Sunburn

Chief55

Chief55

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I have a brown and white Paint Qtr. Horse who has what I would call a severe sunburn. I've had him a month and wasn't told he would burn. I'm now stalling him during the day but wanted to see what others have done to help with the peeling and sore areas. He is getting better but a long way to go it seems.
 
On my youngster who has loads of white (including pink nose), I put on a fly mask with a nose net. I've found it far more effective in protecting her pink skin that sun block.
 
Just remember to put it on when there are bright days, even if no flies about!;)
 
I will...this sheet is actually called a sun sheet. I'll see how well it does. It seems like it would be hot but it's called a cool sheet!
 
Treat the sore areas with Vetericyn - amazing stuff. I've never found anything as effective for quick healing of sunburnt noses. That used in combination with sudocream or on it's own will clear it up really quickly. I don't know of anything which works faster.
 
Thanks for all the input. I think I am dealing with more than just a sunburn. I think he may be photosensitive. I've read it can be caused from eating certain weeds which he could have done where I got him from. His condition tries to improve and as soon as he gets in the sun .. Bam .. He gets sores on his white areas only and his pink skin gets really bright. If anyone has treated this condition before I would love some input!! Thanks!
 
Photosensitivity is quite common in pink skinned horses. Some years it seems more of a problem than others, it depends what pasture they are grazing. Buttercups esp, can be a problem, but I've noticed it on grazing rich with clover also. I avoid fields which are not well maintained.

Sudocreme works very well on noses as it lasts all day, whereas sunblocks rub off after a few hours. However, if your horse has very bad sunburn, do get it treated by a vet. He may need corticosteroids and pain relief.


A sunsheet is helpful if his coat is not protecting him from burning. I have the Kool coat combi air stream for use post clipping in summer.

Another problem can be pastern dermatitis on pink skinned, white legs. Treat as for mud fever, diluted hibiscrub 2 or 3 times a week and sudocreme until clear.

Even on overcast, grey days they can get burnt. I once had a mare severely affected and required vet treatment after being out grazing on a miserable, cloudy, drab spring morning.
The good news is that on some grazing the horses do better, so its worth checking out environment, grabbing a tub of sudocreme, a sheet and enjoy the summer. When it finally arrives here.:D
 
That does sound really nasty. Looks like you've got some good advice here - the breed society might be able to tell you if it's a common problem and what other owners do.

Paula
 
I found cutting out alfa, sugar beet (including unmollassed) & lucerene from diet had major positive affect on my photosensitive mare (who is grey with dark muzzle so doesn't burn). Used to get issues with the skin around her feet. It was just trial & error to see what she reacted to.
 
My old grey Arab suffered like this the pink skinned areas of her back came up red raised and would ooze yellowy serum like stuff. This was photosensitivity caused by earlier ingesting of St Johns Wort plants. Her while life she lived out in summer in a waterproof lightweight gortex type rug which was fine - never sweated up even when really hot weather and coped so well. Suncreams didn't work as needed to go on 3 times a day and washed off in rain. Only way I could keep her comfortable. Had her over 20 years and only way I found to manage it.
 
Excellent advice, we had a cremmello who used to have to wear a facemask with nose protector & ears from about April until November. My skewbald gets burnt nose and burnt whithers as in the summer she has very little hair covering them, I presume from historic damage from rug rub and/or sunburn. For healing I rate aloe vera, sudocreme or good old zinc & castor oil. The best sun blocks I have used where Johnstons total baby sun block and simple kids factor 50, both of these will last all day.

Top tip - at the end of August/September keep an eye out for chemists/supermarkets geting rid of summer stock. We got 4 tubes of simple kids factor 50 for 50p each last year.
 
Love reading I'm not the only one thats ever delt with this!! I had to go with a fly sheet because the one I bought for UV rays is really too hot I believe. Also all the books say feed Milk Thistle to help flush the toxins from his liver.
I'm crossing my fingers.
 
Excuse me reviving a thread but am having so much trouble this year. We have two of our ponies having trouble, both are bay with white blazes which have pink skin on their noses. I have never had problems with them before but this year they both suffered severe sunburn which a friend said was because of coming into contact with giant hogweed and the bright sunlight. They have been kept in this field for years, loads of clover aswell, but I have never seen anything this bad. One of the ponies is good and will let you put cream on but the other one (12hh welsh sec a ) is impossible (stroppy mare isnt in it ) .
I have moved them over and treated them (at great risk to life and limb !!!) and they are now clear. The little mare is not letting us near her face , she will not wear a fly mask but was wondering about the nose covers , I could probably put this on her halter ?
Am getting worried as the weather report for the weekend is looking hot again .
Any ideas on restraining the little mare so we can put cream on ?
 
maree t said:
Excuse me reviving a thread but am having so much trouble this year. We have two of our ponies having trouble, both are bay with white blazes which have pink skin on their noses. I have never had problems with them before but this year they both suffered severe sunburn which a friend said was because of coming into contact with giant hogweed and the bright sunlight. They have been kept in this field for years, loads of clover aswell, but I have never seen anything this bad. One of the ponies is good and will let you put cream on but the other one (12hh welsh sec a ) is impossible (stroppy mare isnt in it ) .
I have moved them over and treated them (at great risk to life and limb !!!) and they are now clear. The little mare is not letting us near her face , she will not wear a fly mask but was wondering about the nose covers , I could probably put this on her halter ?
Am getting worried as the weather report for the weekend is looking hot again .
Any ideas on restraining the little mare so we can put cream on ?
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i use nivea spray on sun cream for my mare as she hates having it rubbed on. It's very quiet and she stands well for it ears, round eyes and nose no problem. She is NEVER turned out naked (fly rug if too hot for anything else) for more than about 10 minutes and we have been doing quite well like this for the last few years. It doesn't even impinge on things much. At summer shows she has a fine mesh sweat rug over her quaters outside of the ring and a white fly mask on at all times
 
My new horse had a small amount of sunburn on his nose, and after clipping his legs, one leg got v sunburnt,had vet out, did a blood test, very high raised liver enzymes and long term mild liver damage, put him on six weeks of milk thistle, sudocream for nose and leg as this is total sunblock, and also steroid cream for leg as it turned to pastern dermatitis, blood test redone after six weeks,all liver function back to normal even the vet was surprised, leg nearly better just need the hair to grow a bit more on the affected leg.I will never clip his legs tight again. He was also very itchy which can be a sign of liver, but all that has now gone, whether it was the milk thistle or just, better general care re diet etc, I don't no.
 
Paulag said:
That does sound really nasty. Looks like you've got some good advice here - the breed society might be able to tell you if it's a common problem and what other owners do.

Paula
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I have a white faced, blue eyed Paint that burns horrendously. She is in when the sun shines, she also gets burned in the winter at -20C. Even her 'eyebrows'. I use aloe vera gel, sudocrem during the day to soothe and soften scabs and she wears a mask with a nose net, which she hates and we play seek the mask every morning - so I have lots of them.

I don't think it is particularly a breed thing, just a white faced, pink skinned thing, only more prevalent perhaps in Paints because more Paints have the pink skin, also they may possibly live in hotter climates. Our temperatures are still in the high 20's, low 30's at the moment.

I think if you have a pink skinned horse then you must be prepared to deal with, or take action to prevent, sunburn, whatever breed they are, or are not, and wherever the sunshines, whatever the season.

:)
 
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