During the summer we humans, most of us anyway, are cognizant of the risks and dangers of remaining too long in the sun. We know that spending too much time in the sun brings the threat that a gorgeous tan will turn into an ugly and painful sunburn. Besides the pain and the unsightlines, it is well known now that sunburns can be the first step toward a bad case of skin cancer. We use everything from sunscreen to lightweight cover-ups to head off skin burning.
Because they are big and powerful animals, we often forget about the effect that the sun has on our horses. Horses, like people, can get a sunburn. You'll most often see sunburn on horses with a light-colored coat: Appaloosa's, Lipizzans, Paints, Pintos, Andalusians, and grays come to mind. People who own horses with white noses and a lot of pale skin around their eyes will frequently find themselves needing to treat their equine companions for sunburn.
Sudden hormonal changes, like mares that are in foal, can cause horses to become extra sensitive to sun. Certain medications can also trigger sun sensitivity, which can lead to sunburn in horses. Tetracycline is one medication that is known to cause extra sensitivity to the sun among some horses.
Although dark horses are not usually victims of sunburn, the sun often bleaches the dark hair, causing the animals to look scruffy and dull. It can make the mane and tail frizz and split, which is not at all attractive.
The second part of this article on sunburn in horses will be posted soon. The writer is the an expert horse woman who is also author of the No. 1 expert's guide to growing long, thick manes and tails on almost any horse.
Because they are big and powerful animals, we often forget about the effect that the sun has on our horses. Horses, like people, can get a sunburn. You'll most often see sunburn on horses with a light-colored coat: Appaloosa's, Lipizzans, Paints, Pintos, Andalusians, and grays come to mind. People who own horses with white noses and a lot of pale skin around their eyes will frequently find themselves needing to treat their equine companions for sunburn.
Sudden hormonal changes, like mares that are in foal, can cause horses to become extra sensitive to sun. Certain medications can also trigger sun sensitivity, which can lead to sunburn in horses. Tetracycline is one medication that is known to cause extra sensitivity to the sun among some horses.
Although dark horses are not usually victims of sunburn, the sun often bleaches the dark hair, causing the animals to look scruffy and dull. It can make the mane and tail frizz and split, which is not at all attractive.
The second part of this article on sunburn in horses will be posted soon. The writer is the an expert horse woman who is also author of the No. 1 expert's guide to growing long, thick manes and tails on almost any horse.
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