Head Flicking in Horses
5 August, 2024
Head flicking in horses (or head shaking) is characterized by some or all of the following: There are a variety of conditions that will ‘trigger’ head-shaking episodes: Important: Head-shaking/flicking is not ‘naughty’ behavior. Forget trying to physically restrict the horse with any kind of ‘tie-down’or trying to ‘school’ him out of it. It is a debilitating, painful condition, see below. The Trigeminal Nerve It has been established that head-shaking/flicking involves the malfunctioning of the trigeminal nerve in the horses head. The trigeminal nerve originates behind the horse’s eye and has branches down to the mouth, nostrils and up to the…
