Did you know horses can suffer from sunburn? Hopefully I am not speaking too soon when I say the sun is now beginning to make a more regular appearance. It is important to be vigilant at this time of year with applying sun cream to your horse.

Owners of pink-skinned horses need to keep a very close eye on them during the summer months as sunburn happens easily on pink skin – nose, ears, backs, and even lower legs.

Any hairless patches from scarring are also susceptible to sunburn. Horses that are clipped in the summer, even bays and chestnuts, can develop sunburn on that clipped skin.

Extreme cases

In extreme cases, blisters and sores can form from sunburn which can be very uncomfortable for the horse.

Applying suncream to vulnerable areas like a pink nose can stop your horse from getting sunburn.

Fly masks with a lower flap can cover delicate noses and ears.

A thick layer of waterproof sun cream will stay on your horse a longer amount of time than normal sun cream.

Using a fly rug on light skinned horses is also helpful. During very hot weather, consider stabling your horse during the day to keep them out of the sun’s harmful rays.

A mesh nose shield is a reasonably-priced solution for horses with pink noses that suffer from sun burn each year.

These nose shields can be worn attached to the head collar in the field or attached to the nose band when riding.