I know a few people that have had problems with Rapeseed. That starts causing problems about now and afects quite a lot of horses. I am not entirely sure but I think the horses showed cold like symptoms, runny nose, cough etc. I dont know the what treatement they were given but I do know it worked.
The sometimes can get a bit wheezy (SP? :S) my old horse that i shared hated the heat and the summer season, so i used to ride him at like 5 while it was still cool, and he was in during the day and out at night!
rapeseed seems to be the problem with my loan pony, he's been coughing a little over the 2 weeks since i got him but now its getting slowly worse - and theres a rapeseed field just come into flower behind the field he lives in!!
Mine headshakes and at the mo I'm thinking its probably due to the rape, we rode past a field last night and he was terrible, but returned to normal on the road.
Locally produced honey works a treat and is completely natural. I have 1 with runny eyes, nose. I have another that headshakes and snorts - Honey and a nose net for him!
For riding I use a Net Relief nose net by Equilibrium.
They are pretty expensive (about £27.00
for the fixing and 3 bits of net !!) but it's brilliant! Mine gets badly affected when the rapeseed is in full bloom and his breathing gets heavy and he coughs, last year I hardly rode during the worst weeks in summer - but with the net I can now ride really near the rapeseed fields and he's so much better.
Got mine out again a few weeks ago and won't be without it now all summer!!
One of mine has hayfever, or to give its veterinary name, allergic rhinitis, to oil seed rape pollen.
She snorts a lot, sending a fine spray into the air, rubs her nostrils on her forelegs, curls her upper lip (Flehmen gesture) and headshakes with a sudden twitchy movement.
She doesn't wheeze or cough though.
It starts around Easter time each year, and continues until the start of June...when the rape is no longer in bloom.
Why do you ask, littletinker?
S
just got a pony on loan with view to buy and he's been coughing, to start with it was only a few times when ridden and settled 5 mins into work so i was thinking as he's been out of work for a while he's unfit and once in regular work that would probably pass, last night though he was coughing quite badly just while he was grazing, rapeseed field has just come into flower at the back of his field and im now thinking its maybe hayfever type thing rather than him being unfit!!
what do you think?
i have emailed his owner to check if he'd had problems/symptooms like this in the past so awaiting reply from her!
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just got a pony on loan with view to buy and he's been coughing, to start with it was only a few times when ridden and settled 5 mins into work so i was thinking as he's been out of work for a while he's unfit and once in regular work that would probably pass, last night though he was coughing quite badly just while he was grazing, rapeseed field has just come into flower at the back of his field and im now thinking its maybe hayfever type thing rather than him being unfit!!
what do you think?
i have emailed his owner to check if he'd had problems/symptooms like this in the past so awaiting reply from her!
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If he's turned out 24/7, I'd say hayfever could be the culprit...if he's stabled at night it's more likely to be allergy to the hay/straw/shavings/dust involved.
It might be worth getting your vet to have a look at him to rule out any bacterial or viral infections...and to confirm your ideas.
S
My mare suffers from hayfever this time of year. she has runny eyes,snotty nose,headshaking and coughing. This year i've started on pollen-ex by global herbs and it seems to have helped her. I also use a fly mask when hacking as she hated her nose net!
where can i get one of these masks from because my horse suffers this time of year and i would like to try one to see if it helps her out can i get them from robinsons country leisure.
let us know asap cheers.