# Horse Hooves!!!



## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I don't think I would want to give them as chew toys. Penny is not allowed at the barn when the blacksmith is there. She eats them and then throws up. They are loaded with bacteria from the ground and from the horse's feces and urine. I don't think they are a healthy snack.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Dogs stomachs can handle an awful lot with very little harm to them. My main concern with hooves, horses or cattle, are the potential for sharp edges that could cut.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

My dogs have always love horse hooves. Too bad I don't have a horse anymore. Never had an issue with them getting sick.


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## FinnTastic (Apr 20, 2009)

I didn't think about them being sharp. I haven't noticed that but would keep an eye out for it.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

I used to give the store bought ones but they stink to high heaven when the dogs are chewing them.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I guess it depends.... 

The dogs go nuts when the farrier is around because they can swoop in and steal hoof clippings. But the barn lady does not permit her dogs to eat the hooves any more than she would let them eat horse manure. 

I guess make sure your dogs are vaccinated and covered for worms and thrush...


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Ranger would eat them if he could but afterwards he throws up so I try not to let him. Same with my old border collie, who'd sneak in and use his sweet face to coerce the farrier to throw him a few. 

I'm interested to know if Ranger could handle them now that he's raw fed and better able to digest things like that...hmmm. Might have to grab a few next time the farrier's out in a few weeks.

One thing I do give Ranger are the chestnut pieces I peel off my horse's legs. It's a little disturbing to see Ranger eating Virgil's body part but they need to be peeled off anyway and Ranger doesn't get any ill effect so, why not?


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## FinnTastic (Apr 20, 2009)

Finn hasn't thrown up from them yet. He had his first one in January. 
I don't know what Thrush is, but Finn has all the Vaccinations that the vet has recommended for him. Is this something I should talk to the vet about?


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

FinnTastic said:


> Finn hasn't thrown up from them yet. He had his first one in January.
> I don't know what Thrush is, but Finn has all the Vaccinations that the vet has recommended for him. Is this something I should talk to the vet about?


I mentioned thrush because that's a common thing I have to deal with right now and I was admittedly overreacting about people deliberately giving their dogs hoof shavings to chew on and not researching or thinking about it first. 

Yeast is a bacterial infection in the horse's hooves and causes rot. Smelly.

I googled quickly and from what I can tell from the obvious, dogs can't get thrush. I'm sure the white fungusy rot + koppertox chemicals we hit thrush with can't be too good for them, but I couldn't find any specific diseases that dogs can catch from chewing on the shavings.


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## kateann1201 (Jan 9, 2011)

Ranger said:


> One thing I do give Ranger is the* chestnut pieces* I peel off my horse's legs. It's a little disturbing to see Ranger eating Virgil's body part but they need to be peeled off anyway and Ranger doesn't get any ill effect so, why not?


:vomit:Groooooooss! lol


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## FinnTastic (Apr 20, 2009)

How long do you guys think I should keep them before throwing them out? Dh's co-worker gave him kind of a lot this time around and it isn't something I really want Finn to have everyday.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

We're talking fresh trimmings, right? I wouldn't keep them too long. Fresh trimmings are fairly springy and can even be somewhat soft depending on the horse and time of year. Left off the hoof, they can harden and then get a little sharp around the edges. If they seem springy, I'd give them but if they snap in half or have little bend, I'd chuck them. At least that's what I'd do. 

kateann1201 - 3 things: 
1) THAT's the thing you're vomiting about? Did you not see the veal tongue pics?!

2) In all honesty, it unsettles me a little bit as well!

3) Thanks for quoting my post with my crappy grammar in it so now even I edit my post (which I will because I'm vain like that), my elementary school error is availble for everyone to see! : In my defense, I've been writing a 3000 word paper since 2pm...on that thought, I should really be double-checking my work!


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## kateann1201 (Jan 9, 2011)

Ha ha Ranger! - That gave me total flashbacks of picking icky chestnuts off. I don't know why hooves and tongue don't bother me, but chesnuts gross me out. Barns are full of nasty delicacies for dogs. Bleh! 

Typos happen all the time girl - don't sweat it


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## FinnTastic (Apr 20, 2009)

Thanks, Ranger's Mom. I'll keep that in mind. They still seem springy.


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## RaeRae1706 (Nov 4, 2010)

So do I even want to know what a chestnut is???


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

RaeRae1706 said:


> So do I even want to know what a chestnut is???


I've been picking them off for years, but I don't actually know what they are either... they sprout like mushrooms on all four legs. Maybe they are mushrooms.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Have you every tried them roasted on an open fire? (lol)

Chestnuts appear on the front legs of a horse above the knee, or on the back legs of a horse below the hock. They can be large or very small. Some people call horse chestnuts "night eyes." 

Some scientists believe that chestnuts may be remnants of the pads that were under the toes of a very early ancestor of the horse. 
They peel off and are very soft and pliable. My dogs loved em'.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

> Some scientists believe that chestnuts may be remnants of the pads that were under the toes of a very early ancestor of the horse.


Hehehe, and I've always wondered every time I read about the vestigial toes, is what they were doing all the way up there.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I was always taught that they were remnants from when horses were dog-sized and had three toes. Either way, Ranger looooves eating them. I keep Virgil's short and flush with his leg so Ranger doesn't get too much. The other day I was able to peel a piece off that was the same size of the chestnut and Ranger was very happy! It freaks me out when I see horse's with chestnuts growing inwards. One lady at the barn never peeled her appaloosa's chestnuts and they were about 5 inches! It was so creepy and gross, not to mention potentially damaging if he ever ripped one off. The farrier took his knife to them when she wasn't looking and the dogs immediately snapped up the 4 inches of chesnut! Blech!


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