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Why are there some horses with food allergies? To natural food such as hay and/or grains? After all, this is what horses eat in the wild. They have evolved on this. It’s the perfect food for them. Their biological needs are perfectly served by these foods.

If these are the natural foods of wild horses, the cause must come down to us. What are we humans doing to them? Human interference is so common in all animals and causes untold health problems.

In this situation, of horses with food allergies, there are probably multiple factors and the combinations of these will be different for each horse. Rarely will there be a single cause as the body (of everyone) always tries valiantly to cope with taxing situations.

More often, it’s a build up, over time, of repeated human actions that challenge the natural workings of the immune system. Eventually, it can’t cope anymore. And the serious nature of food allergies are basically saying, ‘I give up. I’m at the end. I can’t manage this anymore. I’d rather die’.

These can include the common allergy symptoms such as constant sneezing, itchy and/or watery eyes and/or nose, diarrhoea, wheezing and hives. You may notice these after you have introduced a new food or from a new supplier.

Some common factors that can contribute to compromising the immune system include:

Some common factors that can contribute to compromising the immune system include:

Stress affects the gut. We know that. Repeated stress can result in chronic gut conditions, such as stomach ulcers. Horses are incredibly sensitive animals. We put them through unnatural conditions which they often try to avoid. This avoidance is often thought of as stubbornness, naughtiness, laziness, etc, whereas in fact it may be, and usually is, something much more profound.

Horses are herd animals. Not having at least one other companion increases their stress. In the wild, it’s safer to be in a herd. Isolation spells danger.

Horses are stoic animals and put up with far too much pain for their own good. Sadly, people can capitalise on this and keep working them in spite of the pain. This often happens with an upcoming event already paid for.

Pain can be from ill fitting tack, from the use of spurs, from heavy riders, from insensitive hands. Bits can cause much injury and damage to the mouth.

A stressed horse is much more likely to injure themselves than a happy and content horse.

Horses are first and foremost grazers. Their whole system thrives on constant grazing at least 20 hours out of 24. The gentle wandering that accompanies this keeps everything working.

Stabled and yarded horses, with limited eating times and no wandering about, are known to develop stomach ulcers. This can lead to the more serious food allergies.

Antibiotics are grossly over used. They are particularly bad for the stomach microbiome whatever the target is. It is estimated that it takes the immune system a whole year to recover from one course of antibiotics. Recovery may never occur with repeated courses.

Bute and other anti-inflammatory drugs inhibits the production of gut mucosa making digestion more difficult.

Vaccines cause allergic reactions to all sorts of things as they put the immune system into an unnaturally high state of alert. It's more important to focus on the health of the immune system.

As it is to discover why inflammation occurred.

Then to use natural, immune supporting treatments such as homeopathy.

Pasture fertilisers, weed killers, herbicides, etc don’t just affect their target. The grass takes up these chemicals and passes them on to the grazer, even after the quarantine period.

In particular glyphosate, the main ingredient in popular weed killers, is also an antibiotic. It has a deleterious effect on the horses (or any other grazers) gut microbiome, in particular.

This is why it can be so much healthier if you can find a supply of organically grown hay. At the very least, it is a good idea to contact the grower for information on the chemicals used.

Some horses do enjoy their work. They have the right conformation for that work, they are treated sensitively and respectfully, their living conditions are optimal and ailments are treated by finding the cause and with natural therapies, such as homeopathy. They have a great energetic connection with the people they work with, that is harmonious to both.

Sadly, the majority of horses are forced into their work, whether or not it is suitable for them. And the majority of riders are focused more on what they want, rather than on what the horse may want or even is capable of doing.

Instead of going through all the time consuming and expensive veterinary tests that may or may not yield results you can address, try to work out causes based on the above suggestions.

This can be difficult when you don’t know the history of the horse.. However, you can get a glimmer from the way they act and interact with you and others, from the problems they show.

Horses always react differently to different people. They are rather like a mirror. They reflect back to us what we are feeling. That can make it uncomfortable if we don’t want to confront our own issues. That’s not the horses fault.

Good homeopathic treatment can help resolve both acute conditions and deep seated chronic conditions, even without knowing the history. While the acute conditions can clear up quickly, chronic conditions take longer to heal as they have taken longer to appear.

Horses with food allergies are permanently uncomfortable, resulting in a reluctance to work. Working with them sensitively and holistically can pay dividends. In the process, we learn and grow. Both species end up happier!

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