Summer skin guide

Summer Skin Issues in Horses: Checks, Prevention, and Support Path

Summer heat, sweat, insects, rain, humidity, sun exposure, and dirty gear can all challenge a horse’s skin. The best first step is not guessing. It is checking the skin, controlling the environment, and knowing when the problem needs veterinary help.

Quick answer: For summer skin problems, inspect first, reduce moisture and insect pressure, clean only as needed, dry the coat fully, keep gear clean, and choose routine topical support only when the area is appropriate. Painful, open, hot, swollen, draining, spreading, blistered, or recurring skin concerns need professional guidance.

Summer care path

Control the cause before you reach for a bottle.

Skin support works best after the basics are handled: moisture, sweat, insects, sun exposure, dirty blankets, dirty boots, and repeat friction.

Call your vet if

• The area is open, raw, deep, draining, bleeding, hot, swollen, or painful.
• The skin problem is spreading quickly or keeps returning.
• Multiple horses are affected.
• The horse has fever, lameness, dullness, appetite change, or abnormal behavior.
• You see blistering, severe sunburn, photosensitivity, or a possible toxic plant/liver-related concern.
• You suspect ringworm, mange, lice, infection, allergy, or a wound.

Common summer skin categories

• Insect irritation and itching: manage turnout timing, fans, fly sheets, clean stalls, manure control, and environmental defense routines.
• Sun exposure and pink skin: provide shade, protective gear, and equine-appropriate sun management. Blistering or severe sensitivity needs veterinary input.
• Rain rot and moisture-related crusting: reduce prolonged wet coat time, clean gently, dry fully, and avoid scrubbing skin raw.
• Cannon crud and pastern irritation: check boots, wraps, mud, sweat, hair, and repeated friction.
• Photosensitivity: do not treat this as a simple grooming problem. Sun sensitivity can involve plants, medications, or systemic issues.

Summer skin routine

1. Look closely before applying anything.
2. Identify the pattern: location, texture, pain, itching, moisture, and whether it is spreading.
3. Clean only as needed and rinse fully.
4. Dry the coat and skin completely.
5. Clean brushes, saddle pads, boots, blankets, fly sheets, towels, and wraps.
6. Reduce the cause: insects, sun, sweat, mud, friction, or standing moisture.
7. Choose a product path only if the area is appropriate for routine topical support.

Choose the product path

• ShowBarn Secret® Lavender Shampoo - wash-rack cleanup when bathing makes sense.
• ShowBarn Secret® Waterless Tea Tree Shampoo - waterless cleanup when a full bath is not the right move.
• Rapid Relief Restorative Spray - lighter spray-format skin-support path for appropriate external areas.
• Rapid Relief Restorative Cream - focused hand-applied cream for clean, dry, appropriate areas.
• RESTOREaHORSE® - heavier stay-put salve format for targeted skin-support routines.
• Silver Hoof EQ Therapy® - hoof, heel, frog, and lower-leg path when the issue is closer to hoof or heel care.
• Citraquin® Environmental Defense Spray - environmental defense routine for barns, trailers, turnout prep, and summer management.