ergots / chestnuts

[Long_amp_Short_Ears]

Any suggestions on what to put on horse chestnuts / ergots to soften them up? I’m not talking a little pinky sized chestnut. I’m talking a 19 hand Belgian and they weren’t peeled or messed with in 6 months so they stick out about 2 inches and they are about 3 inches long by 1.5 inches wide. I used hoof oil and Vaseline on the fronts and almost have them gone. Has anyone tried the corn huskers lotion you use on people?
This is not my first rodeo, usually hoof oil with soften them enough to get them to peel/ pick off. I may have the horse shoer nip them as he is coming out to shoe my horse shoe size 8 wearing luvie.
I will post pictures as they are too big to believe lol.

Edited to add: funny story when I work in the city with the drafts ( with not over grown ergots) some animal rights people or just not horse educated people will walk down the line of horses and say "Oh my god all these horses have sores on the inside of their legs!"I then try to nicely explain to them what they are and 50% of the time the people will thank me for explaining and the other half will tell me I am lying. I actually had a lady tell me that they are sores cause we poke them there with our whips to make them walk…… (I cant make this stuff up)

[melula]

try to twist them off after a good soaking spring rain, maybe. I’ve always had luck with Vaseline.

[DawningDreams]

Vaseline, coconut oil, or bag balm would be my suggestions. Coconut is my favorite for all things dry skin and for cleaning my mare’s female bits.

[trubandloki]

@melula

try to twist them off after a good soaking spring rain, maybe.

That has only successfully made for an angry critter when I tried it.

I have one with Chestnuts and ergots like the OP described. I clearly neglected to notice them all winter and now they look like their former toe self.

I am looking forward to some great ideas so I too can tackle this issue.

[Long_amp_Short_Ears]

@trubandloki

That has only successfully made for an angry critter when I tried it.

I have one with Chestnuts and ergots like the OP described. I clearly neglected to notice them all winter and now they look like their former toe self.

I am looking forward to some great ideas so I too can tackle this issue.

Mine guy does not get so much angry as he will try to avoid me twisting them by picking up and putting down the foot repeatedly lol. I think I am gonna try the corn huskers lotion or maybe cuticle cream lol. My mule his peel of a full chestnut size every month super easy, except he like to smell them when I am done, what a weirdo.

[trubandloki]

@Long&Short Ears

Mine guy does not get so much angry as he will try to avoid me twisting them by picking up and putting down the foot repeatedly lol. I think I am gonna try the corn huskers lotion or maybe cuticle cream lol. My mule his peel of a full chestnut size every month super easy, except he like to smell them when I am done, what a weirdo.

I have never heard of corn huskers lotion. I will look into that.

I suppose angry is a strong word. I get the foot pick up and put down thing (and who can blame them, we are basically asking them to pick up their hoof) and then she gets frustrated and tries to spin her whole body away from me.

[Zu_Zu]

BABY OIL…time and then twist off ~

[EquineJunky]

If you have hoof nippers, I have used them (carefully) in the past if there are crevices to get a purchase on to get the bulk of overgrowth off.

[2tempe]

the woman who used to own my horse regularly uses a small knife - dont get too close to leg.

[theresak]

Most farriers will trim them off if you ask.

[Schatzi09]

One horse in my barn grows large chestnuts that tend to split vertically and will not come off. We’ve tried Vaseline, baby oil, etc but they never soften enough to pull off. I’ve used an old farrier’s rasp to gently rasp off what I can. Horse doesn’t seem to mind it either.

[halt]

ask your farrier to snip them when they visit with a paring knife - quick, easy, painless.

[Zu_Zu]

I asked my farrier (of three years) … if he would snip off an ugly :eek: old chestnut off a a senior mare.

He said …‘that’s not part of the trim’ .

He charges $40.00 for a basic trim.

• I tht it was a bit rude … btw he was not kidding.

I use baby oil to soften / then twist ( while almost barfing) them off.

[halt]

@Zu Zu

I asked my farrier (of three years) … if he would snip off an ugly :eek: old chestnut off a a senior mare.

He said …‘that’s not part of the trim’ .

He charges $40.00 for a basic trim.

• I tht it was a bit rude … btw he was not kidding.

I use baby oil to soften / then twist ( while almost barfing) them off.

indeed, a little rude! :eek: it takes all of 5 seconds…

i suppose if one was really determined they could ask to buy one of the old dull paring knives from said farrier, and do it themselves… or slip a little cash… maybe he was worried it would bleed?

[PeteyPie]

I leave the ergots alone because they don’t get very noticeable on my horses. The chestnuts are trimmed by the farrier if they stick out; she uses her nippers and a sharp hoof knife. Like someone said above, be careful with the knife. I wouldn’t use one myself because I don’t trust myself not to slip and cut the horse or myself, but you may be more coordinated than I.

[trubandloki]

My farrier will not remove them either and he is just as much a friend as my farrier.

I do not find it rude. It is not part of their job.

[Nestor]

A friend’s Friesian has chestnuts and ergots so tough that they do not come off by hand. She has to cut them. I believe she uses nippers like farriers use to cut nails.

[merrygoround]

Twisting chestnuts is an excellent way to get an obstinate horse to lift that foot.

And yes they can be trimmed with nippers, and yes I do remember one farrier refusing to do so. And he was an old “cowboy” type.

[PeteyPie]

The only one of my horses who developed protruding chestnuts which the farrier felt inclined to trim was the mare who had metabolic syndrome. @Long&Short Ears I am curious whether your Belgian has any metabolic issues. In the broader sense, I am curious whether horses with metabolic issues tend to have chestnuts which are problematic, as in too long, don’t fall off on their own, grow fast, etc. All my other horses have flat chestnuts and I don’t think the farrier has trimmed them. I also don’t recall seeing one sloughing off so I don’t know how they stay flat. It must happen when I’m not looking.

[Lusoluv]

My Luso gelding had really dry, hard chestnuts. Usually after a full-length, soapy bath I’d apply a generous amount of baby or mineral oil and they’d soften enough to remove without tools. I usually hand graze after a bath and last thing I do before putting him away is remove the chestnuts. They’ve been wet/damp for well over an hour, so they get them pretty pliable. If that doesn’t work for your horse, I’d ask your farrier and offer him a few bucks if he hesitates.

FYI: One of my clients is an organic soap-maker. She tells me I can make big money selling ergots if I collected them from a few horses. They use them to make certain fragrances…Go figure!!