Ergots & Chestnuts and Frogs (oh my!)

[molly34]

Just curious really..... who's horses have very knobbly and overgrown ones?

Not too bothered about Willow's because she's a hairy mary anyway, but under all the fuzz they're really big and raggedy looking!

I realise frogs are a bit different as foot condition is rather more important than cosmetic appearance, and I'll ask the farrier to trim when he does her paws. But the chestnuts & ergots..... can/should/do you trim them too?

[Sammii]

Farrier does Red's chestnuts as and when they need doing. I hate the things, they're icky.

[Yann]

Rio has prehistoric ergots and big chestnuts, and has knocked them off and bled before. The farrier ought to be able to nip them off for you if you want, or you can soften them and pull them off by coating them in vaseline (chestnuts at least).

Big fat healthy frogs are usually a good thing. There's a school of thought that suggests it's better to leave them alone and only trim off anything ragged, paring can open them to infection.

[capalldubh]

I used to take long chestnuts off the old cob I loaned when they got long and looked like they might rip off on something. I used hoof nippers and just didn't get too close to the leg. They're completely insensitive, just like toenails :) I guess the things you use to prune rosebushes (can't spell it ) would work fine too?

[molly34]

Rio has prehistoric ergots and big chestnuts, and has knocked them off and bled before. The farrier ought to be able to nip them off for you if you want, or you can soften them and pull them off by coating them in vaseline (chestnuts at least).

Big fat healthy frogs are usually a good thing. There's a school of thought that suggests it's better to leave them alone and only trim off anything ragged, paring can open them to infection.

I hadn't thought about the ripping off thing - that's horrible! I can't imagine anything getting through the feather to her ergots, but I might ask him to nip her chestnuts then. Her frogs are good, but they're a bit spread and ragged on the edges and as she's barefoot I thought she'd probably benefit from a tidy up. Definitely don't like the idea of paring.

Thanks for the responses guys - I have an ever growing list of daft questions about things that I never really thought about before getting my own ned, because they just happened! Its a bit like not knowing about checking the oil in a car until you start driving I suppose.

[KateWooten]

secateurs ! I've never had the nerve to prune one, but I understand they're completely inert tissue and you can just do that. If you keep then short, though, you can just rub / pick off the top few layers - sort of comes away in flakes - every couple of weeks to stop them getting big and nasty.

[capalldubh]

secateurs !

Ah, it was the eu bit that I couldn't remember :D I think they would work fine, just as long as you didn't get too close to the leg.

Shannon was quite interested when I took them off (they're quite smelly and she wanted to sniff them ewww), but didn't even blink, so they're definitely insensitive :)

[Mehitabel]

i hack the chestnuts off - never had an ergot big enough to bother doing, but i would in theory. mostly they can be pulled off as they grow in layers, but sometimes i've used a knife.

[Peanut]

The farrier trims my friend's draught horse as they grow huge. He's never had to trim my horse's as they seem to flake off as they grow.

[molly34]

I've never pulled or picked at them because I was worried I'd pull too much off and hurt! I've had bits of the ergots off when I've combed her feathers though, so maybe I just need to be a bit braver. They really are the biggest ones I've ever seen - not sure if its because everyone else keeps on top of them, or she's just a knobbly kind of hoss!

[Wally]

I don't like trimming frogs, only the raggedy bits that stones could get caught up in.

[domane]

My farrier trims Cherry's ergots and chestnuts. They were done a couple of weeks ago, when they both had their feet trimmed, just before she went on loan. My farrier fed one of her chestnuts to Ludo as a joke....

....and he ATE it!!! :eek: Bleurgh!!!!

[capalldubh]

My farrier trims Cherry's ergots and chestnuts. They were done a couple of weeks ago, when they both had their feet trimmed, just before she went on loan. My farrier fed one of her chestnuts to Ludo as a joke....

....and he ATE it!!! Bleurgh!!!!

lol, we need to save up all the chestnuts and ergots and package them. There's a big market for low sugar treats, you know :D

[Joyscarer]

The farrier deals with the frogs, I pick at the chestnuts as and when - a job I LOVE but then I used to like picking at sunburn in the old days when nobody thought anything about getting sunburnt :rolleyes:

The ergots have never got too long but would ask the farrier to do those too if needbe although he would notice and do them anyway I'm sure :)

[molly34]

My farrier trims Cherry's ergots and chestnuts. They were done a couple of weeks ago, when they both had their feet trimmed, just before she went on loan. My farrier fed one of her chestnuts to Ludo as a joke....

....and he ATE it!!! :eek: Bleurgh!!!!
Now here's an idea..... I could just smear molasses on them and see if the greedy Welshie fancies a nibble!!

[Nik-n-Kia]

Kia trims his own chestnuts :confused:

I have seen him with his head down licking away at them and scratching.

Well I assume thats what he is doing as I have never trimmed them in 3 years and they are almost flush against his leg.

He rubs his nose/head on them to (well that part of his leg) so that might have something to do with them not growing.

He doesnt seem to grow big ergots either but the farrier may just be trimming them without bothering to tell me, Daz is good at all the little things.

Nikki xxx:)

[AlexNI]

At my old yard the rats used to eat Jenna's ergots - bleugghh, you could see the teeth marks on them! They lived in the stable walls and sneaked out at night for a feast - yummy!

[Tatooed Lady]

Queen's chestnuts haven't grown out much, although I DID pick at one last fall...a bit came out, no problem. Her ergots, though..... :rolleyes: THOSE are in need of a good trim! Have to ask the farrier to clip them down for me, since I don't have a clipper big enough to do the job...they're probably as big around as my pinky.

[Cupcake]

I put petroleum jelly on the chestnuts. Leave them for an hour and then pull them off. It's great because they come right off and leave only a tiny mark right from the bottom. Ergots, I cut them with scissors. And I thought big frogs were a good thing?

[joey_olop]

Ooo I love picking chestnuts-best job in the world :D I think I should start up my own business "Chestnut Picker" :D :D :D

[zippytys]

At my old yard the rats used to eat Jenna's ergots - bleugghh, you could see the teeth marks on them! They lived in the stable walls and sneaked out at night for a feast - yummy!

OMG!! :eek::eek::D

[cramarion]

foxy has large raggy chestnuts farrier trimmed them they dont look much different as for the ergots dont know how big these are suppsed to be