Head Tossing

[Rarah]

So - I've just hit my first problem with my new horse Logic.

She's been with us since Saturday - so early days yet.

She's settled in really well - very placid mare - already following me around with no headcollar on - been out for a hack - nothing seems to phase her.

Have generally been pottering around the yard with her - nothing much in terms of work really - as a I say - early days.

Tonight I decided to do out first bit of real "work". Spent about 40 mins in the school with her, working on getting her into the corners of the areana and getting her bending around my leg.

She started tossing her head in trot!!!

I did see her do this earlier in the week when one of the young girls had a little try of her, but I assumed it was due to clumsy riding.

Tonight, she did settle down after a bit of work, but didn't stop completely.

Have just e-mailed her ex-owner to see if this is a new thing.

Apparantly it's not :( She always does it in the summer. She says she settles down after a while, but wouldn't describe it as "head tossing". Well - I guess with Logic only being with us a week,any problems would be more pronounced as she's still settling in.

Any advice?

It dosesn't bother me as such, but I'm sure there will be a reason why she does it, and if she's not happy for some reason I would like to get to the bottom of it.

What do you guys think :confused:

[ponylover88]

Maybe she needs one of those nose nets on to protect her nose from the pollen?

[Rarah]

Oh - just to add she had her teeth checked in November, and back checked in January.

I wonder if her teeth are overdue a check, but have tried trotting with no contact and she still does it, so I guess her mouth is not a problem.

Maybe I should start another thread on this, but do any of you actually get teeth done every six months? We used to get my loan horses done every year.

[domane]

What bit are you using Sarah?

[bexj]

Could well be a pollen thing if she only does this in the summer. Also, Molly also does this when she is being asked to work hard - its like she has a fly in her ear, and it is basically while she is having a little argument with me and she is deciding whether to be a moody madam or whether to settle down and give some really nice work! 9 times out of 10, she settles down and works - its usually a sign that she is sort of cross with herself for letting herself not be dominant. I just ride her through it, and ignore her!

Teeth - Molls get done annually, but it might be worth getting them checked out now anyway:D

[Guest]

I think I'd second trying a mask when riding, if she only does it in summer she could just be sensitive.

[becs]

I thought the current view was it is usually a seasonal allergy thing; hence trying a mask.

Our ponies have teeth checked & rasped every 6 months but they're both old (one ancient).

[Big Ears]

Rosie has hay fever and it starts around April/May so for her trotting is out completely as she gets too distressed.

She wears a nose net which helps but doesn't address it completely. She is fine in winter, but in summer the old nose is sore, and she can't help it. Hawthorn seems to be one of the triggers.

Did the owner mention this to you before you bought as for me it would have been a reason not to buy, as while I have Rosie on loan and her head shaking isn't a major problem for me, for others if you want to do a lot of serious riding it is a real nuisance.

With her, I just have to give her the rein as much as she needs it and leave her alone, we just walk out at the moment as she finds it too hard to trot and gets very upset.

[Pink's lady]

Possibly an allergy. but Pink does that all year round (but only in walk, not other paces) - it's just a bad habit for her that she does when she's bored. :rolleyes: Would be worth trying a nose net though

Other options are that she doesn't like her bit, doesn't like the contact (or you're hands are a bit 'noisy') or she is just being a pain in the ass ;).

[Rarah]

Domane - don't know what bit we have - showing my noviceness again - some kind of snaffle but I don't know which.

Bex - Monac used to toss his head when he was annoyed that he had to work, but after about 10 mins of ignoring it he would stop.

Everyone else - yes - could be pollen - it was the fact that she does it when trotting that made me worry - so - is it common only to do it in trot becuase of hayfever?? Why is that?

I think I've spent enough money at the tack shop over the last couple of weeks, so I will leave it a week and see how she goes and maybe try a mask next weekend.

[Big Ears]

they tend to head toss more at faster paces if they have a pollen allergy as they are using more energy, breathing harder, so the pollen particles which are irritating them hit the horse harder/faster so it annoys them more.

Rosie is 95% at walk but get a bit agitated when she has to go up steep hills, as it is more effort, so the nostrils are wider/enlarged and get more irritated. If I put her into a trot now, she immediately grabs the reins and shakes her head from side to side and brings it to her knees, sometimes she rubs her nose on her knees and stamps her front feet. This is with a nose net.

It also could be if he is not used to working in a school, the dust from the school might be a problem too - or it could be evasion of the bit and a riding issue. You kind of need to know what you are dealing with.

As the ex owner has said he shakes in summer, then it is more likely an allergic reaction but then this should have been reflected in the price, as very few people would knowingly buy a head shaker, as they can be almost impossible to ride at times so perhaps the ex owner has been a bit economic with the truth. I suppose you wouldn't have asked the question before you got him - and if you didn't ask, then I suppose she didn't need to tell you and I doubt it would have shown up in a vetting unless he did it in the ridden test.

