does anyone work with horses who is allergic?

impresario08

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Question in the title really! I am looking at different opportunities to further my equine experience but I'm actually allergic to horses...has anyone worked with horses whilst allergic and built up a tolerance/found ways to cope? I'm not allergic to my own horses anymore, except for when they shed.
 

Griffin

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Not me but a very good friend of mine is allergic to horses and loans one. She copes by taking antihistamines and wearing long sleeved tops to reduce contact. She really breaks out in a rash if she touches her horse with bare skin.
 

Ruby's Mum

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In what way are you allergic? Obviously allergic to the “dander” from four post but what are your symptoms and have you been diagnosed? I am allergic to horses but in terms of being asthmatic (only started a couple of years ago after having horse 30+ years) but I don’t particularly notice any issues, it came up I was allergic on immunology tests amongst many other things (everything I deal with on a daily basis). My understanding is if you are allergic to the dander and not allergic to your own horses then you won’t be allergic to other horses.

I have to wear a dust mask for mucking out and doing haynets and have to be very careful not to let hay touch my skin as that is my worst trigger.
 

poiuytrewq

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Yes! I'm usually ok now. I only really notice it if I've been off, say a weeks holiday. When I go back I sneeze, itch have sore eyes the lot for about a week after!
I also can't brush really scurfy horses without massive allergy fits :(
I do take montelukast which is actually an asthma drug but as I understand contains antihistamine so that probably helps
 

eggs

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I find I am OK if I am around them a lot but like poiuytrewq I am more re-active if I haven't been around them for a little while. I find contact with their hair brings me up in welts on my skin.
 

ShowJumperL95

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I used to be very allergic to them, my eyes used too itch and swell and get red patches on my arms from itching them! When I was younger I had to take Piriton then once old enough antihistamines. As I have just stuck around them either I have grown out of it or my body has just adjusted to it and now no longer need any medication for being around horses which is great!
 

ApolloStorm

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Not allergic to horses, but where I used to work the square baled straw they got used to set off a huge sneezing fit ( got itchy roof of mouth and inner ear too), watery eyes and id come up in an itchy red rash up my arms. Strange as the round baled stuff never bothered me, and other square bales i've used for my own haven't either. Just used to use the round stuff apart from this one livery who INSISTED we used the square stuff so Id put my coat on and zip it up over my nose and mouth- to try and minimise how awful it was.
 

Fanatical

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I wasn't when I was younger but seem to have developed it as I have got older - being particularly bad when i worked full time with horses and lived in accommodation over looking the internal stables. I developed asthma for the first time in my life triggered by the allergy and had to use inhalers for a number of years. The asthma has improved since I stopped working full time with horses and only rears it's head occasionally, but the general allergic symptoms persist. I don't go anywhere without a pocket full of tissues and am always sneezing. Filling nets and grooming unclipped/ muddy horses in winter is the worst for me. I fill haynets wearing a dust mask and sun glasses!
When it gets particularly bad I take anti-histamine tablets but try not to do this too often - when I was younger I took them daily for years.
 

Fraggle2

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When I was younger I was very allergic. To the degree that if I sat on a horse I would come up in water blisters on my legs and arms, the usual sneezes, eyes swelling and closing and full on asthma attacks. I went through having injections twice a week to desensitise me when I was about 8 years old. Which subdued the really bad symptoms but I have to take high strength antihistamines daily in order to have contact with horses and ride. But yes I have worked with horses so it is doable.
 

Andalucian

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I was allergic to my first horse, I am allergic to cats, (asthma, swollen eyes, itchy skin) then the same symptoms happened with my first horse.

I was LIVID. I swear I was so cross with my body I overdosed myself with horse scurf and hair for many many hours and somehow, I seem to have desensitised myself and became non-allergic and stayed that way for the last 20 years.
 

Overread

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Two thoughts

1) Have you been tested to find out what specifically you are allergic too? Knowing is half the battle and if you know its certain elements you might be able to better medicate/avoid/deal with

2) In the past I took antihistamines for hayfever and they never did me much good surviving or even taking the edge off. Last year I tried once more after a few years not bothering to take anything* and found that a combination of antihistamine and a steroid nasal spray worked fantastically.
So the other point is in two parts - first try different things if one doesn't work; and secondly (after consulting trained medical professional) consider a combination. Sometimes you might even only need to use both parts of a combo on a "bad day"


* this was after driving part way into a reedbed full of reed and long grass in the height of the season and being basically unable to see for about an hour after (itchy, watery eyes like crazy!)
 
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