Sun Protection for Horses

Plan for summer now!

Sunlight has beneficial effects for horses just as sunlight in moderation does for us humans. For horses, these include the manufacture of vitamin D by the skin, relief of muscle and tendon stiffness and  improved immunity to diseases and sickness.

Unlike their owners, horses can be placed in a situation where they have no opportunity to moderate their exposure to sunlight and in cases of a white muzzle, can suffer from quite serious sunburn.   Unless your horse can be stabled for the hours that the intensity of the sun is at its most extreme, they are out there in the worst of the summer sun and need you to protect them from the suns damaging UV rays.

 Horses with pink skinned areas in particular on the outer edge of the nostril, are very prone to sunburn which can lead to weeping sores - they easily get infected and in the longer term could put your horse at high risk to develop skin cancer.

Whilst some human sun creams can be used on our equine friends,  horses are different to people and can have an allergic/sensitivity reaction to these products ... or the fragrances in them. Many products for humans use need to be re-applied after 2 or 4 hours so unless owners are vigilant, the horse can easily be unprotected for many hours.

This is a case of prevention being far better than cure ... who wants to find out the hard way that the human cream leave the horse unprotected or causes an adverse reaction?

On white muzzles and legs, a particularly severe type of sun reaction can cause problems.  This is called photosensitivity and the skin can become red, swollen and degenerate into cracking and weeping - poor horse!  This condition is often confused with mud fever when white stockings are affected and the usual remedies bring no relief.

Crusty sores can develop and loss of hair/skin may occur and the chance of infection developing is very high and and when this condition gets a hold, it can be very difficult (and expensive) to treat. .