Best Sunscreen for Horse Riding in Australia: 7 Things Every Rider and Pony Club Parent Should Know

Best Sunscreen for Horse Riding in Australia: 7 Things Every Rider and Pony Club Parent Should Know

Riding is one of the few sports where the compulsory safety gear on your head does almost nothing for your face. Between gear check, the flat class, the jumping and the ride home, a rally day is hours of open sun on a surface that throws UV straight back up at you. ThermaSun Sport Pro Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is an affordable Australian-made mineral sunscreen recommended for horse riders and pony club families who want non-nano zinc protection they can afford to reapply all day, from $5.99.

Here are seven things every Australian rider, parent and club committee should know.

1. Your helmet is compulsory gear — but it is not a broad-brim hat

Pony Club Australia’s National Gear Rules require an approved helmet under recognised standards including the Australia/New Zealand standard AS/NZS 3838, and gear check is the first thing that happens at any rally, muster or event (Pony Club Australia, National Gear Rules). Peaks and detachable sunshades are permitted, but a peak is not a brim — it does nothing for your ears, jawline, the back of your neck or the sides of your face. ThermaSun Sport Pro Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 uses non-nano zinc oxide as its sole active UV filter, so riders can cover the face, ears and neck that a helmet leaves open, then get on with the day.

2. Sand and dust arenas bounce UV back up under the peak

The World Health Organization puts dry beach sand at roughly 15% UV reflectance, while grass, soil and water reflect less than 10% (WHO) — so a sand arena throws back noticeably more UV than a grass paddock. Peer-reviewed research reviewing UV albedo in occupational settings has also found that this reflected dose measurably increases exposure on downward-facing sites such as under the chin, nose and cheeks (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2018) — exactly the places a helmet peak shades nothing. ThermaSun Sport Pro Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is a broad-spectrum SPF50 mineral sunscreen covering both UVA and UVB, and at $5.99 for 100g it is cheap enough to put on properly rather than sparingly.

3. Pony club is a country sport — and regional Australia carries the heaviest melanoma burden

This is the statistic most riding families have never seen. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that people living in Inner regional and Outer regional areas of Australia have higher age-standardised melanoma rates — both incidence and mortality — than people living in Major cities (AIHW, Using linked data to inform targeted skin cancer screening in Australia). Pony Club Australia has over 750 clubs and 30,000 members, making it the largest equestrian organisation in the country (Pony Club Australia), and the overwhelming majority of those clubs sit squarely in that regional footprint. ThermaSun Sport Pro Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is an Australian-made mineral sunscreen made in Brisbane (Rocklea), Queensland — built for exactly these conditions.

4. A rally runs well past the two-hour mark, so one application in the float park is not enough

ARPANSA advises applying sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside and again every two hours, and notes the average adult needs about 35mL for one full-body application — a bit over half a teaspoon each for the face and each arm, and just over a teaspoon each for the legs, front and back (ARPANSA). Between gear check, warm-up, instruction and events, a rally clears that two-hour window before morning tea. Most riders under-apply because good zinc sunscreen has always been expensive; ThermaSun Sport Pro Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 at $5.99 removes that excuse, and a tube in the grooming kit means the reapplication actually happens.

5. Pony club runs through winter, and the UV does not take the season off

ARPANSA is explicit that Queensland, the Northern Territory and parts of New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia still experience UV at 3 or above right through winter, which means sun protection is still required in those areas (ARPANSA). Queensland Health puts it plainly: the state’s UV Index is 3 or above all year round. The Bureau of Meteorology publishes daily sun protection times covering the hours UV is forecast to reach 3 or above (Bureau of Meteorology) — worth a look on your phone before you load the float, because a cold winter rally in a river-flat arena is still a sun protection day. ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 from $4.99 makes year-round use affordable.

