Nightmare, a horse that can’t touch grass or oats
IF there’s one thing a horse wouldn’t want to be allergic to, it’s grass.
But for Chanquette the grey gelding it gets worse, as he is also allergic to oats.
The Andalusian has tested positive for allergies to barley and rye as well as insects, dust mites and storage mites.
Exposure to hay or grass gives him itchy hives, a type of skin rash, so owner Sarah Hutchinson, 56, has found an outfit which covers him from head to hoof so he can run around the field with his friends.
The riding instructor from Stillington, North Yorkshire, said: ‘His nose gets weepy, there’s lots of sneezing and he scratches a lot, making him sore.
‘We have to wet his hay and feed him special food with no oats, barley or rye in it. His stable also needs to be sprayed with fly repellent to kill all the mites and insects, otherwise his glands swell up and cause him pain’.
Chanquette arrived in England from Spain four years ago. Miss Hutchinson said her suspicions were aroused when he ‘didn’t turn out well’ in her field.
She added: ‘We noticed he was a bit thin, not very well turned out and that he began to scratch and rub his mane a lot more than normal.’
The vet suggested an allergy test and soon after, the reason for Chanquette’s struggle became clear.
‘We couldn’t believe he was allergic to pretty much everything horses come into contact with,’ Miss Hutchinson said.
‘It is a shame to see him have to wear this rug, but it’s for the best.’
Miss spends upwards of £100 every couple of months on fly repellent and herbal supplements to keep his immune system working well. She said: ‘It’s worth it to keep Chanquette as healthy as possible.’