Horse Allergic To Grass

Pandora, a thoroughbred mare, is suffering from an almost unheard of complaint – she is allergic to grass.

The five-year-old spends her life encased in a specially designed high-tech coverall which means she has the freedom to go outside. Otherwise, she

would have to spend her life locked away.

Owner Emily Pearce, 24, first discovered the problem when Pandora developed a large itchy lump on her stomach at her stables in High Wycombe,

Buckinghamshire.

“I just assumed it might have been a fly bite and kept treating her with ointment but it just didn't get any better so that's when we decided to go

ahead with some tests,” Ms Pearce told Sky News.

The horse was in constant distress and despite being given steroids the lump stayed put, spreading elsewhere.

After numerous tests, it was discovered that poor Pandora was allergic to every type of grass.

Pandora's fond owner says her horse is now fed with a special diet of sugar beet chaff and soya oil, as with as more than a dozen anti-histamine

tablets a day.

“She can't be ridden in the height of the day and if it's a really bad day, then she will stay in all day,” the rider says, explaining the discomfort of

Pandora's covering.

“She does look silly, but it is the only thing that helps her,” Ms Pearce said.

The condition is extremely unusual, a vet who specialises in equine care told Sky News Online.

“Horses' entire digestive systems have been geared towards grass for thousands of years so it is almost unheard of for something like this to

happen,” he said.

“If they have a skin allergy reaction, the natural treatment is steroid injections and the majority of horses respond well to them.

She can't be ridden in the height of the day and if it's a really bad day, then she will stay in all day.Pandora's owner Emily Pearce concluded

“In the extremely unlikely event of that failing, we'd do an intra-derma skin test and then develop a vaccine made up of a dose of the allergens and

we'd expect that to sort the problem out.”

But what if the allergy cannot be controlled? “It depends on the horse's quality of life,” said the vet.

“A bad allergy could affect the horse's behaviour. If it were frantic with discomfort and itching then the irritation could increase aggression.

“In that case the owner might seriously think about putting it down.

“If it's just an aesthetic reaction, then it's something everyone can learn to live with – as long as it's kept away from grass for the rest of life.”