question about ergots.

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sue12345

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The ergots on my very heavily feathered cob are huge and they have split into 4 or 5 pieces about 2 inchs long. They are curling round (imagine a curly chip) and are very sharpe. Will my farrier, who is coming next week be able to cut them back or is it a vet job.
 
Thanks. only had him a year and my other horse doesn't have a problem with them growing this big. Feeel a bit guilty that i hadn't noticed how bad they'd got. i actualy cut my finger on them.
 
Farrier, but you can do it if you are careful.They can bleed lots so don't go too short. Let the farrier do it if he's due but in betweentimes, get a very sharp knife or nippers and do it yourself.
 
Dont worry! Its normal and my cob has them like that as well. I cut them off myself :o
Just with pincers like the farrier uses, just don't go to close and cut the horse!
My cob's ones split into loads of branches too.
 
if i forget to ask my farrier to do ours i do them myself with secateurs.(garden pruning thingies from asda £2)
 
My Shires' ergots can be enormous. My farrier usually removes them. He
told me that I can twist them off if they get too overgrown. Since the
farrier comes here every 5 weeks, we've got them pretty much under
control now.
 
Um, this may be daft, but what are ergots?
I've heard of chestnuts but never ergots.

Sorry, don't mean to hijack!
 
My farrier takes NAS's off for me if his feathers are short.

I have actually seen NAS pull one of himself and eat it... I was very nearly sick!
 
M'n'M said:
Um, this may be daft, but what are ergots?
I've heard of chestnuts but never ergots.

Sorry, don't mean to hijack!
Click to expand...
They are like chestnuts that grow on the back of the leg just above the fetlock, common in the more hairy horses (although I think all horses might have them someone said but no sign of them on my dumblood)! :)
 
I cut them off myself with a very sharp knife. They seem to come from nowhere!! One day they are not there the next they are huge big ugly curly things!!! Luckily cos he's heavily feathered you don't see them.
 
The ergot is at the back of the base of the fetlock joint. My Clydie mare has really long, multiple ergots When I bath her for shows I trim them back with seceteurs or ask the farrier to trim them for me.

Do be careful as they do have a blood suply as they get closer to the horse.

Fine breeds have such fine ergots that with some its actually hard to finf them

Ergot.jpg
 
Some useless information, ergot is a fungal disease of wheat that makes the head of the wheat droop & look just like a horses ergot. Which got nameed first I've no idea, chicken & egg situation, I think. Told you it was useless info didn't I.
 
Mine has some big ones buried in his feathers and I always forget to ask Farrier to trim up(I was told they were like an extra toe??)UM!! But they are quite big ones 3" they dont bother him so I just leave alone but can understand them being trimmed up..not sure if I would do it with out being shown how far much to trim off...I dont like them.
 
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