Can a Minotaur wear (and benefit from) Horseshoes of Flame?

Question

Related: Can a Centaur wear (and benefit from) magical horseshoes?

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Item in Question

The Horseshoes of Flame (Savage Species, page 57) state:

An ordinary horse wearing these horseshoes may transform up to three times per day, for up to 7 hours each time, into a creature resembling a nightmare.

There is no text stating "All four horseshoes must be worn..." like the Horseshoes of Speed and Horseshoes of a Zephyr state.

This is either an oversight, like many other oversights in Savage Species, or is on purpose.

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Creature in Question

As we know of 3rd Edition, a minotaur looks like this:

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Dilemma

It has hooves, but only has two. The text of the magic item explicitly states horse - not "animal" or any other creature.

Looking at the stats boost (+2 Dex, +10 Int, +6 Charisma), I am rather hesitant to tell my player "go for it" whenever deep down I am thinking, "oh hell no."

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Questions

1. Can a minotaur in fact wear and benefit from the Horseshoes of Flame?
2. Would the minotaur require a Use Magic Device to activate them?
3. Does the magic item require the wearer to actually be a horse?
4. Does "creature resembling a nightmare" keep the general shape of original creature; nightmarish minotaur - or an actual nightmare?

Answer 1

The text is clear. The horseshoes may only be used by ordinary horses, and any user transforms into a 'creature resembling a Nightmare' (though any such changes, are, of course, superficial). However, a DC 25 UMD check allows a Minotaur (or any other creature, regardless of whether it has hooves or not) to count as an ordinary horse for the purposes of the item via the Emulate a Race option.