Horses, much like humans, can suffer from a range of allergies and intolerances that can significantly impact their health and wellbeing, so recognizing and managing these conditions is crucial for maintaining a healthy, happy horse.

In our latest blog, we’ll explore what allergies and intolerances are, and discuss common types of allergies and intolerances in horses, their symptoms, and how to manage them:

What is a Food Allergy?

A food allergy is defined as “an immune-mediated adverse reaction to food.” This means the body reacts to a food that typically wouldn’t cause problems. Allergies are triggered by allergens, such as specific proteins in some foods.

Symptoms in horses can range from mild conditions like urticaria (skin lumps and bumps, possibly itchy) to severe reactions like anaphylactic shock, like peanut allergies in humans.

What Is Food Intolerance?

Unlike allergies, food intolerance is a non-immune mediated adverse reaction to food. This type of reaction doesn’t involve the immune system and usually results in milder symptoms. An example is lactose intolerance in humans.

How Common Are Food Allergies and Intolerances In Horses?

Food allergy and intolerance in horses are poorly researched areas but most research shows that ‘true’ food allergies in horses are actually quite rare. Symptoms in horses with food allergies might include widespread urticaria, not just localized reactions like those seen with contact allergies.

Food intolerance in horses is less clearly defined. You might see subtle behavioural changes, from increased excitability to digestive upset, but these could be due to other factors such as energy intake relative to workload, exercise variability, or environmental conditions.

Types of Food Intolerance In Horses

The main food intolerances in horses are to cereals and sugar:

Cereal Intolerance: Some horses are sensitive to cereals such as oats, maize, or barley, leading to digestive issues like colic or diarrhoea.

Sugar Intolerance

High sugar intake can cause problems, especially in horses with conditions like insulin resistance or laminitis or those that are particularly sensitive to sugar. Sugar can also create imbalances in the hindgut microbiome, resulting in digestive upset.

Intolerance To Fibres (Alfalfa and Grass)

There are many anecdotal reports of horses being allergic to alfalfa becoming reactive when fed alfalfa, although this is not scientifically proven. If anything, this is more likely to be an intolerance, often related to the quantity fed.

Additionally, horses can also be ‘intolerant’ to grass, but this is probably more related to its lower fibre and higher water and sugar content resulting in looser droppings.

Recognizing Symptoms

For some horses, allergies and intolerances can develop over weeks, months, or even years. A once-favourite food could suddenly start causing adverse reactions. Each horse reacts differently, and feed intolerances can manifest in various ways.

So, recognizing the symptoms of allergies and intolerances early can help in managing these conditions effectively. Here are some common signs to watch for:

Colic symptoms
Diarrhoea or digestive upset and loose droppings
Weight loss
Lethargy.
Decreased performance
Signs of discomfort or pain
Hives
Itchy or scurfy skin
Hair loss
Sharp, fizzy, excitable, or ‘grumpy’ behaviour
Regional swellings

Management and Treatment of Insensitivities In Horses

If you think you horse has an allergy or intolerance, identifying and removing the cause is the key to good management. Allergy testing can be useful for determining specific allergies and most good vets will be able to offer an allergy testing service. Intolerances can be harder to pinpoint, but a good place to start is through a typical elimination diet.

An elimination diet involves removing the suspected ingredient from your horse’s diet for two to four weeks. If the horse’s condition improves, this likely indicates an intolerance to that ingredient. You can confirm by reintroducing the ingredient and observe if the symptoms return. This method is particularly useful when multiple ingredients are suspected, but you need to reintroduce one ingredient at a time to get a fuller picture.

By identifying and removing the problematic ingredients, you can significantly improve your horse’s health and well-being and plan a feeding regime which eliminates the causative factors.

Managing Equine Allergies and Intolerances

A well balanced diet which provides targeted nutrition without aggravating any intolerances is best for optimum health and well-being.

Fibre based feeds like CoolStance Copra which are low in sugar, cereal free, contain no alfalfa and are completely natural, chemical and GMO free, are ideal to provide energy for work and condition whilst minimising the chance of allergies or intolerances.

Additionally, CoolStance Copra is a rich source of Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCT) which can help support optimum immunity and reduce inflammation, both of which are essential for helping to prevent and mitigate the symptoms of allergies and intolerances

Ensuring your horse receives a balanced diet of vitamins and minerals also supports internal health, as these nutrients play crucial roles as antioxidants and in immune function. If you are feeding a fibre-only diet or a ‘straight’ feed like CoolStance Copra, supplementing the ration with VitaStance Mineral Mix will help provide a nutritionally balanced diet for optimum health and performance.

Understanding and managing allergies and intolerances in horses is essential for their overall health and performance. By recognizing the signs and taking proactive steps to mitigate these conditions through the right management

If you have any questions about creating the best diet and nutrition for your horse or pony, please contact 01488 73322 or info@boomerangnutrition.co.uk.