Ergot (horse anatomy)
Encyclopedia
The ergot is a small callosity
on the underside of the fetlock
of a horse
or other equine. Some equines have them on all four fetlocks; others have few or no detectable ergots. In horses, the ergot varies from very small to the size of a pea or bean, larger ergots occurring in horses with "feather
" - long hairs on the lower legs. In some other equines, the ergot can be as much as 1.5 inches in diameter.
Ergot comes from the French word for rooster's spur.
Like the chestnut
, the ergot is thought to be a vestige of some part of the ancestral foot of the multi-toed Equidae
, the ergot corresponding to the sole pad of other extant members of Perissodactyla, such as the tapir
and rhinoceros
. Unlike the chestnut, which in the same individual may be large on the forelegs and smaller or even absent on the hindlegs, the ergot is of roughly equal size on all four legs.
Callosity
A callosity is another name for callus, a piece of skin that has become thickened as a result of repeated contact and friction.- Monkeys :When occurring on an animal's buttocks, as with baboons, they are specifically called ischial callosities...
on the underside of the fetlock
Fetlock
Fetlock is the common name for the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints of horses, large animals, and sometimes dogs. It is formed by the junction of the third metacarpal or metatarsal bones proximad and the proximal phalanx distad...
of a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
or other equine. Some equines have them on all four fetlocks; others have few or no detectable ergots. In horses, the ergot varies from very small to the size of a pea or bean, larger ergots occurring in horses with "feather
Feathering (horse)
Feathering, or feather, is a term used to describe the long hair on the lower legs and fetlocks of some breeds of horse and pony. On some horses, especially draft breeds, the hair can almost cover the hooves...
" - long hairs on the lower legs. In some other equines, the ergot can be as much as 1.5 inches in diameter.
Ergot comes from the French word for rooster's spur.
Evolution
Chestnut (horse anatomy)
The chestnut, also known as a night eye, is a callousity on the body of a horse or other equine, found on the inner side of the leg above the knee on the foreleg and, if present, below the hock on the hind leg....
, the ergot is thought to be a vestige of some part of the ancestral foot of the multi-toed Equidae
Equidae
Equidae is the taxonomic family of horses and related animals, including the extant horses, donkeys, and zebras, and many other species known only from fossils. All extant species are in the genus Equus...
, the ergot corresponding to the sole pad of other extant members of Perissodactyla, such as the tapir
Tapir
A Tapir is a large browsing mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. There are four species of Tapirs: the Brazilian Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, Baird's Tapir and the Mountain...
and rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
. Unlike the chestnut, which in the same individual may be large on the forelegs and smaller or even absent on the hindlegs, the ergot is of roughly equal size on all four legs.