Calipsa headshaking

My 8 year old mare shot while having the headshaking attack. We're still trying to find the cause. I tried to ride her without the halter and without the saddle - no difference. It doesn't happen every day, even though the conditions are the same, what makes the cause harder to determine. At first I thought the light may be an issue but the symptoms are the same when exposed to natural and artificial lightening. Yet she feels very uncomfortable when she's out on the snow, she can run for 2 hours, tries to get out of the pasture and is practically mad and uncontrollable on the way back to the stable, and tosses her head as well.
Here is the video of her made a year ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4kgXFbQw6s

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• calipsa
• headshaking
• horse
• riding

[Devatagwp]

This horse looks like she trying to stretch out her atlas herself. Had a chiropractor work on her head and atlas joint?

[bbaaddnneewwss]

@Devatagwp There were some people with similar opinion, but the poblem was gone with the end of the wintertime. Is it possible that this atlas thing is connected with temperature? I will know more with the next winter, I hope she won't be like this anymore...

[dullepulle]

How is your horse now?

My horse has the same kind of symptoms. He is 8 year old gelding and started in winter 2009-2010 behave strangly. He also hates to be in pasture if there is snow and if it's cold (over minus ten celcius-degrees). "She can run for 2 hours, tries to get out of the pasture and is practically mad and uncontrollable on the way back to the stable, and tosses her head as well" sounds really familiar to me..

[bbaaddnneewwss]

@dullepulle, now when it's warm everything is fine. I haven't seen the symptoms since march ended. She's shaking her head when out on the pasture because of insects-other horses do that too and head mask always helps. But she doesn't run like crazy anymore. We'll se how it's gonna be this winter...

[xapplejackx]

just wondering how your horse is since the last response and how the winter affected him? strange as when affected by seaons its normally the pollen and insect filled summer months that are the problem...hope you've got a diagnosis and a happier horse!

[Sirimiel]

Looks a lot like she's got a muscle tweaked in her back or neck, and her way of kinda working it out is to turn her head this way or that. A chiropractor would help out a lot =]

[Elliehedditch30]

I dont know this horse but you can try it Vaseline on her nose? x

[dullepulle]

My horse got Prednisone for 20 days and has got a bit better too. I must ask the vet if another (longer) Prednidsone treatment is possible! (I have videos of my horse on nickname "headshaker100".

[jaspers48]

@dullepulle

Mine was doing that mainly when any pressure on his face..stopping backing up , etc. Took him to the vets and he found a sinus blockage and put him on Prednisone for 30 days... he has done wonders for him

[jaspers48]

I have one that does that and the vet found he had a sinus blockage and put him on Prednisone for 30 days and it has helped him tremendously

[dullepulle]

AND now he has started almost the same kind of behaviour though it is warm. He has had this kind of symptoms also earlier, but I remember only couple days per year (2006-2008).