WINTEC 2000 All Purpose Saddle
$499.00
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Protecting Your Horse from Sunburn
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Throughout the summer, we all hear the warnings about applying sunscreen to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. But what about your horse?
The sun’s ultraviolet rays also wreak havoc on a horse. The results may be as mild as a faded or lightened dark coat, or as dramatic as a nasty sunburn on those “hairless, white, or lightly-pigmented areas” of the horse’s body, including the muzzle, ears, lips, vulva, udder, and coronary bands. Particularly vulnerable to the sun’s rays, these exposed areas become pinker or redder and the tissue swells, peels, scales, crusts, cracks, and oozes or bleeds – all signs of severe sunburn.
Veterinarians often recommend using a sunscreen with a high SPF for those horses susceptible to sunburn. Before using the product, however, first test it on a small patch of skin to make sure there are no allergic reactions. If everything is all right, apply it regularly. Unfortunately, the horse may rub or lick it off his muzzle or legs, rinse it off in the water trough, or even sweat it off other areas, which means you may need to re-apply it numerous times throughout the day.
There are other alternatives, such as keeping your horse stalled during the peak hours of the day – between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. You can then turn the horse out during the night (this also has its advantages in that it offers a little more relief from the flies). Riding during those off-peak hours of early morning or late evening can also help (and you can avoid the high temperatures of the hottest part of the day). If you still want to keep your horse out during the day, make sure it has some source of refuge from the sun – either a run-in shed or shady trees. Also, a light, ventilated sheet will protect the darker horse’s coat from fading and the lighter-skin horse from burning.
To help relieve the painful effects of the sunburn, you may consider a soothing cream or jelly, perhaps one that contains aloe vera. Some veterinarians have recommended zinc oxide to also help alleviate the sunburn and protect from additional damage.
Photosensitivity
There are other circumstances under which a horse may become particularly sensitive to the sun and exhibit the symptoms of sunburn. This photosensitivity can occur when a photodynamic substance – a substance that intensifies or induces the toxicity of sunlight – is ingested or makes contact with the skin. As with a bad sunburn, the hairless or lightly pigmented areas will turn pinker or redder, eventually peeling, cracking, and bleeding. In more severe cases, the damaged tissue may even slough off, leaving the underlying skin very raw and exposed.
These photodynamic agents may be found in a variety of sources, including the medications prescribed for your horse, such as the phenothiazines and tetracycline antibiotics. The forage that the horse feeds upon may also be comprised of photodynamic products. The most common photosensitizing agent is phylloerythrin, which is produced through the breakdown of chlorophyll in the horse’s intestine. Normally, phylloerythrin is excreted or removed by the liver, but damage to the organ can interfere or inhibit this process. When ingested, poisonous plants, such as St. John’s wort, ragwort, alsike clover, can affect the liver and prevent the excretion of the phylloerythrin. Certain plants can also induce photosensitivity just through contact with the skin. Even alfalfa can cause a photosensitive reaction in some horses.
If you have a horse that starts showing signs of photosensitivity, the first step is to immediately remove the horse from sunlight. The horse will have to remain out of the sun for at least two weeks - the time it takes for substance to be removed from his system. This also provides an opportunity for the skin damage from the sunburn to heal. It is important to contact your veterinarian to determine the cause of the reaction and the proper course of treatment. Depending upon the severity of the reaction, your veterinarian may suggest a soothing gel or cream for mild cases or prescribe anti-inflammatories and antibiotics for more serious cases. Your veterinarian may also want to check your horse for liver damage, which could be causing the photosensitivity. This procedure can be done through a simple blood test.
Sometimes the location of the affected areas may help reveal clues as to the source of the photosensitizing agent. If only the muzzle and legs appear affected, then there is a good chance your horse has come in contact with a toxic pasture plant. If the area is small and localized, it could be the result of a topical ointment. If, however, areas all over the body show signs of sunburn, it is most likely the reaction to ingesting a medicine or poisonous plant. Depending upon what the cause may be, veterinarians recommend performing one or more of the following:- stop medicines, especially topical ointments (your veterinarian may provide other options for medicines or alternative courses of treatment, if necessary);
- bathe and rinse the horse thoroughly to remove all skin contaminants; and,
- change his source of forage, which may mean removing the horse from the pasture in which he was grazing in case of poisonous plants.
Upon consultation with your veterinarian, he or she can further direct you on additional steps of treatment. If it is determined that a poisonous plant is the culprit, you will want to inspect your pasture for the offending weed and completely remove it from the field (please note that you do not want to leave the pulled or dug-up remnants in the field since many of these plants still retain their toxicity even when dried).
If you have ever had the misfortune of suffering from sunburn, you know how painful it can be. For this reason, it is important to take the necessary precautions with your horse’s skin as you do with your own.
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