Advice Please - Horse has allergic skin reaction

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vanrim

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I took my horses rug off yesterday to discover he was full of lumps and swellings. Vet said he has had an allergic reaction to something but I have racked my brains and cannot think of what can have caused it. Has anyone else on here had a similar problem?
 
Has your rug been washed in something that could have irritated his skin? Was he too warm in it? Any new feed he could have had a reaction to? Apparently carrots can cause skin hives...
 
Yes I have taken all rugs off as he isn't clipped. The only feed he is getting has been cut down to alfalfa chaff and I have cut carrots out too. I have even bought fresh hay from a different source as usual in case it is that but no improvement after a week so the vet has suggested I keep him in now in case it is something in the field. It's a real mystery!
 
Change the chaff, alfalfa is known to cause itchy skin and mine had a rainscald type reaction to it during a bone dry summer. Her skin cleared up within a week once she was taken off it.
 
Thats really quite strange for November. My sisters horse has a pea allergy and gets hives quite bad from bites but not usually in winter?
 
I changed the cardboard bedding that he has been on for over a year to an oat straw bed and the hives cleared up virtually overnight. I then put him back on his original hay and feed as I thought the problem was sorted and the hives came back after about 4/5 days. This is very odd and has got me stumped. I will now try taking alfalfa out of the equation and get chopped grass instead to see what happens. I will get some shavings next week and get rid of the oat straw bed too. Keep your ideas coming please!
 
Change chaff, I use ultra grass, it's spring grass coated with soya oil. Also give him sulphur, either in his feed or add rock sulphur to his water. It cools the blood and works at least as well as steroids but without the risks.
 
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