Those who use sun cream on their horses?

I use Naf Sun Shield. My mare won't tolerate human suncream as it smells so strong but she doesn't mind horsey specific sunblock. It's about £6, lasts for ages too, and stays on for a couple of days. She has a fly mask with a nose cover attached too, which she has on in the height of summer (if it ever arrives!). Highly recommend the Naf stuff though, if you don't want a fly mask/nose cover on him =)
 
The sudocrem has worked best for us (with a pink nose, cheeks and eyebrows...). The zinc works as a block and it also keeps the skin healthy. I was finding that anything else was making him scabby due to a build up of product and blocked pores. A sun visor didn't work as Wolf and his babypony mates ripped it to pieces. The vet recommended diver's suncream if we wanted a step up from the sudocrem, as it soaks into the skin, doesn't block the pores, and is waterproof.

Our two white nosed boys had their first sudocrem of the year yesterday - they were like a couple of young boys getting a spitwash off their mum....

Nb If anyone is competing affiliated, remember to check whatever you use against the drugs rules. The main disciplines are in line with the FEI now, even at lowly amateur level.
 
Mine always rubs it off, and burns for a past time, I now use a nose net on her headcollar, which she has to wear anyway. This helps, and she now doesn't burn, which she used to even with sun screen.
 
Can I be highly controversial?? ;)
This is just my opinion before I start...
If he's only 2 and this is the first time he's burned, I wouldn't put anything on.
Once his skin 'hardens up' (not literally but can't think of a better way to put it) he will be fine IME......

What I'm trying to say is if you start down the sun cream route at 2 you will be on it for many years to come - if you just leave it and keep am eye on it, you will probably find that after a few days you don't need to use sun cream, ever.

Doesnt apply in all cases, but if it's a 2 year old with a bit on his nose I would think it will 'self-protect' if you just leave it.

Thats what i did with my 2yo last year (and others before it) and now no more burning. So thats what id do :)

If you want to put something on, i have a tb with extreme photosensitivity so know all about when you really need sun cream :D
He has a special nose cover which goes a the way round his muzzle, and has factor 50 on twice daily. I use the dirt cheap stuff from home bargains type places, as if you really need it then you get through LOADS!
Mine doesn't like it either but I've never found a way round that - I think it's the smell coupled with the coldness of it.

All I do is put a hand on his nose like I am putting a bridle on from the side, and then fill my other hand with it and put it on, and don't take my hands off till I'm done.
He knows now that if he stands still it's over quicker, and I also give him a bit of apple straight after I've done.

Took a while at first but he knows the drill now :)
Then he gets the nose cover on, then his (rapidly wearing out) leg wraps, then he's good to go.

Good luck whatever you decide :)
 
I gave in with suncream (my girl is white with pink skin), she'd either rub it off in her field or literally dunk her face in her water bucket to wash it off :/ I resorted to a full face mask that goes to the end of her nose (from Premier Equine) and she's much better protected from the sun now as well as the flys.
 
Little update for today - went and got some (Nivea I think) kiddies suncream, extra water-resistant and coloured green! Had a valiant effort and tricked him while he was eating his haylage - I'd say I got a good 75% of his nose and while he did resist he wasn't as bad as the other days so I think he's getting better, this cream is easy to spread at least. He then went and dunked his nose straight into his water (smart pony) and the suncream lives up to its name - he's still walking around with 3/4s of a green nose.

I'm going to give it a few weeks and if he's still being tricky then I'll just get a sunshield thing and a fieldsafe headcollar and hope he doesn't hang himself.
 
catdragon said:
I gave in with suncream (my girl is white with pink skin), she'd either rub it off in her field or literally dunk her face in her water bucket to wash it off :/ I resorted to a full face mask that goes to the end of her nose (from Premier Equine) and she's much better protected from the sun now as well as the flys.
Click to expand...

Mine has one of these too.
 
A few years ago, we had about 9 mares with pink noses. We used to use human factor 30 every couple of days, it was a bit of a slog. I then moved on to zinc oxide cream, this lasts about a week, and it's waterproof. Any cream with a high zinc content will do the same job, Sudocreme and zinc & castor oil are fine and last ages, also they are soothing to sore noses.

No horse likes having this done. I keep the tubs of cream out in the sun or in the car, this makes it so much easier to apply and the horses don't mind it so much if it's warm. Older horses that have suffered sunburt noses all their lives can be tricky. All our foals had their noses creamed from birth, they do get used to it and then you can just do them out in the field without a headcollar.

Don't stand and face them and try to do it, you are likely to lose your front teeth from a head butt. The safest way I found to do it is this. Headcollar on, stand facing the same way as the horse, with your shoulder tucked in under his neck. Like when you put the bridle on. Get a good dollop of cream and put your hand under and then over onto his nose/muzzle. When he puts his head up, walk backwards with him, don't turn and face him. Persevere, and work the cream in gently and slowly.

If the horse is badly sunburnt, I think I'd keep him in for a couple of days, rather than upset him.
 
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