Horse Lovers

Sunburn in horses looks very much like human sunburn.  The skin turns pink or even an angry red.  If left untreated too long, the sunburned skin starts to chap and crack.  Horses that suffering from severe sunburn will start to blister.  

Preventing sunburn around your horse's eyes is fairly simple.  All your need to do is purchase a fly mask for the horse.  Please note that when using a fly mask it is extremely important that you keep the mask clean. You can do this by taking a hose and sprayer and using them to rinse dirt and eye gunk from the mask.  After you have rinsed the fly mask, hang it in the sun to dry.

Some fly masks come with an extension that protects the end of the horse's nose from becoming sunburned.  If you do not own this kind of fly mask, no problem: all you need to do is rub your horse’s nose with sunscreen that you purchase at your local pharmacy.  Yes, there are special sunscreens made especially for horses, but you don’t need to go to the extra expense and inconvenience of obtaining such special sunscreens.  Human sunscreen will work perfectly fine on your horse.

Some horse owners, especially those who want to show, attempt to keep the sun from damaging their horse’s coat by keeping the animals inside during hours when the sun is at its most damaging.  Other owners prefer to keep their horses covered with a lighweight turnout blanket or a fly sheet.  One of the reasons many owners prefer a blanketed horse to one kept inside is that they feel that keeping a horse stalled and completely free of sunlight can lead to depression.

Beth Moore, author of this article, has been a leading authority on horse grooming and especially on growing long, thick manes and tails on horses for over more than two decides.  You can learn more about her methods and claim a free report on the benefits of owning gorgeous horses at www.horsemane.info.

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.