Celiac disease/gluten free and keeping horses? Straw??

[jenni:)]

Hi,
I've recently been diagnosed with a condition similar to celiac, which needs managing in the same way - no gluten or anything potentially cross-contaminated with gluten. I was so, so happy to finally recieve a diagnosis and more than happy to change my diet etc. But it has suddenly occurred to me today that my horse- and all the others on the yard - is bedded on [very dusty] straw. And then I started googling and found more and more potentially problematic things - feed, rye grass, etc... He could be on shavings and potentially in a stable separate from the main American barn block, but will this be enough? What about hay and dust?
Please somebody tell me that keeping a horse (On DIY livery) is do-able? What adaptations do I need to make, just how careful do I need to be? Apologies, I'm new to all of this and was previously an eat-anything-covered-in-horse-germs type. TIA

 

[Michen]

Not sure it's fair to keep the horse seperate from the other? I'd find a yard with a different type of bedding. not many use straw

 

[jenni:)]

He'd still be able to see/touch noses with other horses during the day, when he is out in the field - it would just be overnight. He needed to be quarantined when I first got him because of a respiratory infection that we didn't want the other horses to get, and he didn't seem bothered at all by that. But I'm not trying to make excuses for myself- do you still think it's unfair for him to be alone overnight? Thankyou

 

[Michen]

He'd still be able to see/touch noses with other horses during the day, when he is out in the field - it would just be overnight. He needed to be quarantined when I first got him because of a respiratory infection that we didn't want the other horses to get, and he didn't seem bothered at all by that. But I'm not trying to make excuses for myself- do you still think it's unfair for him to be alone overnight? Thankyou

I'm sure he'd be fine with it but I wouldn't personally want that for my horse long term. He's on box rest at the moment and alone overnight and although chilled, I don't think it's a healthy thing for a herd animal to not be able to at least see other horses for a huge chunk of their day.

I'm probably being wet though- but no- I wouldn't do it.

 

[Sycamore123]

I have coeliac disease, I’ve been gluten free for about 10 years now! I’ve never had an issue with hay, straw etc as with coeliac disease you only have a reaction if you eat itI’m not sure how similar your condition is, but you could try wearing a dust mask if you’re really worried? But basically as long as you make sure you don’t put your hands in your mouth after touching anything that could cause a reaction you should be ok
I muck out straw regularly and have never had an issue, but I’ve had some serious issues in the past with cross contamination- for example if you are eating at the yard, just make sure you stay away from anything that could contaminate your food! You will have a problem with shows/ competing/travelling- I am yet to find a service station selling gluten free sandwiches!! But most events do chips/ salad which are what I tend to live on when travelling as long as you check they haven’t put flour in the chips to keep them from sticking! Feel free to send me a message if you want any advice on managing it

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

It would be very unlikely that his feed/bedding would affect your digestive system but you will need to take a careful note of any symptoms in case you are adversely affected. I would have thought that wearing a dust mask would be more than enough of a precaution to take.
I have allergies to various foods, including wheat and oats but have never had any trouble with the horses feed/bedding. I did use a dust mask when we fed hay but not now that we feed haylage.

 

[Abi90]

A lot of my family are Coeliac and it’s only if they eat it that it causes a problem. Your horse will be fine on straw.

Unless the disease you have been diagnosed with involves being irritated by external sources as well?

 

[fiwen30]

Not sure what your similar condition is, but as a person with coeliac I’d say there’s an almost zero percent chance that straw/hay would trigger coeliac.

For coeliac, it’s only once the gluten-containing thing hits the small intestines that damage occurs - so unless you’re ingesting the horses straw & hay, you’ll be fine.

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Don't eat his bedding and wash your hands after working with it would be my advice.

 

[jenni:)]

Thankyou everyone for the reassurance!!
Everything else I found on the internet suggested it couldn't be done but it seemed to mostly come from people who didn't really know what straw was. So happy to see that horsey people know it's fine!!

 

[Nasicus]

Thankyou everyone for the reassurance!!
Everything else I found on the internet suggested it couldn't be done but it seemed to mostly come from people who didn't really know what straw was. So happy to see that horsey people know it's fine!!

That advice is for coeliac, you haven't stated what your similar condition is, so do be careful and make sure your issue is with ingesting gluten and not contact with it.

Also commiserations to my fellow dietarily restricted people!

 

[jenni:)]

That advice is for coeliac, you haven't stated what your similar condition is, so do be careful and make sure your issue is with ingesting gluten and not contact with it.

Also commiserations to my fellow dietarily restricted people!

Thankyou! It's gluten ataxia - I don't really know much about it (waiting for the dietician appointment) and by the sounds of it not many people do, but my understanding is that it's like celiac, but instead of my immune system attacking the intestines when there is gluten, it's attacking the brain. The doctor advised I tell people it's celiac to save confusion so I presume any kind of gluten in the body that can generate an immune reaction is bad??

Again, thankyou for the advice everyone- the thought of having to give up horses made me very sad!

 

[DarcyPercy]

As a coeliac I just wanted to jump in and say good luck going forward! Having a final diagnosis will change your life! It certainly did mine when I was diagnosed 15 years ago .