Cresty Neck

[roxy007]

Is Cresty neck just caused by gross over eating and is there much that can be done to reduce the size of the crest. The breed in question are mini shetlands. Since coming to us they have been put on to a restricted pasture but it seems they have had the run of many acres of good grazing for around 3 years - they are now four and a half.

 

[hellybelly6]

Yep cresty neck = over weight unless it is a stallion.

 

[roxy007]

Is there much that can be done to reduce the size of the crest or is that how it will stay now

 

[Stinkbomb]

My mini shetland was very cresty and also very fat when he came to me. A good feed/exercise program saw him losing alot of weight. Unfortunatly that also meant he lost all of his neck. He looks alittle odd now as his body is great but has no muscle on his neck but i am working on building that up without it being fat. I prefer him how he is now, even though he does look odd than how he was before, he is far more healthy.

If you keep up on the diets/exercise it will go eventually

 

[irishdraught]

Cresty necks can often come before laminitis so be careful. My mother breeds mini shetlands and swears by long reining to keep them fit and strip grazing to keep an eye on how much grass they are getting.

The stallion keeps his mares fit by lusting over them and chasing them away!!

 

[hellybelly6]

As the horse loses weight so the crest will go down.

It took 12 months for my horse to loose 80 kg and a lot of hard work.

Its worth it though. My horse has a handful of good doer and lami-light with his other supplements only and is in a fenced off strip with other horses.

 

[brighteyes]

As long as Insulin Resistance isn't a factor, the crest will go with diet and exercise. If it is connected to IR then you are on a hiding to nothing

. Get on with slimming them down anyway and fingers crossed the damage isn't done.

Stinkbomb is an example to us all with her Shetland dieting success

 

[Stinkbomb]

Ohh im blushing

 

[hellybelly6]

Yep well done Mrs Stinkbomb. Getting a native to lose weight is a big achievement. Having no end of problems with my Highland x - he needs to loose 100 kg!!! (He is 16.3 not 14.2)

He puts the weight back on during the summer and each winter I get it off again, but with his arthritis, I cannot afford to let him put it on over summer again.