Howdy Chronicle of the Horse. I’m new here; I’ll post an introduction in a bit, but I have a burning question, and an online search failed to come up with anything helpful.
“Do horses tan?”
I have a young horse (4yo) who just recently moved from a farm in the Kentucky hills to my place in Elizabeth Colorado, at an elevation of about 6500ft. We have some trees/shade, but nothing like the forested property where he was raised.
I have named him “El Rosado”; “Rosy”. He has a very fair complexion and blue eyes, probably the Pinkest horse I have ever seen. “El Rosado” 
He has been wearing a protective mask on sunny days since he has been here, and we haven’t had any issues with “Rudolph Syndrome” so far. I try to give him exposure to the sun morning, evening, and on partly cloudy days, hoping to build up some tolerance to the considerably more intense sun at our elevation, but I haven’t noticed any change in his pinkness.
Do horses tan? Is he ever likely to develop a natural tolerance, or will I need to keep him covered up ongoing, for ever and ever, amen?
No worries if this is the case, as I expected it would be so before I brought him home, but inquiring minds and all . . .
TIA for any thoughts.
And a quick forum question.
It appears that in order to attach an image, the source has to be available on-line; the “photo” icon inserts an “img=html” line. Yes, or am I missing something?
TIA again, Steve
No, they burn. Coverage and Desitin (contains zinc oxide–cheaper than sunblock and stays on better) will be your best friend for a light skinned horse.
Adding: the burn can develop into squamous cell carcinoma.
I use Bullfrog on my dark bay horse’s lightskinned nose.
DH’s very roaned-out & bald-faced horse did get a sunburned nose that peeled & was painful.
He got xinc oxide ointment & a prayer it stayed on.
AFAIK, if a photo is a file on your phone or computer it can be downloaded to the BB.
Someone less tech-challenged can explain it better.
Try looking at the Technical Help forum here.
BTW: Welcome & that’s a cute mule 
Thanks 2Dogs. George and I have been partners for a long time; he gets more human, and I grow distinctly Mulish as we age together.
My wife wanted to put me on a gaited horse for the sake of my 68yo back. Rosy is a (let me see if I can get this right w/o looking) “Kentucky Spotted Mountain Horse” (I think), but in any event he has a beautifully smooth gait, and seems to be more than happy to offer it goin’ down the trail. He is just as shiny as a new penny, very sweet, and a terminal trouble maker. We love him a lot.
Let me try to get a foto to upload . . .
Mmmm, that seems to work; used the “up-arrow” icon rather than the insert image one. You should see a foto of Rosy in his NagHorseRanch mask (you can laugh; I do), and Georgie showing the rigging I use to keep his saddle on the topside of the Mule. My boys: “Ebony and Ivory”.
White hair grows from pink skin. Everything else grows from black skin. A white horse with black skin is actually gray. The hair on a flea-bitten gray horse turns white over the years. Lipizanners are gray but they are born dark. Their hair gradually gets “white” as they age to about 8-10 yrars old.
My bald-faced Paint gelding had a beautiful pink nose. If he didn’t get his sunscreen on his muzzle daily some spots would start to burn. The American Paint Association Association (APHA) requires at least 2 inches or more of solid (unbroken) white hair with underlying pink skin. If a solid color horse doesn’t meet the color standard they may be able to register if they meet the DNA requirement.
I switched to Equate sunscreen from Walmart several years ago. It’s cheaper and seems to go a little farther. It also consistently tests to the top of the list: It says SPF50 and that’s what you get.
My Paint burns the top of her one white nostril on pasture and I use zinc diaper rash cream as sunblock and to heal.
Yup. My first horse, when I was 12 years old, was white with one blue eye and one brown eye, supposedly a Tennessee Walking Horse. He’d walk, trot, pace, single foot and something exotic that, I suppose, could have been a running walk. Nobody at my slightly ratty boarding barn knew.
Anyway, when he was wet from a bath, he was pink and black spotted. I, jokingly and ignorantly, called him an “albino pinto.” Not too far off; he was apparently a pinto that turned gray.
