Abstract: Anecdotal and In-Vitro Allergy Testing of Horse Allergies and Tolerance to Curly Horses

Dissertation written for obtaining the degree of Doctor (Human Medicine) at the University of Aachen in Germany.

Author: Anne Kurschner geb. Spieker

February 17, 2004

Translation by Hans Nussbaumer, May 19, 2007

This translation was done at the request of the International Curly Horse Organization, in order to provide a basis for further research into the hypoallergenic qualities of the Curly Horse.

Germany is a country that is home to 2.4 million riders and 750,000 horses. This reflects the rising trend between 1984 and 1994 of 62%.

Allergies to horse hair and horse dander (horse epithelium) have been identified by previous research. In this research, the testing will only involve the dander because the research involving horse hair provided less reliable results.

Horse dander consists of more than 60 different proteins. In Germany, 20 to 30 percent of the population has some allergies and this tendency is increasing. 50 people were involved in this study of varying ages. 35 were women and 15 men.

A Western Blot test was run. On different gelblocks, antigens were dispersed on a nitrocellulose filter. Patient.s serum was added to provide a visible result. 33 showed positive to normal horses, while only 2 were positive to horse dander alone. The rest also reacted to oats, grain, cattle, red deer, or other allergens.

Electrophoresis comparison between normal horse dander compared to Curly horse shows that the dander contains the same proteins, but those causing the allergic reaction are in much less volume than is found in regular horse dander.