# I am Allergic to Horses



## kruiser

Okay I am a teenage girl who is extremely allergic to horses. I love them more than anything else in the entire world. After I ride (even with my Allegra pills! zyrtec and clariton don't work) I get rashes, sneezes and respiratory problems. I ride once a week on a beautiful white Paint horse named Casper and I do hunter/jumpers. I really want to ride more but because of my horrible allergies I can't, but I do want the hypoallergenic American Bashkir Curly horse. I live in Florida and there are unfortunately none in my area because of the warm weather  Do any other riders know any ABC horses? Is anybody else allergic too and what do you do to be able to ride more???? And what does everyone else think! Thanks


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## Equus_girl

Welcome to the forum! I'm not allergic to horses but my friend is. She has very bad allergies if she is around them at all. She doesn't have her own though so she rarely is around them.

My Uncle also has terrible allergies - he almost died twice and once was from our budgies. He had to take the puffer up to 20 times a day which was really bad! What has really worked for him is drinking more water. Yes, water! Sounds simple but it works. He drinks 3 - 4 litres a day (with salt) and is doing great. Salt is bad if you don't drink enough water but it you drink lots you need a quarter teaspoon for every litre of water.

He now can be around cats, dogs and drive by canola fields (which almost used to kill him) and have zero reaction. 

The other thing he is taking that he knows is helping is something called chlorella. It is an algae and is a whole food. It is basically good for everything but he is having amazing results with just that and water.

PM me if you want more information on the chlorella. I myself have taken it for 2 months now and it is great stuff!

I hope this is helpful to you - allergies are a tough thing to have!


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## kruiser

yea I know. I hate my allergies so much. They are the worst. I might try the water with the salt. I have personally never heard of chlorella. What is it?


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## A knack for horses

Welcome!

I'm not allergic to horses, but I am allergic to dust, mold, pollen (I'm mildly allergic to it though), misquito bites, spider bites,....basically anything that comes along with riding/barn work. And to make it worse, my instructor keeps his horses in a converted grain barn that is over 100 years old. So his barn doesn't have the greatest ventilation. To make things worse, he doesn't have enough time to clean his barn as thouroghly as he needs to; so dust, cobwebs, and stray clumps of molding hay are everywhere. After a while, I took it upon myself to clean the barn. 

After the first day cleaning the barn (I was in there for 2 hours), I got sick. I was so sick I was bedridden for 4 days. I had an asthma attack and my asthma/allergy symptoms didn't clear up for almost 2 weeks. (It ended up I had a bacterial infection from the old stray hay pieces, on top of my allergic reaction).

Sorry, a little bit of a rant, but I have a point to it.

Last week, I cleaned the barn for six hours straight without any ill side effects. How did I do it?

Face masks!

You can buy the house grade at Wal-mart for about 2 dollars for a pack of fifteen. They work wonders because it blocks out the most of the dust particles and mold spores. You might have to get a higher grade, but they are worth a shot. It might not block out all of the dander, but it would reduce the amount you inhale. (which even if you took in 1/2 of what you normally do, that could do wonders)

As for your rash, I would wear long sleeve shirts along with your jeans/breeches. It will help minimize your skin exposure to the horse dander (is that what they call it?).

Hope this helps! Good luck!


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## A knack for horses

I noticed you said you take zyertec as well. If you are taking the OTC kind, I would talk to your doctor about doses. The reason that it is now otc, is because they reduced the potency of a reccomended dose. Your doctor may perscribe you to take a higher dose than what is on the label. That is what my friend's doctor did for her. And taking the higher dose her doctor said to take did the trick for her.


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## Equus_girl

Face masks are a good idea! However my friend used them and it really didn't help her. I sure would try them though.

I'll PM you our website on chlorella. It is really interesting and is very informative.


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## Amba1027

I know how you feel. I am allergic to anything with fur, hay, dust, basiclly anything and everything you would find in a barn. I always confuse poeple when I tell them I am allergic to cats and dogs because we have so many, and that I ride even though I'm allergic. 

Face masks can help. My friend's dad used to make me wear one whenever I was out at the barn after one incident when my eyes got swollen shut from petting the horses. 

