allergies!! =(

[MzCheerBaby]

i had my first lesson today and it was a blast.. well i mostly learned how to tack up and stuff but anyways~ i loved horseback riding sooo much but theres one problem.. i have really bad allergies!! i was sneezing like crazy, nose was red, runny nose, you know.. the works.. is there any way i can overcome this? i am soooo bummed out right now.. i took Claratin (an allergy medicine) and my eyes aren't red anymore but i don't think it'll work once im back around the horses. what can i do? should i go to my doctor? what should i do? i have another lesson on wednesday and im so sad.. =( please ANY tips would be SO appreciated!

[MzCheerBaby]

oh yeah i forgot to mention that it wasn't that bad once i was actually riding.. it was when i was brushing her and tacking up..

[Bay Mare]

Try taking your antihistamine before you go to the stables. Even if it doesn't completely eradicate your symptoms it should dampen them down somewhat.

Also, it may be that over time your response to horses get better. I'm allergic to cats but, since owning cats I don't get an allergic response anymore. It DOES come back if I'm not around cats though! What a good excuse to always have some around :D

You may also want to wear a scarf around your nose/mouth while you're working with them, it will help a little, if you're really brave you could get a surgical mask BUT you would need to use a new one each time as they're only effective for about 20 minutes. Don't forget when you get home to wash yourself, your hair and your clothes so that you can wash the allergens away and so limit your suffering :)

[bexj]

Bay mare is right. I never used to be allergic to horses, but when I came back to riding after a very long break, I couldn't believe it when I came out sneezing with itchy eyes, and even a bumpy face if the horse nuzzled me! Take your tablet at least 1/2 an hour before you go - I swear by Benadryl. Mine has got a lot better although some days are worse than others, and if I'm away for a week, then I'll sneeze like mad again when I go near a horse (or clothes I've been riding in) unless I take the medicine again!

[shaka]

I also get terrible allergies, but I love being around the horses so I put upm with it.
If you're allergies have gotten worse or you feel you aren't keeping them under control, it's owth going back to your doctor to see if he can perscribe something stronger.
I used to take Loratadine, which helped in the beginning, but I now take a Flixonase nasal spray and TelFast and find it helps.

[maverick927]

I have very bad hayfever so being around horses anywhere is very difficult.

I use Hayfever tablets from 'Heathly Direct' a mail order company from Gernsey and they seem to work best. they help my eyes and nose and unlike Clariton, they don't cost a bomb.

[MzCheerBaby]

thanks for the responses everyone! i'm going to ask my doctor to prescribe me something on wednesday. thanks!

[OlavS]

I reda about different horse breeds a good while back, and there are horses with curly haired coat that is hypoallergenic.

I know you are taking lessons at this point and probably not looking to buy a horse, but I just thought I'd mention it all the same seeing as the subject was allergy and horses. :)

For anyone interested, do a search for curly horse on the web. Some curly horses have smooth coat, and about 10% of all curlies are gaited. I think the full name is North American Curly or something like that. There are breeders elsewhere, too, in fact there is one over here in Norway :eek:

[Esther.D]

ditto. I am also allergic and find over-the-counter antihistamine such as Benadryl or Zirtec works a treat. I do also get used to my own ponies and now only have reactions with strange horses or if Rupert decides to groom me (his favorite thing at the moment) rather too much :rolleyes:

[MzCheerBaby]

olavs- wow i've never heard of a hypoallergenic horse haha~ what does it mean if a horse is gaited? =/ sry im new to all this horse language =P

esther- my doctor just prescribed me zrytec so now im taking it =) it was $80 for 30 or some pills though.. 0_0 its hard for me to get used to a horse because i take lessons and my lesson horse changes a lot of the time hehe

[MzCheerBaby]

ooooh nevermind *grins* i know what a gaited horse is now =)

[buffy_vampire]

I have the same problem. So i went to my doctor and he gave me zyrtec and it works great i take an everyday pill all through the summer. I got allergies real bad when i was around horses but now i take one about an hour b4 i got to the barn and i feel fine.:)

[horse_crazy4eva]

join the club lol, I know exactly what u mean... I'm allergic to everything but the actuall animal. I just tough it out and if i start gettign really weezy and stuff i'll either take a brake or have my inhaler

[~*Mango*~]

Im quite like you. cos i ride in the country and the pollen counts arent usually high in the city where i live so when i go up to the country i dont know about the pollen and im all sneezy and im riding along and aaaaachoooooooooo! and i cant rub my eyes cos that wil make them worse with the horsieness (lol). I take clarytin too so it should work. on the other hand - wear a gas mask!

dont think i helped much - sorry,

Mango

[ojoisland]

I have allergies as well and it's usually bad in the month of June even taking allergy medication doesn't help so I just keep a couple of tissues in my pocket. As mine usually gets worst after riding and untacking, grooming the horse. Now that the month of June is way over, thankfully, it's not as bad. I still get the usual sniffles but it goes away. If your allergies gets worst while brushing the horse, just stand to the side and make sure when you brush that the hair doesn't fly towards you. Goodluck!