Horses are born with soft, rubbery protuberances from their hooves called the “eponychium.” Sometimes referred to as “golden slippers” or “fairy fingers,” they serve to protect the uterine walls and birth canal from the sharp edges of the hooves during gestation and birth. They quickly dry out and flake off once the foal is out and walking, before which they are utterly fucking horrifying to behold.
I don’t know if it’s my “favorite” horse fact, but it’s right up there with “The Bean” for things I wish I could unlearn about horses.
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