Cornell University’s Equine Seminar Series presents “Headshaking in Hors es: Rethinking a Mystery from a Comparative Pain Perspective”
WHAT:
Cornell’s Alexander Thompson, DVM, DACVAA will explore the possible neurolo
gical underpinnings of equine headshaking, its parallels to human trigemina
l neuralgia, and strategies for understanding and managing the condition wi
th empathy and insight
WHEN: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 6:00-7:00 p.m. E
T
WHERE: Via Zoom; registration required HERE
MEDIA: The event is free and open to the pu
blic
ITHACA, N.Y. – Equine headshaking is a frustrating and often mi sunderstood condition, but increasing evidence suggests it may reflect unde rlying nerve pain rather than abnormal behavior. This lecture will examine how and why affected horses display these behaviors, what we currently know about the condition, and how it may relate to human facial pain disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia. This talk aims to provide horse owners with a clear, compassionate understanding of the current knowledge surrounding th is challenging condition.
About Dr. Thompson: Dr. Alexander Thomson i s a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesi a and a Founding Fellow in Pain Management. Prior to Cornell, he served as a medical director and anesthesiologist in two referral hospitals in Hong K ong, where he led specialty hospital development, accreditation initiatives , and clinical training and patient safety programs. His academic interests focus on interventional pain management, clinical pharmacology, and strate gies to improve perioperative safety and communication.
This seminar is part of the Cornell Equine Seminar Series, and will be presented on Tues day, April 21, 2026, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Eastern Time via Zoom. Please regi ster in advance.
The Cornell Equine Seminar Series is presented by the Cornell Equine Hospital and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Held monthl y, equine experts present on important equine health and management topics. The event is free and open to the public. Media members are asked to regis ter with Karli Rizzo at Kmr266@Cornel l.edu. DTSTAMP:20260424T132503 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260421T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260421T190000 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR