I'm interested in a gelding for sale that is nine years old. The one problem he has hives, not bad, only after a hard ride. 5ccs of dex before a hard ride and he'll be fine, might even have to water down hay if it's really dusty. We had a hives pony before and she had it BAD, not sure if I want to deal with that again. Any success with hives horses, or is it a big red flag? Advice would be fantastic!
Hives are an allergic reaction or plaque on the skin....I'm guessing you mean heaves which is an allergic respiratory disease that affects the lungs?
For a general riding horse, if it is managed well to minimize actual lung damage...no...it probably wouldn't bother me if I really liked the horse. But for a competition horse that needs to be conditioned and run...I'd see it as something that could likely limit his performance in the future.
Hives are an allergic reaction or plaque on the skin....I'm guessing you mean heaves which is an allergic respiratory disease that affects the lungs?
For a general riding horse, if it is managed well to minimize actual lung damage...no...it probably wouldn't bother me if I really liked the horse. But for a competition horse that needs to be conditioned and run...I'd see it as something that could likely limit his performance in the future.
I don't know if I would use him as a competition horse. Might limit his performance. Also using dex too fequently breaks down their immune system and is not good for them. Might want to try to find an alternative method to help him.
Hives
