KEEPING HORSES SUN SAFE
Horses need protection from the sun just
like humans do. The ultraviolet rays from
the sun can put a horse’s health at risk.
As important as it is to keep your skin
protected while out training and riding with
your horses, keeping your horse safe and
protected from overexposure to the sun and
other environmental damage is important
too. Many horse owners may not realize
that horses can be just as vulnerable to skin
damage as people are.
My horses love
spending time on
a hot summer day
under the trees
behind my farm
house. The big old
pine trees and apple
trees keep them cool and provide plenty of
shade and protection from wind, rain, and
sun. In the fall when the apple trees are full
of ripe apples the horses love to stand around the apple
trees and pick apples right off the branches with their
teeth. When my horses are outside in their pasture on a
hot sunny summer day, I make sure they have access
to plenty of fresh water, a salt lick stone, a little hay
throughout the day—and shade. Horses, like people,
can get sunburned if left out too long and if exposed to
excessive sunlight.
When we look at a horse, the first thing we see is their
coat, but if we could look beyond their coat, we would
see that their skin is very similarly structured to our own
with the same functions.
The top layer of skin is the epidermis, about as thick as
a sheet of paper, the first defense against the harsh
elements of the weather. The dense and free flowing
oils in the horse’s skin keep this layer healthy and
well protected. If we looked even deeper we would
discover the second layer of skin, the dermis which has
a protective function also and controls the hair follicles,
sweat glands, and oil glands. When these skin layers are
jeopardized by too much sun, heat, rain, wind, or cold,
the natural protective oil barrier that protects a horse’s
skin starts to break down, leaving it vulnerable to all kinds
of skin conditions.
The lighter the color of the horse’s coat the more
prone a horse is to sunburn when exposed to the harmful
UV rays of the sun. Darker colored horses are also not
safe from sunburn but because of their darker pigment
and ample melanin in their skin they are less likely to get
sunburned than lighter colored horses. Regardless of
color, though, all horses are prone to sunburn and heat
stroke if left unprotected and exposed for a long period
of time in the hot summer sun.
The first obvious place one can detect a sunburn is
around the nose or muzzle of the horse, but other places
can also show signs of sunburn by showing redness and
swelling. It is important be alert to that possibility in the
hot summer. When horses are found to have sunburn it
is important to keep them out of the sun and treat the
sunburned area with aloe vera and other sun lotions
available in your horse supply store or feed store. If the
burn is a very severe one, you should always consult a
veterinarian.
Horses like people can develop skin cancer and other
skin conditions. Horses may be susceptible to a fungus
known as rain rot. Rain rot is usually caused by leaving
horses unprotected for long periods out in the wind
and rain. When my horses get wet I always make sure
I have a few clean cotton towels available in the barn
to towel them down with, and sometimes I even put an
absorbent blanket on them too. To protect my horses from
unnecessary pain and possible suffering from sunburn or
rain rot I make sure they have lots of shade and cover in
all kinds of weather. I also use a protective grooming spray
and SPF before I send them out to the pasture.
Even though we need to protect horses from too much
sun exposure, they still need a moderate amount of sunlight
to help them synthesize vitamin D to keep them healthy.
When my horses are out behind the farmhouse grazing, my
routine is to check on them every few hours. Often when I
walk back home from the field my horses follow me to the
barn. Generally when they do this they are ready to be
brought into their stalls and fed their grain, hay, and fresh
water for lunch.
Horses are very expressive and by following me back to
the barn, this may also be their way of letting me know that
they would like to be in the barn and out of the hot midday
sun. When the temperatures become cooler outside
in the later part of the day, I let them back out of the barn
again to stay outside until dark. It does take a lot of juggling
and attention to keep horses well hydrated and safe
and protected from the sun during the summer months.
I have learned to listen to what my horses are telling me.
Observing them closely and listening to what they are
telling you is the best way to keep your horses safe during
the hot summer months.
Health
EQUINE
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