Nope. Drag and drop, copy/paste, or click the photo upload icon. Doesn’t need to be online.
My lesson for today…do not dismiss a topic because you think it’s a ridiculous title…I mean I kind of thought that they didn’t tan.
BUT.
Being the tired owner of MR Blue eyes, pink nose,”where’s my mask.? Oh I hung it on the fence over there” I rea
I really wish they did, oh to apply sun cream for a week or two, then his nose would stop burning, tanned would be so much better than burned.
Where you are, you should do eye protection every day even if it’s a day where the nose wouldn’t burn. They can get skin cancer on the eyelids also.
Hi Everyone, thanks for all of the replies.
I didn’t think Horses tanned, either; at least I’ve never heard of such a thing. But I was hopeful there was some sort of acclimatization process. Guess not then?
I’ve put some “children’s” BannanaBoat sunscreen on his nose a couple of times, but I don’t really want to start a routine of putting stuff on his nose and eyes every day. Save that for when we really need it. Covering up is a much nicer option. NagHorseRanch has an interesting inventory, including eyeshades and such, but pricy. So far that mask has been good (three months), guess I’ll look around their store again.
Rosy is fair-skinned all over, under the “Champaign” parts of his coat the skin is a browner pink.
Copy and Paste, eh? I’ll give it a try; here is Rosy in the nude 
If the skin on your horse’s back is pink, they will get sunburn there too. Amigo makes a great sheet that is cotton on top, and mesh on the sides. It highly recommend it as they don’t seem to over heat in it, and it’s no big deal if it gets wet.
I board a white horse here (all pink skin) and the only break she gets from blankets/sun screen is the winter when she has a long coat and we don’t get much sun. The worst time for her is the spring when the sun is bright and reflects off the snow - she now has a solar visor for spring to protect her eyes as they get blistered otherwise.
Thanks CHT, I’ll check it out. Rosy has been wearing a nice reflective fly sheet most days as well. The whole herd has been. And they all get turnouts when The Cold arrives, but I hadn’t considered that he might need protection from the sun on his back. His Summer coat is fine and dense. I hope he grows some more hair before it really gets cold here in a couple of months, but I’m not counting on it. “Blankies on, Blankies off.” But I’ll look at the Amigo as something for the days that don’t warrant a winter weight garment.
Just commenting to say Rosy and George are very cute!
zinc oxide when needed and protective sheets will be Rosy’s friend! Depending on your situation, you could try shifting the hours Rosy is outside vs in a barn or run with shade. A boarding barn I was at had a thing where pink skinned horses were turned out at night! Like adorable horsey vampires!
Most fly masks with some structure will be good enough protection for the eye area. You can’t put sunscreen on the inner eyelids anyway. I’ve got one with white eyelids, and the first thing my vet said to me when the horse got here (I’m on the Front Range) was that he’d need eye protection. Sure, if it’s rainy, they can go without. But I use it in winter for the sun as well as glare off of snow. You probably don’t need the really fancy goggles unless Rosy develops an eye problem.
Good to use the fly sheet for the white back as well, but probably less critical once the days get shorter if it’s not cold enough for a blanket.
@George_T_Mule Those are some goodlookin’ Equines
For figuring out the pic attach process.
You’re smart for a codger 
I can say that cuz I’m an older codgerette 
Here’s DH & his TWH of the burnt nose:
(both gone, both dearly missed 
)
Walker was so roaned-out out we called him The Pink Horse
Our vets have been tattooing some horses with white around the eyes and it seems to help their “sore” eyes.
It needs repeating every so many years.
May want to remember that if a horse with white around the eyes gets irritated eyes from sunny days.
In our 4000’ high, very sunny, windy and dusty area, a paint breeder tried for many years to keep some paints from sunburn and finally quit raising paints because of their skin problems.
I’m not joking about the Desitin. It is much more effective than even the highest SPF sunscreens. It stays on better, it soothes the skin, and it really blocks the rays better. The zinc oxide percentage is higher in it and it is more affordable. Try it and you’ll never go back.
I have a white horse with a big blaze (hence, full pink skin on nose).
