# Ergots are overgrown, what to do?



## Riverrose28 (Jun 5, 2012)

A couple of my horses that I was clipping have very long ergots on their legs. What do I do to cut them back, I don't want to cause any bleeding, and what do I use. I've never encountered this with my arabs, just a couple of my minis. Thanks in advance, Terry


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## targetsmom (Jun 5, 2012)

I have my farrier do it, which he does with his nippers with no problem.


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## Grace67 (Jun 5, 2012)

Over the years I've had a few horses who came to me with rather long ergots, leg feathers tend to hide them so they're not as noticeable. I've found that they come off much easier when they're wet and softer (such as after a bath) and I just peel them with my fingers, no fuss, no bleeding. I try to keep up with them on all of mine though so they don't become long, much easier to maintain when they're short to begin with.


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## StarRidgeAcres (Jun 5, 2012)

I agree with both posters. You can bath and then remove with your fingers or you can wait until trimming time and your farrier can take them off with one nip!


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## Minimor (Jun 5, 2012)

Nip them off with hoof nippers or even scissors-they snip off quite easily and won't bleed, assuming you snip them off just above skin level.


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## Marsha Cassada (Jun 5, 2012)

_What about the hard ones inside on the leg? Can they be clipped off? Are they also called ergots?_

_One of my horses never grows ergots on his feet._


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## circlesinthesand (Jun 5, 2012)

we always took them off in the bath, though we have nip them off it it was a new horse and they were really bad.

Old wives tales say that if you take them off it will help the horse shed faster




Dunno how much truth there is to that but I always work at peeling them off when it's warm enough for the first bath of the season


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## Grace67 (Jun 5, 2012)

Chestnuts on the insides of the legs above the knees, I peel those too. Prefer to keep them short and clean looking as I used to show halter and showmanship with the big horses so the "polished" look was in, now its just habit and preference. Some horses grow faster than others and some are bigger than others, more noticeable.


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## circlesinthesand (Jun 5, 2012)

Marsha Cassada said:


> _What about the hard ones inside on the leg? Can they be clipped off? Are they also called ergots?_
> 
> _One of my horses never grows ergots on his feet._


The chestnuts can be clipped off too, but if they're overly long they can sometimes bleed. I've seen it happen once on a draft that had them about 4 inches long. Those will flake off in a bath too...same wives tale, take 'em off with the ergots and the horse will shed faster


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## Riverrose28 (Jun 5, 2012)

WOW! Thanks guys, I'll get hubby to clip them off with the hoof nippers.


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## palsminihorses (Jun 5, 2012)

I have found that if they are REALLY HARD, you can put a liberal amount of vaseline on them. Let it soak in overnight. Then they will come off very easily!


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## HGFarm (Jun 5, 2012)

I usually do mine when wet- and then they are easy to keep up with. When peeled off, and dry, a sanding block works great to keep them from growing back and keeps them nice and smoothe.


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## Matt73 (Jun 5, 2012)

Are you talking about chestnuts or ergots?


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## Riverrose28 (Jun 5, 2012)

Matt, I'm talking about ergots, chestnuts are not a problem, I know how to get them down. I'm going to take the advice given to me on here and get hubby to clip them off with hoof nippers. I was just afraid they might bleed. Never had this problem before, must be good feeding. Thanks for the concern, and thanks to all for the advice.


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## Marsha Cassada (Jun 12, 2012)

I usually just peel the ergots off with my fingernails. But wasnt' sure what to do about the chestnut. After a bath recently, I used wire cutters to snip off chestnuts. (The cutters that look like pliers.) Easy as pie and he never noticed. I don't own any hoof nippers and I've found that scissors are not adequate. I laid the flat edge of the cutters next to the skin and snipped. Voila!


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