Horse Chestnuts?

Why do horses have 'chestnuts' on the inside of their legs? And why can you pull them off? Thanks!

Horse Chestnuts?
All i know is that the farrier clips them down when they get too long
Reply:The question is less of what the Chestnut is for and more of why it is there. The Chestnut is located on the inside (medial) of the front legs ust above the carpus (knee) joint, and in the rear legs just below the hock. It is not a blemish but a remnant of evolution. The Chestnut, along

with a similar horny feature called the Ergot (a small outgrowth on the rear of the fetlock joint where feathering, if present, is also found), are thought to be remnants of pads such are found on dogs and bears.



A horse now only has a single hoof per leg but this wasn't always the case. The ancestor of the modern horse was a four-toed, fox-sized animal called Eohippus. As the horse evolved, it got bigger, longer, and began to lose

toes, until eventually they had only one per leg. The modern horse essentially runs on its middle finger with the hoof wall being the fingernail. Now this is a simplified version, obviously, but there still are remnants that support this. For example, the splint bones are parallel to the cannon bone but don't run the entire length of the cannon and therefore have no actual structural purpose. (They may help some in shock

absorption and some other minor functions). They correspond to the 2nd and 4th metacarpal and metatarsal bones in the human hand and foot. (They are

the long bones in the palm and foot). Whereas the 3rd

metacarpal/metatarsal is the cannon bone on which the horse runs. This helps shows a common a link in ancestry for most mammals. The Chestnut and Ergot are also remnant features such as this and are similar in composition

to the hoof wall. They help support the evidence of other toes once being present. They are unique in shape and are sometimes used as identifiers in thoroughbreds.



i found this answer on madsci.org, the author and his sourses are listed below.
Reply:Very good question Chestnut are healthy growths found on most horse's legs. No one really knows why they exist, and they have been a subject of curiosity among horsemen for quite a long time.Chestnuts can be peeled off layer by layer.
Reply:Chestnuts are horny growths on the insides of your horse's front and hind legs. They serve no real purpose, but if left untreated can look unsightly.



If your horse's chestnuts are rather large, as shown in the image, use a sharp, new razor blade to carefully cut off the chestnuts about 2mm above the skin. You do not want to cut too deep to prevent bleeding.

If your horse's chestnuts are not as prominent, proceed with step 2.



Use a rich handcream (cocoabutter or such) and massage it into the chestnuts. Do this every day for about a week and every time you groom thereafter



After the chestnuts are softened by the rich handcream you can peel them off carefully. Maintain flat chestnuts by applying the hand cream every time you groom and peel off chestnuts, when needed.

The result will be a clean and groomed look
Reply:I just pull them off for the show season!
Reply:all the answers were good..but here's a horsey secret...Peel off a chestnut and put it in your shirt pocket...you will have their undivided attention. It's kinda cute...they can't figure it out!!! They think you are a horse.
Reply:Chestnuts are just the evolutionary remnants of other toes horses used to have, similar in principle to the dew claw in dogs. They grow like hooves (but not as hard), and consist of dead skin cells, which is why you can pull them off. Google "horse evolution" and you'll get some good pics and websites.
Reply:Chestnuts are like our fingernails. The oldest horse had "toes", so as horses developed, the body structure changed. You can pull them off because they are like finger nails.
Reply:im not an expert on breeding and foals, but i was always told that the chestnuts are where in the womb, the legs were connected together. And then they sepperate at birth.



And its ok to have them at a length of about a centremetre.

If your having trouble pulling them off then maybe their already too short, you cant make them completely dissapear.
Reply:Because before horses evolved it was a toe but they don't

need it any more so u can peel them off
Reply:One interesting thing about chestnuts, besides their change over evolution, is their use by the plains Indians.



Many people were dumbfounded how Indians were always able to catch a horse that didn't want to be caught. The Indians would keep the chestnuts that were removed from their horses and place them in their medicine pouch. Upwind of the horse, the Indians would move in a non threatening manner , the horses would smell the chestnuts and walk up to the them.
Reply:I don't know why they have them, but you can soak them in Vaseline for a little while, and if the horse will let you, gently pull of cut them off!