Those who use sun cream on their horses?

F

FinkleyAlex

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 October 2006
Messages
1,407
Visit site
My newbie has a big blaze ending in a pink nose - he managed to get sunburnt the other day while I was at work (when it had been raining non-stop for virtually two weeks and metcheck had not forewarned me about any sun!). I've been erring on the side of caution and attempting to put sudocrem on him every morning just incase the sun comes out again but he loathes it! I went for sudocrem as he lives out and I thought it would withstand the grazing/drinking better than normal sun cream but he literally won't let me put it on him (and it needs spreading as its quite thick).

He's only two and hasn't met sprays yet so I don't wish to torture him with a spray on cream...does anyone have any tips for getting sun cream on reluctant ponies? Today's battle has ended with a possibly fractured foot (mine) but I can't let him get burnt again...
 
As sudo cream is oily I would have thought it would just burn more with the sun out.
I would get some sun cream rather than spray and put on like the sudo cream get the highest factor you can buy.
 
Mine also have to have sun cream on & thankfully not bothered. Could you try putting the sun cream on a cloth then putting it on or if not have you tried putting a full face fly mask on when it's really hot?
 
I used to apply suncream daily in summer on my old mare who had a pink nose :)

She hated it at first and reacted quite strongly, but i just carried on doing it and eventually it became part of the routine (she reacted the same to fly spray too!) and she would just stand there with no headcollar etc. I used waterproof baby sunscreen which was quite thick, as i found it lasted much longer than the thinner stuff and offers more protection. Quite often it would only need topping up rather than a massive amount putting on.
 
I use feed in one hand and suncream in the other to get it on my boy.

+1 for using cream rather than spray, I use stuff for kids.
 
yes, put a real suncream on. I use a factor 50 waterproof one for children. Noses are hard though. Aloe vera gel soothes it when they come in out of the sun too, if burnt.

Just make it into a cuddle. Never really had a problem putting it on. A handful of feed, as someone said, would help if need be.
 
zoelouisem said:
As sudo cream is oily I would have thought it would just burn more with the sun out.
I would get some sun cream rather than spray and put on like the sudo cream get the highest factor you can buy.
Click to expand...

apparently the zinc in it essentially makes it a sun block...I went off of recommendations on H&H threads as I usually use sun cream on my other gelding but he doesn't live out and I was worried the sun cream wouldn't last long enough on my youngster as I can only reapply once a day. I don't think he'll be keen on the sun cream either - he won't let me anywhere near his nose if he thinks I have a bottle in my hands! Will try tomorrow and see if he's any better
 
Thanks all - will go get some waterproof kiddy stuff tomorrow morning as rumour has it we will have sun! Might try the cloth trick, trying to avoid going down the flymask route as he's only 2 and a bit of an explorer so I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving him in one!
 
i used to use sudocreme too except on one horse who did a giraffe impression and doesnt know whats good for him and he had to wear a full face flymask with a extra bit that went to the end of his nose:rolleyes:
 
Used to work at a riding school and they used the stuff that squirts out, you squirt it onto your hand then apply it by hand, none of them seemed to mind!
 
The only way I can get it on one of mine is to put loads on the palm of my hand, stand with my back to to his chest and then stroke his nose with the dry hand until he relaxes a bit.... then get the cream on :).
 
I use factor 50 on mine and I also find that a full face fly mask with the nose section is a great help to keep her ok in the sun. not that i have had to use it this year yet! She got sunburnt the first year I had her and has never had it again. When I first started doing it she wasn't too keen but now accepts it without a fuss.
 
Sorry have just read post properly- thought you'd tried the spray and wanted other suggestions. Have had long day at work!!

How about only getting a very small amount at a time and making sure it isnt too cold as sometimes it gets very cold and maybe shocks him a bit as so cold!
 
I tend to put a large squirt of suncream in my hand and then slap it on my boy's nose before he realises what I'm up to! He's never impressed but it works all summer so I guess it doesn't bother him that much. Anything is better than a scabby muzzle!
 