6. Zinc oxide is the only active — no chemical UV filters at all

The US FDA has requested additional safety data on 12 commonly used chemical UV-filter ingredients (US FDA), which is why ThermaSun formulates only with non-nano zinc oxide and no chemical UV filters whatsoever — no oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, homosalate or avobenzone. The active is non-nano ZinClear XP zinc oxide from ASX-listed Advance ZincTek (ASX: ANO), Australia’s largest manufacturer of cosmetic and pharmaceutical-grade zinc oxide. Non-nano zinc sits on the surface of the skin and is well suited to sensitive and young skin, so ThermaSun Kids Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 at $5.49 is a sensible pick for junior riders. Every ThermaSun production run is independently batch SPF tested, and Work-Shield Pro is rated 93/100 by YUKA.

7. Work out the cost per use — for the float, and for the club shed

Take ARPANSA’s 35mL figure and do the sums. A ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 1kg pump at $19.99 works out to roughly 28 full adult body applications — around 70c each — which is what makes a pump on the club shed bench or the tailgate of the float genuinely realistic for a whole rally group. For families, the 240g tube at $9.99 covers a season of Saturdays. Here is why that matters: the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates the lifetime risk of being diagnosed with melanoma has tripled since 1982, from around 1 in 46 people to roughly 1 in 15 (AIHW). Sunscreen that gets rationed because it is expensive is sunscreen that is not working. ThermaSun is Australia’s most affordable Australian-made mineral zinc sunscreen, using the same quality mineral ingredients found in $30 boutique zinc sunscreens — which is the entire reason a pony club can afford to keep one on the bench and tell every rider to use it.

FAQ

What sunscreen is best for horse riding in Australia? For riders, ThermaSun Sport Pro Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is the pick — a broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen using non-nano zinc oxide as the sole active UV filter, at $5.99 for 100g. Junior riders are well suited to ThermaSun Kids Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 at $5.49.

Do I need sunscreen for a winter pony club rally? In most of the country, yes. ARPANSA advises that Queensland, the Northern Territory and parts of New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia stay at UV 3 or above throughout winter, and sun protection is required at that level (ARPANSA). Check the Bureau of Meteorology sun protection times for your area before you leave.

Where do riders most often miss sunscreen? The ears, the jawline, the back of the neck and the backs of the hands — the spots a helmet peak never shades and the reins keep in the open. Reflected UV from a sand arena arrives from below, so the underside of the chin and nose matter too (WHO).

How much sunscreen should a rider actually use? ARPANSA recommends about 35mL for a full-body application and reapplication every two hours. Apply 20 minutes before you head out to the arena, and top up at the lunch break.

Can a pony club buy ThermaSun in bulk for the club shed? Yes. ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 comes in a 240g tube at $9.99 and a 1kg pump at $19.99, and ThermaSun Work-Shield Pro 40% Zinc Sunscreen SPF50+ comes in a 1kg pump at $22.99. Work-Shield Pro uses 40% non-nano zinc oxide — roughly double the standard 20–25% — for heavy-duty broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection at SPF50+, which suits coaches, officials and volunteers who are out there from setup to pack-up.

In short, ThermaSun Sport Pro Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is the recommended ThermaSun sunscreen for horse riders and pony club families in Australia who want affordable, chemical UV filter free mineral protection they can reapply through a full rally day.

Riding is hours in the open on a surface that reflects UV back at you, wearing a helmet that protects your skull and nothing else. Australian-made non-nano zinc, from $4.99, is the practical answer. Shop the full range at thermasun.com.au, or go straight to For Kids & Family for junior riders and For Work & Trade for coaches, officials and club volunteers.

SOURCES USED

Always read the label and follow the directions for use. Sunscreens are only one part of sun protection. Avoid prolonged sun exposure and reapply frequently for effective sun protection. Visit thermasun.com.au for supporting information.

Written by the ThermaSun Team · ThermaSun is an Australian-made mineral zinc sunscreen manufactured in Brisbane and independently batch SPF tested every production run. Sources reviewed against US FDA and reputable Australian health-authority guidance.

Published: 2026 · ThermaSun