Mules and bardots are hybrids of horse and donkey. Their feet are just like the rest, a clever blend of the two species!
On the whole, mules' feet have the same structure as horses'. From the inside out, we find the same bones (3rd phalanx, navicular bone and 2nd phalanx), ligaments and tendons, ungular cartilages, chorions and the horny box.
On the horny box, we find the fork, sole, bars, medial and lateral lacunae, white line, wall...
But there are a few differences.
- Shape first. Mules have 4 oval feet, while their small-eared cousins have rather round forefeet.
- Viewed from the front, mules' feet are more "tubular" without being tight, while horses' are conical.
- The sole of mules is often more hollow than that of horses.
- The fork is located behind the heels, as in donkeys, whereas it is at the same level as the heels in horses. I'm talking about the position of these structures on the dorsopalmar axis. If we're talking about the distal-proximal axis (the "height"), the heels of mules are barely above the height of the (healthy) fork, as in horses.
The trimming process
Since mules' feet are made up of the same elements as horses', trimming is done according to the same principles. The same method is used. But as with horses, this doesn't mean that the result is identical feet. Every horse has different feet, and mules have different feet, but the method and principle remain the same.
There are just a few details to watch out for.
Mules sometimes have very compact soles, which do not exfoliate, as is the case with some donkeys. If you don't use the right markers when trimming, you can be fooled into getting feet that are too long. Don't be fooled if you have to grate sole!
I n mules, as in donkeys, the unpigmented wall (stratum internum) is not white but grey. So be careful when marking the beginning of the mustang roll.
Auteur: Anouk Nathan
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