ergots / chestnuts

[Dbliron]

I use gardening secateurs to trim chestnuts and ergots. I had a Friesian who grew ergots like talons, and the secateurs kept them controlled without causing her pain.

[ChestnutArabianMare]

My old mare grew pretty decent chestnuts and ergots… I would just rub hand lotion into them to soften them up, preferably before riding, do whatever, apply another coat and then peel. I loved it!

Sadly, my current mare barely grows any. I’ve had her a year and haven’t had to peel them yet.

[Lizrd]

I will never forget something I saw as a teenager. A boarder was using a paring knife to cut long chestnuts off his OTTB. A really cute gelding that I always envied and day dreamed about riding. The owner was a bit of a clod and didn’t have common horse sense. Well, OTTB spooked while owner was trying to pare his chestnut. Knife slipped, cut through some major blood vessels and the horse bled a LOT before the vet got there. He could have damn near killed his own horse.

If you are going to trim chestnuts on your own, please be incredibly careful.

[warriorhorse]

For horse’s who grow big chestnuts hoof nippers work well. Ergot never have owned a horse who grew enough to mess with it. Current horse never needs anything done with chestnuts/ergots ,been the same for 4 or 5 years.

[trubandloki]

@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.

In my not scientific study on this (knowing my horses and the horses of several friends) I see a correlation between the chestnut/ergot growth and the mane & tail growth.
Those with less mane & tail have flat chestnuts or small chestnuts and small ergots that seem to maintain themselves or require minimal attention from the human. Those whose main and tail grow thick and fast also have ergots and chestnuts that grow thick and fast.

[beau159]

My Shotgun tends to get pretty large chestnuts. I honestly just gradually trim them down flush with a hoof nippers. Gets the job done and he’s never been bothered by it.

[allons-y]

My OTTB has no ergots. None, not a nib, nothing. His chestnuts barely grow and are soft and easy to peel. The Pone grows fast but are easy to peel. The Paint grows the chestnuts fast, thick and rocklike. Fighting and kicking during herd rankings trimmed them nicely when he first got here:eek:. Now I have to deal with them myself. I’ve been putting various softeners on to no avail. I will ask my farrier to trim them, hope he will.

[PeteyPie]

@trubandloki

In my not scientific study on this (knowing my horses and the horses of several friends) I see a correlation between the chestnut/ergot growth and the mane & tail growth.
Those with less mane & tail have flat chestnuts or small chestnuts and small ergots that seem to maintain themselves or require minimal attention from the human. Those whose main and tail grow thick and fast also have ergots and chestnuts that grow thick and fast.

Well you can add my horse to your study. She had a very thick mane and tail which grew fast.