exercise (only very very slight tho, nothing like before), but the next time i rode him i put his nose net on as a precaution because i felt it was still early days and wondered if the increased blood supply to his muzzle while working might trigger it again, and that time, there was nothing, not even after work when i took the nose net off... so i don't know if it could be helpful for you to use a nose net just for riding?? that's what i'm doing with Reggie, because i think a full recovery can take a long time...
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clava
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Post by clava on Jun 4, 2013 20:38:01 GMT 1
Constantly once she starts not just when ridden (but I don't ride her when shaking as I don't think it is fair and rubbing her nose on the ground at speed is scary). A nose net makes no difference, she can wear a mask in the field with net and it calms her slightly but not enough to ride. It was very windy today and dry, and she went on to some new grass before I caught her to put her in her own field...
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Post by mrsfields on Jun 4, 2013 21:51:52 GMT 1
this sounds silly, but have you tried making a nose net out of a pair of tights? this is the only thing that worked for Reggie, because it's the tip of his muzzle that caused him discomfort, and normal flappy nets had little effect... apparently the tights work because they're in contact with the sensitive part and counteract the shake reflex, apparently a bit like holding your finger on your top lip to suppress a sneeze... i guess it depends exactly where your horse is experiencing nerve pain tho... there are so many possibilities i guess... really sorry you've had such a tough day!
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clava
Novice Poster
Posts: 30
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Post by clava on Jun 4, 2013 22:11:50 GMT 1
this sounds silly, but have you tried making a nose net out of a pair of tights? this is the only thing that worked for Reggie, because it's the tip of his muzzle that caused him discomfort, and normal flappy nets had little effect... apparently the tights work because they're in contact with the sensitive part and counteract the shake reflex, apparently a bit like holding your finger on your top lip to suppress a sneeze... i guess it depends exactly where your horse is experiencing nerve pain tho... there are so many possibilities i guess... really sorry you've had such a tough day! Yep tried that year before last Tights and nets seem to act as a comforter to the air flow for some horses, and although the field mask helps a little it is only a little and not enough to ride her. Oh well, we'll see what tomorrow holds. She is currently following my 3 yr old haffy around for comfort who is very tolerant of being used as a rubbing post.
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Post by mrsfields on Jun 4, 2013 22:23:49 GMT 1
oh poor thing i hope she is brighter tomorrow
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Post by portiabuzz on Jun 4, 2013 23:36:58 GMT 1
oh no! hope shes ok
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clava
Novice Poster
Posts: 30
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Post by clava on Jun 5, 2013 8:06:40 GMT 1
If I believe in the potassium theory then Belle going onto the new fresh grass before I put her in her correct field would tie in with that, so I'm going to move her to the pony's anti-lami paddock and feed her hay and see if that helps.
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Post by mrsfields on Jun 5, 2013 8:48:14 GMT 1
that's interesting clava! was she out on the new grass for long? they can hoover up massive amounts incredibly quickly, so it could be a possibility! i hope you can get to the bottom of it!
mine are on a track - there is some grass growing on it, but not in large amounts, and i closed off access to a paddock a couple of weeks ago because the grass was growing incredibly fast with all the alternating rain/sun we'd been having - Ken my fjord cross went from being nice and lean (for him lol - i was finally able to feel his ribs) to suddenly looking overweight in a very short space of time - the grass didn't look rich at all, but they were suddenly no longer showing any interest in their hay, and judging by how much the hay field over the fence had suddenly grown, i realised they must have been eating masses as fast as it was growing! Ken is now looking leaner again, but does keep staring wistfully over the fence at the grass - i feel so bad but do know it's for the best health-wise... i worry about lami for Ken and potassium spikes for Reg, so i do need to be careful with their grass intake
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clava
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Posts: 30
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Post by clava on Jun 5, 2013 10:06:39 GMT 1
that's interesting clava! was she out on the new grass for long? they can hoover up massive amounts incredibly quickly, so it could be a possibility! i hope you can get to the bottom of it! mine are on a track - there is some grass growing on it, but not in large amounts, and i closed off access to a paddock a couple of weeks ago because the grass was growing incredibly fast with all the alternating rain/sun we'd been having - Ken my fjord cross went from being nice and lean (for him lol - i was finally able to feel his ribs) to suddenly looking overweight in a very short space of time - the grass didn't look rich at all, but they were suddenly no longer showing any interest in their hay, and judging by how much the hay field over the fence had suddenly grown, i realised they must have been eating masses as fast as it was growing! Ken is now looking leaner again, but does keep staring wistfully over the fence at the grass - i feel so bad but do know it's for the best health-wise... i worry about lami for Ken and potassium spikes for Reg, so i do need to be careful with their grass intake A couple of hours so plenty of time to eat the new fresh grass (although still quite short). This morning just a few flicks. I decided to lunge her quite hard (not sure why but I think to see if exercise made a huge difference ,and also to encourage drinking maybe). She snorted a lot (every 8 strides) but improved as the work went on but no flicking. She is now standing in the grassless field and not flicking yet, but it is cool and flies are not bothering her. Last night she took her mask off so I wont put it back on unless she is distressed and needs it's comfort. I have similar issues as you with Belle not on rich grass for K and my haffies not on it so they don't get fat (and footy as they are all barefoot) and of course the pony is a constant battle as he is also devious! and escapes whenever possible.
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Post by mrsfields on Jun 5, 2013 12:12:54 GMT 1
oh i hope she continues to improve! fingers crossed for you! haha Ken is a houdini pony as well! i kept finding him in the hay field every morning recently (while Reggie was a good boy and stayed on track) and he would shout really loudly at me all surprised-looking or bold as brass - i'm not sure LOL! there were never any signs of break-ins, but i reckoned he must've gone underneath the tape, despite 3 lines of tape and battery on full! we ended up having to string a 4th line of tape, closer to the ground, and, fingers crossed, he hasn't been in since, although he does seem to be more wary of the electric fence - i reckon he's got zapped trying! little monkey!
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clava
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Posts: 30
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Post by clava on Jun 5, 2013 15:54:33 GMT 1
Well today she has been ok, just the odd tick, nothing like yesterday's frenzy. If she stays like this for the summer that would be fine, so fingers crossed indeed. If the grass was to blame it would make so much sense.
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