Allergies Animal & Insect Allergies Print Do You Have an Allergy to Horses? By Daniel More, MD Updated October 24, 2019 Medically reviewed by a board-certified physician Allergies Overview Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Coping Imagesines / Getty Images Domesticated horses are relatively common animals, and can be seen on most trips to the countryside, at the racetrack, or even at special events such as parades and county fairs. Unlike 100 years ago, however, most of us don’t come into daily contact with horses. Despite this, horse allergy is not that rare, affecting nearly 4% of people with allergies. Horse dander is able to travel long distances in the air and has been reported to be found hundreds of yards away from horse stables. Symptoms and Causes Allergies to horses have been reported for nearly a century, with most people experiencing respiratory symptoms such as allergic rhinitis and asthma as a result. In fact, 50% of people with exposure to horse barns report respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. Given the ability of horse dander to cause allergy symptoms, however, it would not be surprising to know that some people experience urticaria, angioedema, and even anaphylaxis as a result of exposure to horses. Certain people with dog and cat allergies may be predisposed to having horse allergies. A blood protein called albumin, a common allergen in animals, is cross-reactive between horses, dogs, and cats. Some people with a dog or cat allergy may experience allergy symptoms with exposure to horses. Treatment Treatment of horse allergy is based on the symptoms that a person is experiencing, and is the same as the treatment of allergies caused by other allergic triggers. Allergy shots (immunotherapy) have been shown to be safe and effective for the treatment of horse allergies and offers the only potential cure. How Allergies Are Treated Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial policy to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Mazan MR, Svatek J, Maranda L, et al. Questionnaire Assessment of Airway Symptoms in Equine Barn Personnel. Occup Med. 2009;59:220-5. Weber RW. Horse Dander. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2010;105:A12. Continue Reading