Much of the time, a head-shy horse will be acting in this manner out of fear or distrust. Often times, they experienced a blow or hit to the head earlier in life and have not regained their confidence. However, if your horse begins his head-shy behavior out of nowhere, there may be something else going on with him. Sometimes head-shy behavior is the result of pain in the head area, or another type of health problem. It is important to call your veterinarian if you notice head-shy behavior out of the blue.

When your horse is suddenly head-shy, there is a great possibility that he is experiencing pain in the head area. Sometimes the pain may be due to an issue with your horse’s mouth. It might be a dentistry issue with your horse’s teeth or jaw. Other times it might be an issue with the ears. Your horse might have parasites of some kind in his ears which are causing pain or discomfort. Additionally, something may be wrong with his eyes.

If your horse’s eyesight is going, he may become head-shy because he cannot clearly see what is coming towards his head. If your horse is not aging, and you think poor eyesight may be to blame for the head-shy behavior, be sure to talk to your veterinarian about the situation.

Many times, the head-shy behavior will be because of previous poor training, or mishandling. If this is the case, you will need to embark upon a re-training program for your horse to regain his trust and confidence. This may take a great deal of time but it is important to remain calm and patient to help your horse recover from the trauma.

Having a head-shy horse is never fun for anyone involved, including your horse. It is important to talk to your veterinarian so that you can quickly treat any head related illnesses or health conditions. If the head-shy behavior is not health related, be sure to look into a recovery and training endeavor for your horse.