Pat, Cat & Dog

Posts Tagged ‘allergy’

People can be allergic to horses, which can result in one or more of the following symptoms:

• Itchy or watery eyes
• Itchy or running nose
• Itchy skin, hives or rashes
• Sneezing or coughing
• Difficulty breathing
• Asthma attack

The severity of these symptoms varies from person to person, ranging from a slight itch to a serious asthma attack. People with asthma should be careful when they first come into contact with horses as there have been a number of cases of fatal asthma reactions. In particular, asthmatic children coming into contact with horses for the first time should be carefully monitored to see if they have an adverse reaction and their medication should be available to hand in case that they do.

Horse dander (essentially dandruff) is the most common source of horse allergies. However, people can be allergic to urine, salvia or even horse mites. There are at least five different horse proteins which can be allergic agents.

One can easily have an allergic reaction without touching or being close to a horse. If one enters a barn or other enclosed area which has been recently used to hold horses, one can have a reaction to allergic agents which remain even though no horses are present at the time. Likewise, if one has a friend or family member who rides, it is quite possible to have a reaction when coming into contact with their riding clothes, tack or even their hair as allergic agents can easily be rubbed into these.

Fortunately, there are a variety of treatments for horse allergies. These range from treating the symptoms using medications, to desensitizing treatment, to simple avoidance.

If you wish to ride but are allergic to horses, you may wish to try the Curly Horse breeds as many people who suffer from horse allergies find that they are not allergic to these breeds.

You may also wish to be medically tested to determine which aspect of horses you are allergic to. For example, if you are allergic to horse mites, treatment of the horse and its box against mites may reduce your symptoms to acceptable levels. Likewise, if it is urine or saliva you are allergic to, one can take care to avoid these specific elements when involved with horses.