Long summer days at the barn, in the show ring, or on the rail are what equestrian dreams are made of. Spending time outdoors with horses is one of the best things about participating in equestrian sports, but too much sun exposure on unprotected skin can lead to serious health problems. That elevated risk for equestrians inspired one horse show family to step up and help out, and they’re bringing their new nonprofit organization to the 2025 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall + Sterling.

“Last year, my sister and I noticed that a lot of our fellow equestrians were getting a lot of sun while riding at home and at shows,” said Stella Silva, one of the founders of SunSafe Equestrian. “Our dad treats skin cancer patients, and he said a lot of his patients were equestrians, and that inspired us to start a nonprofit to help educate people on the dangers of sun exposure and how to protect themselves.”

Vivian, Stella’s sister and co-founder of SunSafe Equestrian, shared the organization’s driving purpose: “Our mission is to promote sun safety among equestrian riders through education, prevention, and early detection of skin cancer.”

Stella and Vivian’s parents, Camile Silva and Dr. Chad Prather, support their daughters’ initiative that gives back to the horse show community. Dr. Prather is a dermatologist who specializes in skin cancer treatment at his practice in Baton Rouge, La., and provides his expertise to the organization.

“As they’ve grown up riding, the girls have always heard me talk about wearing their helmet visors and long sleeves and sunscreen and all those things that help protect them,” said Dr. Prather. “We know equestrians get a lot of sun just by the nature of the work, when they’re out training and riding. So we thought it was a good collaborative fit to spread the message among the equestrian community.”

Both sisters are veteran Pony Finals competitors. Though Stella moved on to exclusively showing horses a couple of years ago, the family still comes to Kentucky each summer to support Vivian, who shows her pony, Lady, in the medium hunters and the pony medal. It was at Pony Finals in 2024 that the idea for SunSafe Equestrian started to take shape. Since then, they have started running a booth at horse shows where they provide free sunscreen, educational materials, and skin cancer screenings.

“We had the idea here [at Pony Finals] last year, but our first event was at Gulfport in February,” said Stella. “It was received really well by the show, so we decided to do it again, and we hope to continue.”

Many young exhibitors stopped by that first SunSafe booth to take advantage of the free sunscreen and informational resources. Trainers and grooms, who often have busy travel schedules that make seeing a doctor challenging, appreciated the opportunity to have a screening right on site. This year, Pony Finals attendees will have the opportunity to visit the SunSafe booth on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon in the vendor area.

“We’re going to have our booth, and then we’ll have a tent where my dad can run screenings,” said Stella. “Anybody can stop by and follow our Instagram to enter our giveaway, and they can also take some free sunscreen samples. But for people who want to have their skin checked, they can fill out a form, talk to my dad, and then he’ll take them to the tent to be checked privately.”

Dr. Prather adds that if something comes up in the screening, they can help connect people with the next steps to take when they return home.

“If we see anything that’s concerning, we have a nationwide network of dermatologists through the American Academy of Dermatology that we can refer them back to in their home community to get something further treated, if necessary,” he said.

While regular screenings are recommended for adults, and not typically indicated for children or teenagers (unless they have a new or changing mole), it’s never too early to implement good skin health habits.

“Wear sunscreen and long-sleeved shirts,” Stella said, regarding the most important advice she would give to her fellow equestrians. “You can’t really seek shade when you’re riding, so the most important thing would be to wear sunscreen and reapply it — don’t just put it on in the morning and then forget about it.”

Visit SunSafe Equestrian at the 2025 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall + Sterling at their booth on vendors row on Friday, August 8, and Saturday, August 9, from 10 a.m. to noon. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @sunsafe_eq.