Everything You Need To Know About Sunburn In Horses

Everything You Need To Know About Sunburn In Horses
Three horses, a gray, a bay, and a chestnut grazing in a pasture with a split-rail fence and trees in the background on a sunny day.
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Everything You Need To Know About Sunburn In Horses

Summer sees the onset of blue skies, bright days, and longer turnout times. Although, sunny days are unpredictable in the UK climate meaning it’s easy to forget adequate sun protection, not only for ourselves but our horses. To keep your horse’s in the sun for longer, reaping the benefits of hacking and turn out,  we’ve created a guide for everything you need to know about sunburn in horses.

What is Sunburn?

Sunburn causes redness, swelling and peeling of the skin, much like in humans. The area will cause a degree of discomfort to the horse but, with correct management, effects will only be short-term.

However, the affected area may be prone to further cracking and bleeding. Developing into an open wound, the area is not only significantly more uncomfortable but puts the horse at risk of infection. UV rays also contribute to infection risk. UV exposure has shown to have negative effects on skin immune systems, making infection harder to fight off.

Repeated sun damage can cause more long-term problems. Repeated sunburn can cause the thickening of the skin’s surface and the area becoming more prone to developing skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma).

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Sunburn in Horses; Pink areas of skin are prone to sunburn. Make sure they are protected!
Sunburn in Horses; Pink areas of skin are prone to sunburn. Make sure they are protected!

Risk Factors of Sunburn

Horses will often become sunburnt in areas where there is no pigmentation to the skin. These areas will present pink in colour. Skin which is black is at low risk of sun burn. Faces and heels are the most ‘at-risk’ areas of the horse, due to the common lack of pigmentation and low hair coverage. However, horses will lack of pigmentation elsewhere on their body will be at risk of sunburn in these areas too. White facial, leg and body markings are areas at significant risk of being affected by sunburn. Additionally, horses with cremello colouring will be susceptible to sunburn across the body.

In summer, owner’s tend to turnout for longer periods. The longer periods of outdoors increase exposure to UV rays. Moreover, UV rays are stronger in summer months, further increasing sunburn susceptibility.

How to Prevent Sunburn

Owners should consider sun protection at all times, from when horse are turned out in the field to schooling and hacking exercise. Riders may be using lotions to repel flies or be kitted out in hacking safety accessories, but they may not have appropriate sun protection for their horse!

To prevent sunburn, all turnout areas should provide some amount of shade. Trees, hedge lines, and field shelters are all shade-providing features in paddock turnout.

Although, even extreme weather conditions will not stop your horse from grazing. Therefore, providing extra protection against UV rays is vital. Sun barrier lotions are perfect, ensuring your horse is protected wherever they choose to graze. There are many equine sun barrier lotions on the market, which may be suitable for horses with extremely sensitive skin. However, children’s sun barrier lotions are suitable for horse-use too, as they are specially designed to be non-irritating on the skin. When choosing a sun barrier lotion, ensure it has a high factor and is water resistant. Additionally, take note of the time period in which the cream is effective for. Most sun barrier creams do not last the entire day, so regular top ups may be required.

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For horses with larger areas of non-pigmented skin, more extensive coverage may be required. Lightweight rugs, such as a mesh fly rug, and head masks can be used to reflect and protect against UV rays.

What To Do If Your Horse Already Has Sunburn

If your horse is suffering from sunburn, prevention strategies will not work. Bringing your horse into a stable and out of direct sunlight will result in a faster, more effective recovery. In the stable your horse is at least risk of the burnt area becoming damaged further, especially if they have field-mates. It will also reduce the chance of further burning or infection, if the area does become cracked.

This does not mean you have to isolate your horse to the stable all summer, as your horse will miss out on unique benefits of turnout! If your horse is suffering from sunburn try turning out with quieter field-mates and when the sun has set. Avoiding sunnier parts of the day will also help to prevent laminitis too, for those who are prone to developing the condition.

If the sunburnt area is blistered or oozing, it is recommended to seek veterinary advice. Vets can supply individual information and topical treatments, as well as antibiotics if they detect infection.

Sunburn in Horses: Long period of contact with buttercups can result in photosensitivity of exposed skin
Sunburn in Horses: Long periods of contact with buttercups can result in photosensitivity of exposed skin.

Abnormal Sunburn

Sunburn symptoms that are rapidly increasing in severity or occurring in abnormal area may be a sign of photosensitisation. Photosensitisation is the condition where skin reacts abnormally to UV light. The condition is caused by UV rays activating a compound in the skin, which causes skin damage.

Photosensitisation can be caused by plant species such as Clover, St. John’s Wort and Bishops Weed. Buttercups and cow parsley can also cause UV reactivity, as the effective substances are directly absorbed through the muzzle when eaten. Also, certain medications can cause photosensation, such as phenothiazines, thiazides, potentiated sulphonamides, and tetracyclines. However, photosensitisation being caused by the administration of these drugs is uncommon.

Liver damage may also be a cause a photosensitisation. When the liver is not functioning properly it cannot process chlorophyll, which is contain in plants. This causes the production of phylloerythrin in tissues, which causes sensitivity to UV rays.

The skin condition can be easily treated however, it may be a sign of more serious, underlying issues. If your horse is presenting with abnormal sunburn, it is recommended to urgently seek veterinary advice.


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Abby Dickinson

Journalist and News Reporter, Everything Horse Reporting on equestrian news stories, Abby also produces a variety of engaging content for the magazine.