If you’ve ever had hay fever, you know what a nightmare the symptoms can be. But you might not know that horses – constantly surrounded by grass, dust, pollens, and mould – can be subject to symptoms of hay fever, too.
Like humans, horses pick up allergens through the skin, through their respiratory systems when breathing, and when ingesting food. Allergens, or more specifically, horse allergy symptoms not only cause discomfort but also can affect your horse’s wellbeing and performance.
Steroids are often prescribed to alleviate allergic reactions but come with several long-term side effects. So, how can you safely help horse allergy symptoms? The natural way, of course! We’ve sourced our favourite and most effective natural remedies and herbs for horses with allergies.
- Spirulina - This powerful immuno-stimulant and anti-inflammatory herb has proven anti-allergy effects. It is the ideal nutritional support for horse skin allergies because it enables the body to be less reactive to allergens and external irritants.
- Chamomile - Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-allergy, and antispasmodic, this herb relaxes and tones the nervous system, and eases digestive complaints, which is one of the more common horse allergy symptoms.
- Horseradish – The roots and the leaves of horseradish are a natural expectorant that will help clear your horse’s nose and, in time, reduce minor inflammation in the nasal membranes caused by allergies.
- Marshmallow – Marshmallow root is an expectorant for coughs that also acts as a tonic. Its combined action helps expel mucus while soothing irritation in the horse’s airways, making it the ideal solution for respiratory allergies in horses. It also helps soothe any gut and urinary issues your horse might be experiencing.
- Calendula - Calendula is an effective local tissue healer when applied in a cream, a balm, or an infused oil to itchy skin. You can also administer it internally to help balance the body’s inflammatory response, making it a great fix for horse allergies.
- Nettle - Dried nettle contains high amounts of nutrients and vitamins. It can help reduce the level of inflammatory chemicals in your horse’s body as well as lower the number of respiratory ailments caused by allergies.
- Fenugreek (also known as bird’s foot) - The liquid form of fenugreek is made from the distilled dried ripe seeds of the plant. It has anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties that can reduce the production of thick mucus that accompanies respiratory allergies.
- Garlic - This pungent bulb has antimicrobial, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, which makes it a great choice for treating joint problems and respiratory allergies in horses. Note that garlic should be administered with care as some studies link overconsumption to anaemia in horses.
You can find most of these herbs for horses with allergies relatively easily yourself, but administering the correct amounts in the right way is a bit of a challenge. Our Sneeze Free herbal blend contains chamomile, nettle, horseradish, and marshmallow in condensed amounts, specially formulated by our experienced herbalist. The base of the blend is organic apple cider vinegar, which is also traditionally used to improve the immune sytem. This blend is the safest way to naturally help alleviate horse allergy symptoms.