dew claw looking growth on back of front ankles

Question
I have ridden my horse two years now without shoes, he has never missed a step. He has slowly developed what looks like a stubby dry scaly "dew claw" about 2 inches long, slightly curved downward, coming out of the back of the ankle on his two front feet. I am concerned he might snap or twist them off while riding through rocks of limbs. Would like to know if they can be snipped of, how short, etc. Thank you

Answer
Hello Merilyn,
those "dew claw" looking things are called "ergot" and are normal for a horse. Some grow big, some are little nubs and all are made of the same material as the chestnuts on the horses' legs. You can cut them off at the tips to shorten them or ask your farrier to do that next time s/he comes out to trim your horse. It is thought that ergots are leftovers from the perhistoric times when horses walked on more than one digit.
Here is a nice link on the evolution of horses: http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/horses/

Take care,
Christine