Best way to remove ergots?

[tye_bo]

What's the best way to remove ergots? Since getting my horse back from loan they are about 7 cm long!! You can't see them under her feathers but they are going tomorrow

and I don't want the ergots sticking out, I just don't like them for some reason

 

[Parkranger]

get your farrier to lop them off!

 

[Parkranger]

oooops I meant chestnuts!!

 

[palomino_pony]

Same - ask farrier

 

[sarahrees]

yep ask farrier mine did

 

[PennyJ]

You could cut off the worst with garden secateurs and then go back to peeling them off (I hate this job more than willy washing lol)

 

[Cahill]

i peel chestnuts off and use secateurs for ergots.my cob has very large ergots,if i remember i ask my farrier.

 

[Thistle]

Yes, Farrier or garden trimmers

 

[Eaglestone]

I always call them 'Walnuts' as it is a word association thing

I just peel them off ... I looooove doing things like that

 

[Theresa_F]

I get farrier to snip off the ergots when he is doing their trimming. I can do them myself I have a pair of the big hoof nippers used by the farrier to do this, but easier for him to do it as I hold the feather out of the way. As I have lots of feather I leave about 1/4" in case I cut them too short.

I actually love peeling off chesnuts and then rubbing them down to oil for showing - how sad I am.

 

[Tiffany]

Farrier does my girls.

 

[Fransurrey]

Tee hee! This reminds me of when I first got my pony and didn't realise what exactly they were made of. I asked the farrier to take them off, thinking they'd have the same texture as hoof. He looked at me like I was a right wuss, then reached over and picked them off. I was amazed and have had fun peeling the buggers ever since!

 

[wizzi901]

you oil them for showing??! never heard of this before, doesnt the oil drip a bit or do you have a darker coloured horsey??

 

[Tia]

I use my nippers to cut ergots and chestnuts off.