I have to use suncream on my mare - she hated sudocrem and also suntan lotion but is ok with the robinsons stuff (requisite sun protector) and also another brand of horse specific suncream (cant remember name, got it from local feed supplier), they have soother in as well as sunblock - you need to warm it first to spread it but I think its the smell they object to with some creams.
 
me&Harvey said:
Sorry have just read post properly- thought you'd tried the spray and wanted other suggestions. Have had long day at work!!

How about only getting a very small amount at a time and making sure it isnt too cold as sometimes it gets very cold and maybe shocks him a bit as so cold!
Click to expand...

Have been warming it on my hand already so I don't think it's cold, and the minute he realises I'm trying to put any on him he starts resisting so the only way of getting any on is to put a big blob on and hope he spreads it around himself :( I'll try with normal sun cream tomorrow, perhaps it's the thick texture he hates.
 
I use baby suncream good for those sensitive snozzles and very high factor with zinc so works fabulously. My welshie is terrified of it and can be very headshy so you literally have one shot. Fill my hands as much as I can with the stuff walk up to him and plant it on his nose if i can rub it in great if not I've generally slapped so much on its well covered anyway :p
 
Jack has simpsons sun cream ;)... He used to hate it but now I just put some on my hand have a carrot or mint in my other!, walked up to him 'randomly' fed him the carrot while slapping it on! The difficult bit came to getting it on his.. err pink manly parts!
 
I use one of these, before I got it I would end up wearing most of the sun cream as it was rubbed on me, and what was left was wiped off by Ebony dragging her muzzle across the grass untill it was all gone lol :D

Ebony211.jpg
 
Another vote for kids factor 50 waterproof stuff. And years ago I did use one of the blue stick skiing ones to hack out in for a dare.
 
I use sudocrem as it is thick and stays on longer than sun cream, also only need to apply every other day as it leaves a layer on the nose. Saffy rubs sun cream off. She didn't like it to start with but I got my OH to hold her head collar for the first few times, I can now put it on in the field without a head collar on.
 
I used to use P20 as it's waterproof, but now poor old Shy wears a grazing muzzle whenever he's out, we no longer have to go thru the "Yiu ain't putting that c*** on my nose again - no way" ritual every morning, nor scrub out the tainted water bucket. Instead we have replaced this with the "muzzle dance", which is at its most amusing when performed by Shy and hubbie ;)
 
Get one of the extreme sports sun block sticks from boots, you can hold them in your hand and rub on, they're like a prit stick so you can easily disguise in your hand, has always worked for me!
 
Ditto Ebonyallen - I use a pollen shield strategically attached to a field safe headcollar...
My rising 3 yo has a massive pink nose, pink lips and side of muzzle...burns horrifically easy and is pretty head and muzzle-shy..considering that up until I got him last summer, he'd never had any protection from the sun, its no wonder he is muzzle-shy as he will have been badly burnt previously.
I decided to go for the shield option, working on the basis that as I continue to gain his trust and he experiences less burning, he will gradually be able to accept sunblock..I've started smothering the shield with sunblock to increase its effectivity and to start to desensitise him to the smell of it...
TBH, I don't think I'll ever be able to rely on just sunblock on him though, his markings are too conveniently placed to both burn whilst grazing and rub the sunblock off...:rolleyes: but at least I know the mask is doing its job whilst he's out there...
 
My lads pink nose gets a daily dose of sun block.
I use the stick form as he doesn't seem to mind me putting it on as much as cream, it doesn't go all over the floor, your hands or anywhere else it's not meant to!
They are really thick do last ages, I've even had people hack past my field in the afternoon and comment on his blue nose! So I know it lasts
They are a high factor, waterproof, cheap and come I bright colours so you can see where you've put it.
eBay sell them cheapest unless you have a pound land or home and bargain near you??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top