Do horses tan?

[WildGooseChase]

I’ve had a bald faced, blue eyed Mare, with white stockings for almost 5 years now. They burn, and it’s awful. Keep the fly masks on and apply a barrier cream with zinc oxide, like Desitin, to avoid sunburn. Don’t use human sunscreen, as it’s usually full of fragrance and will only last 80-90 minutes. Desitin lasts hours.

[IPEsq]

@Bluey

@IPEsq

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.

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.

My horse has a white inner eyelid which I’m not about to try to tattoo, but that’s good to know.

[George_T_Mule]

Cnd8; Desitin! That name was ringing a bell, but I couldn’t place it until I Googled it. Then the intervening years fell away. Diaper Rash cream.
All the grandkids are long past that stage, and it’s not something otherwise normally encountered in an Adult home But I’ll pick up a tube the next time I get to the store.
So I was thinking, always a dangerous pastime, but thinking about sunburn beneath an Equine coat.
I gave Rosy a much needed bath yesterday, and looked his neck and back over reasonably well while I was at it. What I learned was that I really have no idea how I would determine if the skin beneath his dense coat was being “Overexposed”. Also his ears. Rosy’s ears are more “Champagne” than White. They looked normal, and I haven’t been worrying about them, but maybe I should be? Again, I don’t know how to tell; I suppose once hair starts falling out or something, but we really don’t want to find out after the fact if at all avoidable.
I feel rather ignorant having to ask, but I’ve always owned Bays, and never had to consider the question before.
And finally, on the downside of White-Horse ownership: It’s like owning a White car. Sure, you can run it thru the car-wash, and it will come out looking sparkly and bright, but drive around the block and it’s ready for another pass thru the laundry.
Rosy “recovering” from his bath: “I feel better, now . . .”

[spottedprincess]

I have a leopard appaloosa with a spotted nose who is smart enough to have figured out how to flip up the annoying nose piece on her full-face fly mask. 50 SPF human sunscreen keeps her from burning enough to peel, but she does get a bit pink, and human sunscreen with zinc oxide is too harsh on her skin and gives her a rash worse than the sunburn. I’m going to try desitin next!