I used to get allergy shots which helped I guess. I say I guess because my allergies aren't nearly as bad as they used to be. At the same time, I used to work at my vets office with no problem, but after 3 years there I started not being able to breathe after about half an hour of work. I don't know why my allergies got worse at work but not at home, and going to the barn doesn't bother me.

Anyway you might try asking your parents to see if you can get allergy shots. It might not help because I don't know if they have developed a shot for horses (there were only certain things that the shot was supposed to help with and others that they didn't have a serum for). It's worth a shot (no pun intended)!


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## Skipsfirstspike

I had a few terrible summers back when I was 19 and 20. Terribly allergic! Whether it was to the horses or the hay or what, I was never officially tested so I don't know. But if I touched a horse and later touched my face, I just about wanted to scratch my eyes out. I had to wear clear safety glasses to groom, and gloves so as not to touch my eyes with 'horsey' hands. Did I mention that I worked as a trail guide? No escape, I was in agony! (But obviously would not give up That job, lol).
The allergies have gradually lessened as I have gotten older. (I am 25, and have stayed that age for 11 years).
I would say at this point that if you are on meds and they are not helping at all, talk to your doctor about some different meds.
Good luck!


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## Shalani

I know your pain ! I'm allergic and have been all my life ! I have also been around horses since I was 2 and its improved a bit . I have noticed I am more allergic to other people horses now then my own . I have had the same 2 Arabs for the last 6yrs and have built up immunity to them somewhat lol they still make me sneeze but I wont have a massive sneezing fit & itchy eyes like i do with other horses. 

So if you get yourself a Bashkir Curly horse and allow your body to adjust ( as long as it doesnt kill you ) hopefully you will build some immunity to your own horse like I have.

Good luck


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## Amba1027

Shalani said:


> I know your pain ! I'm allergic and have been all my life ! I have also been around horses since I was 2 and its improved a bit . I have noticed I am more allergic to other people horses now then my own . I have had the same 2 Arabs for the last 6yrs and have built up immunity to them somewhat lol they still make me sneeze but I wont have a massive sneezing fit & itchy eyes like i do with other horses.
> 
> So if you get yourself a Bashkir Curly horse and allow your body to adjust ( as long as it doesnt kill you ) hopefully you will build some immunity to your own horse like I have.
> 
> Good luck


I have noticed this too with my cats and dogs. Whenever I'm around someone elses cats/dogs my allergies act up, but I am fine at home. Or like right now we have a new dog living in the garage and whenever he licks me I have to remember to wash it off really well or I'll get a rash. I don;t have to do that with the dogs we've had for years. I was just wondering the other day if maybe I had become immune to my pets because I'm around them so much.


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## MacabreMikolaj

That really sucks, I feel for you, because I'm pretty sure the general consensus is that you have to learn to live with it. My aunt is allergic to horses and she's been riding since birth (she'll be 50 soon), as well as been a coach since she was 18. She's never had horses on her property even though she had the land for it for that reason.

She has allergy medication but all it really does is stop her from having a massive attack. She still gets completely stuffed up and red in the face with watery eyes. She just deals with it, does her best to not touch her face when she's covered in horse hair and basically keep the horses she's riding as clean as she can (blanketed).

My sister is badly allergic, same thing, even Reactine won't prevent it, but face masks help her immensely.


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## rocky pony

I'm so sorry to hear that!
I'd definitely keep an eye out for a Curly. I hear they're great horses!
Beyond that, I agree, unfortunately you will probably have to deal for the most part.


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## Solon

I've seen people that are allergic use face masks with success (in addition to their medications).

That's just horrible. I don't know what I would do!

If you find a Curly breeder you could always get them shipped to you, so that is the hopeful thing.

Just whatever you do be careful that you don't go into a big attack.


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## ilyTango

Everyone's allergies are of a different severity, but from personal experience I STRONGLY recommend the shots. I'm allergic to just about everything that goes hand in hand with living on a farm (grass, mould, pollen, hay, and yes, horses). When I was little I had no allergies, and I only developed them as I got older. Eventually I started taking the shots, and it absolutely worked. I didn't have any allergies for a year that I took them. No, it's true they don't have shots JUST for horses, but I think a lot of what makes us allergic to horses is the stuff they carry in their coats (pollen spores, dandruff etc). The shots are fairly expensive, but they do work.

