Horse with pollen allergy? Nettle helps!

Nettle is a well-known herb for horses. You can pick the young tips (with gloves!) and let them dry to remove the sting. Or you can use a ready-made supplement. A liquid extract of nettle is the most effective: highly dosed and easily absorbed by your horse. Nettle contains many minerals, such as silicon.

What is pollen allergy in horses?

An allergic reaction occurs when the immune system overreacts to a foreign substance. For example, pollen from a plant. The so-called ‘mast cells’ play an important role in this. These cells are part of the immune system and react rapidly to invaders. A mast cell is filled with granules that release ‘alarm signals’ to the body. These alarm signals are chemical substances, including histamine. Histamine can cause symptoms such as itching, redness of the skin, and irritation of the airways or watery eyes in horses. This is because there are many histamine receptors in the airways that react directly to the substance. Mast cells also contain other chemical substances that support the immune system's response and, for example, cause small inflammatory reactions. If your horse has a pollen allergy, he may shake his head more often, itch his nose, or cough and sneeze excessively.

Nettle against pollen allergy in horses

Research has shown that nettle extract works in three ways against pollen allergies. First, nettle extract reduces the amount of granules that mast cells release; these granules contain histamine and inflammation-promoting substances. Furthermore, nettle extract causes the histamine receptors in the body to become less sensitive. The body will therefore react less strongly to the histamine that is still released. Thirdly, nettle extract reduces the small inflammatory reactions that cause the symptoms of pollen allergy. So, when pollen is plentiful in the air, it can't hurt to give your horse some extra nettle!

Nettle is part of the approach to pollen allergy in horses

Nettle alone is not sufficient to control the symptoms. It contributes to the overall approach to hay fever / pollen allergies in horses. It is important to choose liquid nettle over dried nettle. A nettle extract is much more concentrated and therefore has a higher therapeutic value. In addition, it is important to provide enough easily absorbable vitamins and minerals in the diet. Do not feed concentrate based on grains/carbohydrates, but replace it with a balancer such as Vitalbix Dailycomplete, Metazoa Superfit, Pavo Vital, Agrobs Naturmineral balancer, or Equifyt Green Balance. This is the basis for all horses. We have listed the components of the total approach to pollen allergy in horses:

Replace concentrate with a grain-free balancer containing easily absorbable vitamins and minerals
Directly absorbable DHA (omega-3) such as salmon oil or DHA from algae
Liquid nettle
- Of course, you can also pick and dry nettle yourself, but this is more of a roughage supplement. For the therapeutic values, horses would have to eat a lot of dried nettle.
Supplement with white willow, schisandra, echinacea, and eucalyptus for the production of mucus in the cilia in the trachea. This way, the cilia can filter the pollen more effectively.
Optionally, cannabinoids from cloves to support the ECS system. This system affects allergic reactions.
Don't forget to use a pollen mask while riding and/or in the pasture with high pollen in the air.

Conclusion: nettle extract is supportive against pollen allergy

Nettle is a very suitable herb to offer in spring and early summer, especially if your horse has a pollen allergy. A liquid extract is the most concentrated and easily absorbed by your horse. Nettle reduces the onset of allergic reactions and combats symptoms, but it is not a miracle cure. It contributes to the overall approach, and with pollen allergies, the earlier you start, the better. You can offer your horse an extra bucket of water with nettle extract. Horses will drink as needed. Or you can mix it with food if you want to ensure they get the high dosage. Don't forget the other measures such as a supplement with white willow and schisandra. But the most important thing is the diet with easily absorbable vitamins and minerals.

You have probably heard that nettle is healthy for horses. This prickly plant contains a lot of minerals and vitamins. But what you may not know is that nettle is also a natural remedy for hay fever and pollen allergies! To find out exactly how, read this article.