Rosie's owner said she had never shown allergy before, and actually I believe that, as she came from a very urban area in Kent, very built up, and moved to the middle of the countryside where she is subjected to a lot more tree pollens, crop pollens etc so it might be if we moved her to another area she would be better. Sometimes in summer I rode her round a couple of towns, round estates, and she was much better there, as she doesn't seem to be as reactive to garden plants, it is more wilder trees/crops. Hawthorn, rapeseed seem to be the main ones for her and of course at the moment all the hawthorn blossom is out.

Having said that, she can gallop up the field with Molly and not so much as move her head.....so there may be an element of micky taking too. But then she isn't carrying my heavy weight when she does that, so carrying the weight,plus being asked to exert herself, is enough to bring it on. Some nights, if she is really really bad, we just turn around and come back and leave it for another day.

Beconaise sprayed up her nostrils before she is ridden is something the vet recommended, and also adding local honey to her food is suggested as a way to de-sensitise to the pollens which are local to the area.

[Pink's lady]

Is it more 'rein snatching' or proper head tossing/ nose flipping?

If it's rein snatching, and only in trot, it might be because your contact becomes inconsistant and jerky and she's firghting it. How is she if she's ridden by a very expereinced and competant rider? Does she still do it?

[Trewsers]

Storm tosses her head when she's just being a pain:p We had her teeth and tack checked etc, I thought it might be pollen for a while, but I think its just nowtiness;) She doesn't always do it - usually towards the end of our session or at the beginning - she has been known to do it on the way home on a hack also. I usually just try and ignore it.

[*carrie*]

Carrie tosses her head but only when she is in walk. I have put it down to boredom because when we start trotting/cantering she doesn't do it.

If your horse only does it in the summer then it does sound more like an allergy thing and I would definately consider getting him a nose net as that may solve it.

Good luck

[BeachRiding]

Hmm, perhaps if you have ruled out any health issues, maybe just her complaining?

[Rarah]

Is it more 'rein snatching' or proper head tossing/ nose flipping?

If it's rein snatching, and only in trot, it might be because your contact becomes inconsistant and jerky and she's firghting it. How is she if she's ridden by a very expereinced and competant rider? Does she still do it?


Not rein snatching. Most definately tossing / nose flipping.

I've shortened her martingale (wasn't doing anything other than providing me with a neck strap to hold onto when I felt the need) just enough to stop her being able to smack me in the face.

I've been out hacking with her today and I'm almost certain it's hawthorn. All the hedges at our farm at hawthorn so that would explain it in the arena.

She was fine for the majority of the hack until we went up a country lane - lined with hawthorns.

She trotted up quite a steep lane back to our farm on the way home, she would have been exherting herself but I couldn't smell the blossoms and she was absolutely fine.

When someone more experienced rides her in the arena she's worse - I think that's because they are very firm with their contact. I prefer to be a little more gentle.


Will try the beconase on her. I have to use it myself due to straw/hay allergy - she's really placid and easy to handle so I'm sure she will let me squirt it!

[becs]

almost certain it's hawthorn it's very bad at the mo, lots of pollen - out in full blossom. We tidied some hawthorn hedges 2 days ago and I'm still recovering!

[Tizer]

Bite the bullet and invest in a nose net, our mare is unrideable without it and (touch wood) we have a 100% success with it. You can always resell it on ebayif it doesn't work.

[Rarah]

Bite the bullet and invest in a nose net, our mare is unrideable without it and (touch wood) we have a 100% success with it. You can always resell it on ebayif it doesn't work.

Yes - you're right Tizer - I'll be down that tack shop come the weekend.

Someone suggested to me that Logic might be doing it because I'm too heavy for her (13.5 stone), but she still does it when my 6 stone daughter rides her. She also does it on the lunge with side reins - so I know it's not due to inconsistent contact.

[chickflick1066]

Sarah, I've got exactly the same problem as you, my cob headshakes in trot and the last lesson I had it got so bad I just had to stop. I then invested in one of These (http://www.trackright.co.uk/acatalog/nose%20net.gif) which can be found on this site http://www.equilibriumproducts.com/.

I've been using it now all the timefor about 6 weeks and although it doesn't completly allieviate her symptoms it does help, trot and canter are still a bit 'tricky' at times...I got mine off of ebay for £15 with nose band and three nets, I think they are about £20-25 brand new so worth it.

Mine is very discreet, and is sometimes unseeable! This is the only pic I have with it on her, it does help :)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24/chickflick1066/WSCride.jpg

I hope you come to the bottom of the problem, let us know how you get on :)

Someone suggested to me that Logic might be doing it because I'm too heavy for her (13.5 stone), but she still does it when my 6 stone daughter rides her. She also does it on the lunge with side reins - so I know it's not due to inconsistent contact.PS. You aren't too heavy for Logic, ignore them!

[JOJOBA]

Id try the nosenet, one of the horses on our yard is very bothered by midges and tosses his head alot in summer.
Also if you're worried it's the bit I have a bitless bridle which should fit her, you're very welcome to borrow it if you like (seeing as you're not far away).

xxx

[Rarah]

Will def be buying a nosenet this weekend.

If it dosn't help, then I'll PM you regarding the bitless Jo. Thanks for the offer :) .

Sarah
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