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When Allergies Get in the Way of Horseback Riding
Posted on 18th Mar 2016
When Allergies get in the way of horseback riding for both the horse and the rider
For ten years I owned and operated a working horse farm. We taught lessons, offered trail rides, birthday parties and summer camps. We also saw numerous allergies come through the barn on both the horses and the people. Looking back, I wish I had been more educated on natural allergy remedies and less inclined to reach for the steroids and over-the-counter medicines.
Hunter, was an older off the track Thoroughbred, who suffered seasonal allergies. At least once or twice in the spring and fall he would break out in hives all over his body that would last for 7 to 10 days. There was no way we could place a heavy saddle pad and saddle on his back or tighten the girth around his belly with those huge, itchy lumps. We would call the Vet and she would come out and give the obligatory steroid shot. We would bathe Hunter with cool water two times a day to help alleviate the itching and put him on the disabled list until he was healed.
Preacher was my son’s barrel horse. He was a gorgeous Tobiano Paint until about mid-July when between the summer heat and gnats he would be covered with red, itchy splotches that would form crusty layers of yellow goo all over his face, chest and stomach. So, once again the saddle pad and saddle would gather dust while the vet prescribed steroids shots and creams and we waited for his skin to clear up.
Then there were the lesson students who had various degrees of allergic reactions to horse dander and hay. No force on heavy and earth could keep them from riding so mom would dose them with an over-the-counted allergy medicine. I would tack up the horse and have it ready for them in the riding ring so they wouldn’t have to be exposed to the dust, hay or swirling masses of horse hair in the barn.
I could usually get 15 to 20 minutes of good ride time in before the allergy medicine kicked in and my student became too drowsy to stay mounted or keep focused. Unfortunately, especially for the little kids, they would give up riding long before they had the chance to really fall in love with the sport because of how the allergy medicines made them feel - yucky!
I now understand the difference between preventative allergy remedies vs just covering up the symptoms with shots or over-the-counter drugs.
Harmful substances such as pollens and hay are attacked by the antibodies our immune system creates to destroy or neutralize the allergens that cause us to have allergic reactions. However, sometimes even our immune system is not strong enough to defend against these allergens.
Allergena is a Homeopathic Sublingual Immunotherapy that reduces the body's negative reaction to allergens. Our homeopathic allergy drops build immunity by exposing your body in micro doses to whatever it is that you are allergic to. This way, the body becomes safely conditioned to tolerate the allergens that previously brought on allergic reactions, and ultimately reduce allergic symptoms and won’t leave you feeling drowsy or keep your horse out of the riding ring.
If pet allergies are a problem for you, consider our Pet Dander formula!
