>>> A question that comes to my mind though, is - are our ponies more >>> susceptible to developing allergies to bugs that aren't in their birth >>> environment? - case in point is Tivar - was he any more susceptible that another breed to developing an allergy because there weren't cullicoides in CA? Just a ? - I have no idea but have to wonder.
More than...? Other breeds? My gut would say no. Do you see something in particular to make you think they are? Tivar is just one horse, and even from my long ago days as a 4H leader, I remember that "sweet itch" is more common in Florida in all breeds than in any part of the USA. Not that it's exactly "common" there, just more common than in other parts of the country. My guess at this point - unless we get a lot more data - is that Tivar was just of the unlucky domestic Icelandic's who get sweet itch "at the same rate as domestic born horses of other breeds." Karen Thomas, NC
