Thankfully for your horse and your nerves, hair loss in horses actually might not be as big of a problem as you might think. But just to be sure, let’s go through some probable causes you can check for and fix yourself (or, of course, with the help of a vet).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This article contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n The condition where your horse is missing patches of hair or having a difficult time with hair growth goes by the fancy medical term, “alopecia.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n This condition can be caused by a wide variety of things, some more serious than others. Here are some of the potential causes for horse owners to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A very likely cause is simply springtime shedding! If you notice that the bald spots are seasonal then it’s probably just your horse shedding its winter coat. This is not something you should generally be concerned about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your horse is shedding its coat unevenly, however, then you can try different things to try and fix it:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Note:<\/strong> Sometimes seasonal bald spots, especially located in certain regions of your horse’s body, can also be related to a melatonin issue if the pineal gland is overly active. It has been suggested<\/a> that this may be due to fluorescent and other artificial lighting in the winter months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another very common cause of hair loss in horses is from sores caused by the equipment you’re using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To use my dad as an example… He always wears those standard socks that cover his ankles and the lower part of his shin\/calf. He’s been wearing them that way as long as I can remember (even with sandals and shorts…). And he now has significantly less hair where his socks sit, especially at the back of his leg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The material has actually worn off the hair!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same thing can happen to your horse. A consistently worn blanket might rub them in certain spots. Their saddle pad <\/a>may not protect them properly from the saddle. Or even frequent wearing of a halter could be to blame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anything that consistently rubs the same spot has the potential to rub away their coat.<\/p>\n\n\n You can easily fix this hair loss root cause by getting a different saddle pad<\/a>, blanket, or halter specifically designed to prevent rubbing. Or in terms of things like a halter, you can simply not use one when your horse is stalled (unless there is a specific reason to use it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another common cause of Alopecia is injuries. If your horse has been injured then (just like humans), they’re likely to scar. The skin and surrounding hair around the injury may not grow back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can’t really fix bald spots due to injury; it’s simply how the skin heals. However, as a horse owner, you can take steps to try and prevent your horse from getting injured in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It can be difficult to prevent minor kicking and biting, especially when introducing a new horse into your home. This is a natural process to develop a hierarchy among the herd. But do watch for excessive aggression, and try to curb it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some horses that are overly aggressive need to be worked with and could benefit from separation from the rest of the horses until you can work through their issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, another thing you can do is make sure that there are no areas of your fencing that are sharp or sticking out. Your horse may have tried to scratch or got close to a sharp piece by accident and cut themselves instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although it’s rarer than the previous reasons, another cause could be that there is something in your horse’s diet that’s causing hair loss. Here is an in-depth article<\/a> with pretty much everything you need to know about selenium toxicity vs. deficiency. But here’s the short of it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, you may want to try changing the feed for the affected horse to see if it makes a difference in the amount of hair loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it might not be the result of the feed, but rather what your horse is eating in the fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Selenium is a chemical that is present in a variety of plants and chances are, your horse eats is pretty frequently. (In fact, it’s actually essential for healthy horses’ immune and fertility function, among other things!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Problems can arise, however, if your horse starts eating too much. If there are plants accessible to your horse that are very high in selenium content, they could develop poisoning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the symptoms of selenium poisoning is hair loss especially of the mane and tail (as opposed to the hair follicles on the horse’s coat). Other symptoms to look for include fear and nervousness at first and then weakness, diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, and respiratory distress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another very indicative sign of selenium poisoning is hoof cracking and deformities.<\/p>\n\n\n So if you notice severe horizontal cracks in your horse’s hooves, like the above, call your vet immediately. Acute selenium toxicity can be extremely dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Below are some plants that require a high selenium content in the soil to grow (from igrow.org). You can do a sweep of your pastures to see if there are big sections of any of them around.<\/p>\n\n\n You may also want to do a quick Google search to see if selenium poisoning<\/a> is common in your area. (Along the stretch of the Rocky Mountains and slightly east of them are the most commonly affected areas in North America.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’ve ruled out everything above, then try observing your horse closely for the next few days. Are they biting at and itching against anything they can find? If so, the hair loss could be a result of insect bites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s actually a fancy name for this excessive itching as well, and it’s called “pruritus.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think of dog fleas. On horses, instead of fleas, you get gnats. It’s also important to note that some horses may be more sensitive to the bites than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To try and keep your horse away from insect bites as much as possible, try turning them out at a different time of day or get some insect repellent<\/a> for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or, here’s a video promoting a homemade remedy. (I don’t have any experience with this homemade product so I’m not recommending or advising against it. I just think this is a nice video to show you what the effects look like.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/ol><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"Why](\"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/why-does-my-horse-have-bald-spots-and-what-to-do-about-it-1024x717.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhat Causes Bald Spots on Horses? (Causes of Alopecia)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cause #1: Seasonal Shedding<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/the-most-common-cause-is-shedding.jpg\")
How to Fix It:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
#2: Rubbing<\/strong> from Equipment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Choose](\"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/choose-a-halter-that-prevents-rubbing.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow to Fix It:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cause #3: Bitting, Kicking, & Injuries<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"horses](\"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/horses-fighting-can-cause-hair-loss-in-horses-1024x819.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow To Fix It:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cause #4: Selenium Toxicity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"selenium](\"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/selenium-toxicity-can-cause-hair-loss-in-horses-1024x819.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow to Fix It<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Selenium](\"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/selenium-toxicity-and-horse-hoof.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Plants](\"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/plants-that-need-high-selenium-content-in-the-soil.png\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nCause #5: Gnats<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"horse](\"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/horse-itching-insect-bites-can-cause-hair-loss-in-horses-1024x819.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow to Fix It:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n