Hawthorne Blossom

[piebaldsparkle]

Has anyone know horses to be affected by Hawthorn Blossom/Pollen? Two side of my field are surrounded by Hawthorn bushes and the pony in the neighbouring paddock has had really bad breathing (really heaving) when he has been brought in for the last two morning. His breathing gets better once he has been in for a while. Now when I got my mare in this morning, I got quite wheezy (don't normally get hay fever), but was fine back at the stables, so can only put it down to the pollen affecting myself and this pony, what do you think? Have suggested a nose net (for the pony, not me!!).

 

[silversox]

Yes, hawthorne blossom can have that effect; so, too, can May, elder and cow-parsley blossom. The worst crop that I know of is rape - is there any growing nearby?

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Nearest Rape fields are at least 5 miles away. My old cob was affected by that, but I haven't had or heard of problems with Hawthorne before, but the hedges are hugh and all in full bloom round the field. If I hadn't started wheezing myself, I wouldn't have put two and two together, it just struck my that both my breathing and the ponys seemed to improve once we were away from the hedges. Loads of cow parsley at the base of the hedge row too.