You see that your horse has started to have watery eyes and wants to scratch on every post. This happens every spring. Allergy season is here.
◆︎ What do we see with allergies?
➡ Watery eyes: You notice that the eyes are watery. You’ve had the veterinarian flush the tear ducts, but that didn’t seem to make a difference. The vet also determined that there were no eye injuries, nor infections.
➡ Itching/hives: At onset, you think that the itching may be caused by shedding the winter coat. As time goes on, you see that it’s more than that.
➡ Breathing issues: On some of the warmer days, you see that your horse is breathing heavier than usual.
➡ Body aches and pains: You notice that your horse has more labored movement. Is it the heat? Is it the transition to pasture? Allergies or sensitivities?
◆︎ Causes of spring allergies
Spring allergies can seem to come out of nowhere. Sometimes we can’t identify the cause, but other times, we can.
☛ Pollen:Pollen is a big offender with spring allergies. We don’t know why some horses react strongly. This most commonly becomes evident when the trees start to get their first leaves, and when the trees and plants bloom.
☛ Bug bites: With the spring and warmer weather, insects hatch. Biting insects can trigger an allergic response in horses.
☛ Noxious plants: Some plants have oils in their leaves that cause an allergic reaction in horses, such as poison ivy. It’s important to be on the look-out for plants that horses have issues with.
☛ Eating forage/grains in which they have a food intolerance: Horses vary in their dietary intolerance. Just like in people, it may be a full-blown allergy, but it may be just enough of a histamine response to make them uncomfortable. It’s not uncommon for horses to have a reaction to Johnson grass, soy, and alfalfa.
☛ Dust and pollution: Dust is common and may stem from different sources. Common sources are the barn, hay, and air. Does your area have vivid sunrise and sunsets? Vivid sunrise and sunsets could be due to either dust and pollution, or due to moisture. Is the air hazy? Perhaps that is dust or pollution. While horses tolerate some dust, other horses have reactions.
◆︎ Supplements may help:
❤ Spirulina helps the immune system shift away from an allergic profile. The recommended serving size is 2 oz twice a
day.
❤ Mov-Ease is a proprietary blend of bioflavonoids. The bioflavonoids in Mov-Ease have an anti-histamine action.
❤ Quercetin helps stabilize mast cells. Mast cell degranulation releases histamine, which causes itching and swelling.
❤ Vitamin C works synergistically with quercetin and Mov-Ease to enhance their antihistamine effects.
❤ MSM is an anti-inflammatory that can help take the edge off an allergic reaction.
❤ Turmeric is also an anti-inflammatory to help reduce the reaction to allergens.
It’s important to start supplements early in the response. It’s much easier to stop a runaway train before it runs away.
◆︎ Horse husbandry:
Besides supplements, horse management can be helpful.
Fly masks: This can be helpful to protect the horse from flies and dust.
Fly control: May be able to reduce the fly population.
Fly and bug spray: While many of them seem to be marginally effective, they may be able to reduce the number of bites the horse receives.
Bathing: A good wash and rinse can help a horse if the horse has contact dermatitis.
Feed: Be aware of the ingredients that you feed.
◆︎ When to call a vet:
For more difficult cases, it’s important to consult with your veterinarian. He/she will be able to make a diagnosis and an appropriate treatment plan.
We do the best that we can for our horses. To do that, it's important to be aware of spring allergies in horses.
Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.
©Joan Kulifay, MSc. 2026