Headshaking in horses is a major welfare issue for horses and more research is needed on the aetiopathogenesis of this pain syndrome to improve medical and surgical therapies.
Headshaking syndrome is when a horse shakes or jerks its head uncontrollably for no apparent reason. There are striking clinical similarities between facial pain syndromes in people, most notably trigeminal neuralgia, and headshaking in horses. Although some progress has been made towards both diagnosing and treating the condition in horses, the pathology of the disease remains unknown and further research is needed. A recent study led by academics from the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences and the University of Liverpool , evaluated the long-term success rate of a pioneering new surgical procedure, called caudal compression of the infraorbital nerve, where platinum coils are placed into the nerve ends within the canal to relieve the pain. The study found this surgery could be a viable option for headshaking in horses with a long-term success rate of nearly 50 per cent. Nonetheless, researchers are continually working to find a more effective treatment method for headshaking. Veronica Roberts , Clinical Fellow in Equine Medicine in the University's School of Veterinary Sciences, who led the study, has received a grant from the British Neuropathological Society to investigate possible focal demyelination of the nerve as a cause of headshaking in horses.
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