overcoming horse allergies...???

skychick

skychick

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My partner is allergic to all animals...although not too bad with dogs....but with horses he is pretty bad. Its not an issue as my horse is at a livery yard and i get changed and make sure i wash my hands thoroughly before coming home. But it would be nice for him if he could pop to the yard without doseing up on benadryl (other allergy relief tablets are available ;-) ) or having to carry an inhalor and use it.

Has anyone either got rid of thier allergy to horses through exposure, and if so how did you go about it?

Or are there any other ways you can desensitise yourself and make yourself less allergic to them.

He is never going to be the sort that grooms/mucks out etc if i am away but it would be nice if he could pop down and say hello without being ill.

Any thoughts, help and suggestions welcome.
And just for the record.....
.......he has had his back checked recently, vaccinations are up to date, not sure about teeth so could probably do with a visit to the dentist :D:D:D:D
 
hmm, not sure you can ever get rid of them, certainly if you have got to adulthood and still have the allergies.

I am allergic to horses, dogs, cats and well any furry animal really. However, horses were my worst trigger. I am talking every reaction - asthma, eczema and itchy eyes to the extent they would swell up and I couldn't see. Anyway, over the years I have been surrounded by horses, dogs etc and my allergies are sooo much better as I believe you can build up an immunity. I still can have reactions to strange horses, dogs and everything and some seem to be worse than others but it is controllable and certainly i have never had any life-threatening reactions.

Maybe a bit of steady 'desensitising' would work but it would by no means happen quickly. it also depends on his severity of his reactions and whether he has it under control. You may well find that being around your clothing and horse stuff that has been near your horse then he will steadily become accustomed to it and his allergies willl lessen but if a new horse was introduced you may find he would react again.

All in all allergies are pains but I think some of it is in the mind too - some people panic about how they MAY react to horses/dogs/whatever which can make them start wheezing/itching before they've even come into contact with said animal.

Good luck with trying to desensitise him though!!!
 
I am allergic to all animals. i have to take antihistamine most of the time & alway carry an inhaler. It doesn't bother me. I would rather do that than not be near animals./ But i do find the more time i spend with them the easier it gets. When we first had a cat i was poorly for a month, but after that apart from when she moulted it hardly affected me. the horses were pretty ,uch the same. Clipping & moulting were hte worst things. But if i went & groomed some one elses horse then i would be bad on the instant.
So if you spend time every day with them, then it does get less but never goes completely - or at least not for me :)
 
I'm allergic to all animals with fur and am asthmatic but have recently bought a horse. I started of by going to my local yard every week to ride, taking antihistamines and inhalers before I went. After having got the horse and visiting everyday, I now dont need the antihistamines and take my inhalers as and when needed, usually after filling up haynets because of the dust. Same thing happened with my sister. Just gradually introduce him and increase the time you spend with horses and number of times you go in a week. It worked for me. Good Luck
 
When I was a child (about 6) I realised I was allergic to horses, as every time I went riding my eyes would get very itchy. I was too scared to tell my parents, though, in case they stopped me from riding! So I just ignored it, and it went away :) It was a mild allergy, though, and I was around horses a lot, so I'm not sure it would work for your partner. I'd imagine you'd have to be quite enthusiastic about horses to be able to put up with the allergies for long enough to become desensitised to them.
 
Yeah i think it seems that slow desensitisation is best.

I think he has got a lot better since i have had my new horse, when i first had him i literally had to run in the door and shower. Now i can walk in in jodhpurs (if i havent had chance to change at the yard) and get changed and i can leave my jods in the hallway and i can just wash my hands and then be around him all evening without showering, scrubbing and hair washing etc.
He does touch my horses nose etc when he sees it, but i think also a lot of it is the dust from straw, hay, and also going into a barn with 18 horses in it isnt probably the best idea!!!
He is much better when he goes outside again and he can be around the horse in an open space.
It does make him a bit astmatic though!

I have heard people have tried homeopathy (sp?) and had success....but he is extremely against the idea as apparently its been proven not to really work its more power of the mind. I have no idea about it really but he has read alot into it.

I will have to hide body brushes and numnahs around the house and get him acclimatised to it ;-)
 
I am allergics to all furry animals but especially so to cats and horses )=(must be the finer hair)

I also have asthma that is triggered by my allergies.
I basically find the more I am around my horse, the less I am bothered. I always dose myself to the eyeballs (if I remember) before going but I find that when I do forget, I'm not as bad as I used to be.

Basically hang on it there! x
 
Rosie2407 said:
I am allergics to all furry animals but especially so to cats and horses )=(must be the finer hair)
Click to expand...

Same here...
I find you "get used to" the animals you are around regularly... sounds weird but I don't really get too allergic to my own dog or my own horse... Other people's animals I'm terrible with... I take a Clarytin tablet every day.. and eye drops :)
 
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