Ergot -- Located in a tuft of hair behind the fetlock joint, it may be the vestige of a toe.
Feather -- Long hair on lower legs, usually found in heavier horse and pony breeds. Most famous are the Clydesdales.
Some ponies lack chestnuts or ergots. Some ponies have 65 chromosomes, other 64. The ponies also have an additional molar on each side of the upper jaw.
Many individuals have been found without ergots. Some have small, soft chestnuts. The wide set eyes (characteristic of Oriental horses) are said to give the breed a wider range of vision to the rear.
Many traits have been found that links them to primitive horses, such as some have no ergots and others have small soft chestnuts.
Also, many Curlys do not have ergots and they have very small, soft chestnuts. A perk to the Curlys is that in many cases people who are allergic to horse hair are not allergic to the Curly's coat.
The back of the leg is groomed by working your clippers against the growth by tracing it up from the ergot mark until you reach the knee.
Ergots are small or absent. Feet are extremely sound with thick walls, many having what is typically known as a "mule foot" which resists bruising due to the concave sole.
is generally sound, with ample angles in the joints and strong, harmonious relationships between the lengths of the varying parts of the limbs. Hooves are small and upright rather than flat. The chestnuts (especially rear ones) and ergots are small ...
All that remains are a set of small vestigial bones on the leg above the hoof, known informally as ergots, chestnuts, or splint bones.
 See also: Chestnut, Mane, Black, Gaited, Pony
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