Help! I’m allergic to my horse, what can I do?

Sara Wyche answers:
There are many possibilities for prevention/treatment, which do not involve conventional medicines, and would not interfere with your responsibility as a train driver.

You say that you can relieve the symptoms by washing. This suggests that the allergy is caused by contact, so using some sort of physical barrier is an obvious solution.

Many people use a mask and glasses or protective eye cover (eg, goggles), to prevent the dust or hairs from the horse’s coat coming into contact with the sensitive tissues of the eyelids and nose. Even a scarf over the nose can be helpful.

Homeopathy offers good relief from the symptoms, either in the form of combination tablets, such as New Era Catarrh and Sinus tablets, or as a single remedy – eg, Kali Bich in a 30 potency.

However, it’s possible to reduce allergies on a longer-term basis, using a process of densitisation.

For this, you’d need to consult your doctor or contact the REACT clinic for advice www.equineallergies.co.uk