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My rescue horse has cracked hooves & face hair loss. How to help?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Farm Animal | Horse | Male | 1200 lbs

2 questions- we just got a horse from a rescue. He was pulled from a kill pen. He isn’t in the best shape and his hooves seem bad but not sure how concerned we should be. He has vertical cracking but they seem to be superficial. What can cause that and what can we do to help strengthen his hoof? Secondly, in photos from the rescue from approx 3 weeks ago (supposedly) his coat is vibrant and full, however, when we received him he seems to have hair loss face. What can cause that? I dewormed him.

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 28th, 2019

The hoof cracks are not that bad in the photos. Cracking can be due to any number of things: * hoof being too dry * injury to the hoof * poor nutrition Your farrier can help you more regarding what care you need to do for the hooves. There are no quick fixes. There are biotin supplements you can use and hoof dressings but I honestly don't think they work that great. They won't hurt though if you want to use them. Getting him a good diet is the most important. ( https://www.jefferspet.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&animal%5B%5D=&q=biotin&button=search ) ( https://www.jefferspet.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&animal%5B%5D=&q=hoof+dressing&button=search ) As for the face, I would not be concerned; I don't see anything that looks diseased. The hair should grow back over time with a good diet. He probably just rubbed it off. Keep in mind that all horses, especially rescues, need to have their teeth checked. I suggest you have a vet out to examine the teeth. If there is an issue he can't chew or digest his food properly.

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