Ray and Yvonne Finger’s horse “Jack” was born with a remnant of an extra hoof on the inside of his front fetlock.

The oldest known ancestor of the horse was a small, four-toed creature called an Eohippus. In the modern horse the 3 rd toe has become the hoof. The 2nd and 4th digits have regressed leaving only the splint bones which end two thirds down the cannon bone in a normal horse.

In the case of “Jack” Finger his medial splint bone (or remnant 2nd digit) extended to the fetlock. He also had an additional fetlock joint and remnant hoof structure. These were constantly being traumatised by the opposite hoof.

“Jack” was only a few months old when he underwent orthopaedic surgery under general anaesthetic at the Charleville Vet Surgery.

The extra digit as seen on Xray.


  Here we are using an orthopaedic chisel to free the distal section of the splint bone.” 

Above. Post surgery. A second ergot can be seen near the suture line(there is usually only one).

“This photo was taken some months later.  “Jack” has since been broken in and is used for stock work and campdrafting.”