For a long time I couldn't even touch a horse without being in agony. I still do get really bad if the horse is excessively hairy or full of dandruff or whatever, but I rarely have reactions to our horses. Of course, it helps that they are outside, but maybe I've built up sort of an immunity.


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## kitten_Val

Welcome to the forum!

OK. Here is the response I got way back on my local forum when I was inquiring about the allergy to the horses and horse stuff (the person is a great long-time horse owner with several horses and heavily involved into showing):

*******************************************
The best thing to know for sure is to go to an allergist. However here’s what I do… 
Barn clothes stay in the basement (I’m also allergic to horses), I have separate shoes for barn work and they too stay in the basement. Most bedding is pine, I’m allergic to pine – so I don’t have stalls at all. I am on Zyrtec and Cingular (taken at night) year round as well as some prescription nasal steroids when needed (during spring and fall when grass and tree pollens are at their worst. I hire someone else to stack hay. If I have to sweep where hay has been, I use a dust mask, same if I have to be there when someone is stacking hay. I wear clothes I can remove after being at the barn (ie. cover alls or similar). I never touch hay with any bare skin – so long sleeves and gloves at all time. I never let the horses or they hay near my face. 

If I’m having a bad allergy day I’ll also dose some homeopathic immune boosters – Vitamin C, EmergenC, Cold MD, Airborne – That sort of thing – the immune boost helps me fight the allergy attack (which I’m having as we speak - for no apparent reason). 

I have not done shots – they take too much of a time commitment that I’m not willing to give. I just find that usually if I manage my allergies, most days are fine. Wearing the dust mask looks silly but really helps me if I’m going to be immersed in allergens. I also like using the vacuum on the horses this time of year when they’re shedding and dusty – this really helps keep the dirt and hair out of the air that I have to breath.


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## smrobs

Wow, I can't even imagine how horrible that must be. I can't really empathize, but I sure hope you either find something to help or are able to find an ABC horse for you.


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## Amba1027

Just wanted to say, giving your immune system a boost to try to prevent/end and allergy attack is not a good idea. Allerdies come from and over reaction of the immune system to allergines. So when you are having an allergy attack, that is your immune system trying to fight off the allergines. No need to boost your immune system; it might just make your reaction worse.


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## dressagebelle

First off, I know someone who was severely allergic to horses, and she had a prescription from the doctor (I'm sure she got tested), I'm not sure all what she was on, but she took her pill prescription 30 before getting to the barn, she would have an hour lesson, so would be there for maybe 2 hours tops, when she got home, she would take off her clothes in the garage, and her parents would wash them for her, she would shower, take another pill, and I'm pretty sure she was taking something else more "permanent" than pills. She told me once though that she was quite literally deathly allergic to horses, so had to be EXTREMELY careful, but for her it was worth the work. 
Second, obviously everyone is different. But I worked with a Curly Arabian cross, had the awesome curly coat and everything, with an arab head, and my allergies were no less obnoxious around him than any other horses, and to point out, same with dogs. I am actually worse when I'm around the "hypoallergenic" dog breeds. Poodles make me worse as well as my friends labradoodles. I would honestly invest in going to the doctor, getting tested, and get a prescription medication, and I always wear a mask when working in the hay shed, and while I still get stuffy, it does help a lot with how bad I get.


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## GuitarChump

Im allergic to horses, mold, pollen, dust, and other stuff too. Im going to start getting the shots. But my allergies have gotten better over the years. I dealt with it and they've gotten better on their own. Ill let ya know how it goes.


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## soileddove

I just recently had a wonderful Curly with me for training.. I haven't had much experience with them, but he was a blast to work with. I would look into breeders near you. Although there aren't any in FL, according to the ABC registry website, there are a few in nearby states. American Bashkir Curly Horse Registry - District 7 Breeders List Here's a few in GA. Bashkir Curly Horses for Sale in Georgia GA - FREE Ads One in SC. Bashkir Curly Horses for Sale in South Carolina SC - FREE Ads I don't know. You're really going to have to look around and it probably won't be a cheap endeavor if you have your mind set on a Curly.

I really don't know what to suggest for helping with your allergies, but I've seen a few people who I know have allergies wear some pretty heavy duty face masks that seemed to help, although they had to hurry home to get cleaned up.


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