Annoyingly large ergots

[NU ABO]

Just looking for some advice.
My boy has particularly large ergots. The one on his right hind leg, well, I can't even tell what shape it is, but it's huge.

Currently they're being covered by his feathers, but I'd really like to clip his feather's off for the summer.

What do you reckon, clip anyway and hopefully it'll look alright, or leave as is and try to trim as short as possible while still keeping them covered?
They do fall off every now and then, one of his front left leg has recently come off, and last summer he managed to knock the other front one off while jumping (has grown back now though)

 

[LouS]

My farrier usually trims them for me (is trim even the right word?!).

 

[be positive]

Get the farrier to trim them next time he comes.

 

[galaxy]

just ask your farrier to nip them off when he next comes. Problem solved

 

[NU ABO]

Oh, I didn't realise it was that simple!
Fantastic, the farrier's due out next week as well

Wonder why my RI seemed so worried when that first one came off during a jump session then....
Maybe she thought he'd taken an actual chunk out of himself

 

[mollichop]

My mare has always had small ergots, but I trimmed her feathers a couple of weeks ago and noticed her off fore one has got really long - just that one though

Will ask farrier to cut it off next visit and hope it doesn't come back as long again.

 

[POLLDARK]

Just get a strong kitchen scissors & remove them. Just like that.

 

[chestnut cob]

Get your farrier to nip them off, mine does!

 

[Ollie's Mum]

Just get a strong kitchen scissors & remove them. Just like that.

I use garden pruning shears!

 

[MerrySherryRider]

My farrier clips them, or OH does. Be careful not to cut too short though so they don't start bleeding.

 

[irishcob]

I use garden pruning shears!

I find my gardening secateurs are perfect for the job! (In fact can't remember the last time I actually used them for gardening... They just live in the tack box!)

 

[mollichop]

Sorted - i've got a set of secateurs at the yard as just tidied up the gateway

 

[shellonabeach]

My lad grows long ergots. I cut his the other week (normally just trim around them) and found that once I had cut a bit off the bit underneath was softer and so it was easier to take them shorter and shorter a bit at a time with the scissors as I got braver!

Oddly enough my mare doesn't have any ergots which my farrier found most odd (I always knew she was special!)

 

[LaurenB]

I just pull them off! Ugly things!

 

[Magicmillbrook]

They are just the same as chestnuts realy, if they are very hard ask farrier to do it. Its often easier if they are wet to sfter a bath or heavy rain, or often they will just peel away. One of ours knocked one jumping once and it bled a little and was sore, probably like cuting a nail to closely