Urgent; riding mask for a headshaker

honey65

honey65

Member
Jul 4, 2009
333
4
18
Bakewell, Derbyshire
Help! Had my first hack out on Comet since my accident :D I went out out with a friend's horse leading and my trainer leading me on a lead rein.

All went largely well. I wasn't sick, Comet didn't bolt, Other horse didn't kick Comet in the face for being to close etc = all good. Only problem was Trainer said 'I think Comet's a headshaker'. I knew it too but people kept telling me I'm wrong and he does like contact on his bit as he isn't used to being worked. Last night, though, he was really bad in the woods.

My trainer advised me to get a mask - try a full mask first that includes a nose veil and see if it improves. Having looked I can only find either face mask (no nose veil) or nose veil (no face cover).

These are the ones I've found:
Face - http://www.rideaway.co.uk/equilibrium-net-relief-riding-mask-with-ears/default.aspx
Nose - http://www.rideaway.co.uk/equilibrium-net-relief-for-head-shakers/default.aspx

Anyone know of others, or if they are ok to be used together?
 
It was not pleasurable. The G&T afterwards was very lovely though ;). It is good that IT is over now. If a mask helps I think I'd be pretty confident in getting out again in company
 
I used a nose net on Rosie as she had a pollen allergy, it was a bucket type net which attached to a noseband rather than a fly net, i.e. more like a muzzle, but it did stop anything crawling up her nose, I also used Beconaise hay fever drops before she went out for riding. Some days it work, other days if it was too bad, we just didn't go as she was too distressed. Since she has moved from that area, she has been fine, so it seems to be certain pollen/plants set them off.

one tip i was given is to feed them local honey to built up their immunity.
 
Ceiron said:
depends if shes photoic sp? head shaker or a pollen headshaker ???
Click to expand...

Oh heck! How would I know? I tried Comet in May and he was quite bad but vet said 'not a headshaker', he did it in the woods a little in June when I first got him, and can occassionally do it. He is especially bad in walk / less in trot and never in canter. I've never ridden him indoors (if thats what you mean)
 
a simple test is to ride the horse with its eyes covered.

how you do that effectively i have no idea.

i have read of vets putting towel over horses eyes and then being ridden and if no head shaking it was light sensitive.

thus a mask for eyes is recommended.

whereas if its a pollen allergy then a full nose net, the bucket type are best would be more appropriate.

also something to consider is iris cysts, if you look into the eyes you may see them, if present they can become mobile and block vision and cause head shaking.
 
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