Whether you're climbing a mountain, leading a group, riding across the countryside or simply enjoying a day outdoors, it's easy to underestimate the power of the sun—especially in the UK. 

 

Many people think of sunburn as little more than an uncomfortable inconvenience. In the army it was a self inflected wound. 

 

In reality, it is a burn injury caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation damaging the skin. Like any burn, it causes inflammation, fluid loss and pain. Severe cases can even require emergency medical treatment. 

When you're riding, teaching, competing, hacking, grooming, loading, or simply spending time around horses, things can go wrong. 

 

Most of us accept that as part of horse ownership. 

 

Horses are powerful animals. They're intelligent, sensitive, and occasionally unpredictable. Even the quietest horse can spook, slip, trip, kick, rear, bolt, or react unexpectedly to something in the environment. 

 

Yet despite this, first aid often sits surprisingly low on our list of priorities. 

 

We invest in saddles, rugs, lorries, trailers, lessons, competitions, clinics, and qualifications. We spend hours improving our riding and horse care skills. But many riders and horse owners have never had any formal first aid training beyond what they may have learned years ago. 

 

So the question is simple: 

 

If something happened tomorrow, would you know what to do?