Ergot on a Shetland

[Athena055]

Hi all,

Today i was picking out my 9yo shetlands feet when i noticed something on his leg. My mum had a look and said it was the ergot. What had happened is that his ergot was like 1.5 inches long, on all 4 feet. I had never seen this before or my mum and we are both very puzzled by it, my other 2 horses do not have these. Can someone please help me out, do ergot's grow????

Thanks in advance

 

[Athena055]

bump

 

[Beausmate]

They do grow. All horses have them, some are tiny and some are mahoosive, a bit like the chestnuts. Heavier horses tend to grow bigger ones. They're vestigial toes (leftovers from when horses' ancestors had five toes), so it's a bit like a little hoof and therefore they keep growing until they either flake off, or get trimmed.

 

[risky business]

It's perfectly normal

My welsh D has huge ones! Ugly things they are!

 

[be positive]

Yes they grow just like the hoof and chestnuts do, some will keep being knocked or rubbed so they dont get very long, others need to have them trimmed, ask your farrier to do them next time he trims the feet or if you are happy to, do them yourself.

 

[Athena055]

Okay thanks for all your help, my mum removed them