Preventing Sunburn in Horses
Reviewed by Liz Schatz, DVM | Updated June 9, 2025
The sun’s powerful rays can cause horses to get sunburnt, too. And unfortunately, their burn will not turn into a tan. Horses with light-colored coats and white face markings – especially on the nose or around the eyes – most often experience sunburn. Damage to their sensitive skin should be treated and their skin protected to prevent future sunburn.
Follow this three-pronged approach to prevent sunburn on horses:
- Use sunscreen
- Seek the shade
- Cover up with protective clothing
Plus, we will touch on an innovative method of shielding horses’ delicate skin around the eyes that veterinarians and researchers are investigating.
Use Sunscreen on Your Horse’s Skin
While there are sunscreen products specifically made for horses, many sunscreen products made for humans are just as safe to use on our equine companions. Sunscreens come in two categories:
- Organic absorbers/filters, and
- Inorganic physical blockers (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide).
You will probably have the most luck not only with a product that includes a chemical from each category, but also with more than one chemical from the organic category, since it’s hard to find one chemical that blocks UVA1, UVA2 and UVB.
According to the FDA (the agency that regulates sunscreens) products with an SPF 15 or higher are acceptable. That is because SPF 15 filters out 93% of UVB rays, SPF 30 filters out 97%, and SPF 50 filters out 98%.
How to Put Sunscreen on Your Horse
Remember the rules about applying sunscreen? Apply 15-30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every two hours. While that schedule might be difficult for most horse owners, be sure to reapply after exercise, rain, bathing, or grooming.
If your horse is grazing, then he is probably rubbing off much of the sunscreen on his nose in the grass. You could try using a brightly colored sunscreen or sunblock so you can see when this happens. Plus, it will keep your neighbors guessing what color your horse will be sporting each day! Also, some fly sprays and insect repellents include sunscreens and coat conditioners in their formulas for more bang for your buck.
Seek the Shade
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends avoiding exposure to the sun between 10am and 4pm. Is this something you could do with your horse? Many people who are trying to prevent their black or bay horses from bleaching keep them in well-ventilated stalls during the day and only turn them out at night.
At the very minimum, provide an optional break from the sun’s rays in the form of a sunshade sail covered area or a more solid run-in shed which they can enter or exit as they please. Even planting trees can provide some relief from the sun to help your horse stay cool and comfortable.
Cover Up Your Horse in Protective Gear
A broad-brimmed straw hat and sunglasses is probably out of the question for your horse, but a long fly mask that covers the nose might be a good option! Fly sheets with UV protection and lightweight fly boots can also offer cover for your horse’s skin and coat while shielding him from the bugs.
If your horse tends to play rough or escape from his fly masks in the paddock, try experimenting with different styles from manufacturers. Finding one that stays on your horse will have to do with the size and shape of your horse’s head (as well as his playfulness and antics with the rest of the herd).
A trick for horses that repeatedly remove their fly masks is to attach a grazing muzzle to their halter. The grazing muzzle could act as another layer of insurance that the fly mask will remain on throughout turnout. You could put the grazing muzzle on the most playful or frisky horse in the herd who might like ripping off other horse’s fly masks! The grazing muzzle itself could also provide a physical barrier for parts of the nose to prevent some of the sun’s rays from reaching their sensitive skin.
Tattooing a Horse’s Eyelids
There has been discussion in recent years about tattooing the eyelids of horses with lightly pigmented or nonpigmented eyelids, which tends to occur in breeds such as American Paint Horses and Appaloosas. The tattoo is inked in an effort to protect them from UV light damage and subsequent squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
The procedure can be performed by a licensed veterinarian who puts the horse under general anesthesia. The tattooing process usually takes a good deal of time, but there have been questions raised as to whether it could prevent SCC.
Clinical Research on Equine Eyelid Tattoos
A 2009 retrospective study [1] included 22 horses that had their eyelids tattooed at Colorado State University. Two of the 22 horses went on to develop ocular or periocular SCC during the follow-up period (3 months to 17 years). Because this was a retrospective study, we are not able to extrapolate any efficacy data, but we do know that the procedure can be performed safely. However, it should be noted that general anesthesia is not without risk and should be considered when deciding if eyelid tattooing is appropriate for a specific horse.
Due to the lack of clinical research on equine eyelid tattooing, we reached out to Nicole Scherrer, DVM, DACVO, Associate Professor of Clinical Large Animal Ophthalmology at New Bolton Center for more information. Dr. Scherrer explained that tattoo ink is deposited in the dermis and SCC affects cells in the epidermis (layer above the dermis). Therefore, tattooing is unlikely to protect horses from developing this type of cancer. She noted that an excellent alternative is the use of >90% UV protective fly masks. In addition to protecting the eyelids, these masks protect the eyes and periocular tissues (such as the third eyelid) from UV damage.
Additional Horse Owner Resources
- Watch this video to learn about treatments for horses that are sunburnt.
- Understand how much sun your horse really needs by reading this article on equine vitamin D requirements.
Research
- Gionfriddo, Juliet R., et al. “Tattooing of the Equine Eyelid: A Retrospective Study.” Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, vol. 29, no. 2, Feb. 2009, pp. 82–86, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2008.12.005.