For Every Rider Under the Sun
SunSafe Equestrian brings sun safety, education, and free skin cancer screenings to horse shows, helping riders, trainers, show staff, and families protect their skin while doing what they love.
Our Story
Protecting the Equestrian Community, One Show at a Time.
Founded by sisters Stella and Vivian Prather Silva at ages 14 and 12, both lifelong equestrian riders, SunSafe Equestrian began as a way to protect the community they love. Growing up around horse shows, they saw firsthand how much time riders spend outdoors and how easily sun safety can be forgotten.
With support from their father, Dr. Chad Prather, a board-certified dermatologist, they launched SunSafe Equestrian to bring sunscreen, education, and early detection directly to the showgrounds. At every event, the SunSafe team offers free sunscreen, educational materials, and free on-site skin cancer screenings for riders, trainers, families, and staff. Screenings are quick, confidential, and open to anyone attending the event.
Because Long Days in the Sun Add Up.
Riders spend hours outdoors, and that exposure adds up over time. SunSafe Equestrian was created to bring awareness, prevention, and early detection directly to the equestrian community, helping riders protect their skin today and for years to come.
See Us at The Show or Invite Us to Yours
We’re expanding our show schedule and are always looking to connect with new events that share our mission.
About
About SunSafe Equestrian
SunSafe Equestrian is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting sun safety and skin cancer awareness for the equestrian community.
Founded by sisters Stella and Vivian Prather Silva—both lifelong riders who grew up spending countless weekends at horse shows under the Louisiana sun—the organization was born from a simple realization: while riders never forget their helmets and boots, sunscreen is too often overlooked.
At home, the sisters regularly heard from their father, Dr. Chad Prather, Baton Rouge dermatologist and owner of Derma, about how common sun damage is among people who work or play outdoors, from equestrians to farmers. Seeing this need firsthand in their own sport, Stella and Vivian set out to make sun protection easier, more accessible, and more widely understood within the equestrian community.
With guidance from their parents and their dad’s medical expertise, they launched SunSafe Equestrian to help riders take small, proactive steps toward lifelong skin health. What began as a small effort to protect friends at the showgrounds has grown into a movement to make sun safety a natural part of every rider’s routine.
Today, SunSafe Equestrian travels to horse shows to provide free sunscreen, educational resources, and on-site skin cancer screenings—empowering riders, trainers, staff, and families to protect their skin while doing what they love.
Our Mission
Educate. Prevent. Detect.
Education
Awareness is the first step toward lasting change. Spending long days in the sun is second nature for most equestrians, but knowing how to protect your skin often isn’t. That’s why education sits at the heart of SunSafe Equestrian. At every show and through our social media, we share simple, realistic reminders that fit into any rider’s routine.
We believe that sun safety should be as much a part of a rider’s routine as tacking up a horse and that awareness can save lives. Through free sunscreen distribution, educational outreach, and on-site skin cancer screenings, we’re helping riders and families stay protected both in and out of the ring.
Prevention
Prevention is more than handing out sunscreen. It’s about creating habits that stick. Every booth we set up is stocked with free sunscreen and moisturizers, making it easy for riders, parents, and show staff to take action right away.
Early Detection
At every pop-up, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Chad Prather provides free, on-site skin checks for anyone attending the show. We understand how hard it is for people who travel from show to show to find time for a dermatologist visit. These quick screenings make it easy to get checked on the spot.
In the News
Stella and Vivian’s story and their mission to make sun protection part of every rider’s routine have been featured by leading equestrian publications.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Catch Us at the Showgrounds
SunSafe Equestrian was built for the showgrounds, where riders, trainers, family members, and more spend their days doing what they love. At every event we attend, our booth brings education, free sunscreen, and on-site skin screenings directly to the equestrian community.
CONTACT US