A Horse’s Chestnut
Chestnuts are horny growths located on the inside of a horse’s legs, above the knees and below the hocks. The size and shape of the chestnuts are unique to each horse, like fingerprints.
It’s not a blemish or a scab. And no, it’s not a sensor so the horse can see at night, as the old wives tale. Rather, it’s a remnant of evolution thought to be similar to a pad found on dogs. Ancestors of the modern horse were four-toed, fox-size animals called Eohippus. As they got bigger, their legs grew longer and several toes became one. Essentially, the horse is now walking on its middle finger; the hoof is its fingernail. Hmm … you know what it feels like to stub your toe. Imagine that being your only one. Regular maintenance of the horse’s toes is vitally important to its continued health.
For more information about the evolution of horses, visit these Web sites:
Horse Evolution
The Evolution of Horses – American Museum of Natural History
Fun fact: The favorite horses of both Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar both had extra toes.
Source: Nature Genetics
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