Insulin Resistance??

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Welshboy

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Interested in your views on this. I have a Welshie (14) fit and health (never been lami). He's new to me - owned him 18 months. This year in May, he put on rather a lot of weight and a cresty neck. Anyway, bit of fat-paddock rotation, strip grazing etc - he lost his 30-40kgs of excess and the neck too.

Now he's on a different paddock this week. Big, and quite well grown. Within three days he's not gained weight, but the crest has certainly reappeared (but slightly). If that can happen in three days without noticable weight gain, does that mean he's probably Insulin Resistant??

He's been back in a fat-paddock since Sun morning and I would say it's just showing signs of softening already...
 
Don't think it's that easy to pinpoint Insulin resistance in horses, even the vets/scientists still have loads to do to get to the bottom of it, symptoms, signs, etc - some saying that not all obese/overweight horses become/are insulin resistant. While being insulin resistance is a risk factor for then developing laminitis apparently they feel there could be other yet unknown factors. It's normal for horses to put on weight in May and at this time of year as now their systems are telling them to lay down as much fat as possible for the winter and the autumn flush of grass could be happening. Maybe as your chap had been on restricted grazing he then splurged a bit in the different paddock which would account for the weight gain. Horses will make the most of extra availability if they've been restricted for a while. Sounds like you're doing all the sensible things though to get the weight back off him - and what you do has an immediate effect by the sound of it which is even better. I have a good do-er and the weight can seem to go on overnight and then it's a battle across weeks and months to get it off.
 
I'd say he would certainly be the type prone to insulin resistance, but if you can control it with diet and exercise (and you are obviously on the ball with it) then you should be fine.

I'm pretty sure that my mare is IR, never been properly tested but has all the classic signs - permanently hungry, fat pads on neck and quarters, yet still ribby, cresty neck and pads over the eyes.

I keep her grazing very restricted (track of electric fencing and muzzled) and feed soaked hay and Fast Fibre and exercise (although footy at the moment so can't ride), which is supposed to be the best preventative. I also add magnesium oxide to the fast fibre which is supposed to help insulin sensitivity.

Natives are notorious for living on fresh air and need to be monitored closely if they aren't going to get overweight and have resulting health issues, but once you get into a routine it isn't too difficult to keep them right.

Your boy sounds lucky to have an owner that is so aware! :)
 
My pony is I.R
yes you can blood test for it and it's getting cheaper and easier.
Normally I.R will course laminitis which is why people than test for it as in my ponies case, he had never had laminitis in the 8 yrs I had owned him. He's now on a strict diet and all hay must be soaked for 12 hrs before feeding.
For your pony I would def keep a eye on his weight as he could just be a good doer. What exercise does he do and if he's been put in a field with long grass and he's a good doer he will put on weight.
 
Thanks all. He didn't really gain weight in the three days (not according to the weight-tape anyhow!), but I was suprised how his crest became firmer in such a short period of time. I think the idea that he went from being reasonably limited/restricted to a bigger paddock probably meant that he gorged.

From Spring to Autumn he is ridden 5-6 days each week including:

1 or 2 lesson (with some jumping)
25 mins playing in a little paddock
3 or 4 hacks (approx 5 miles walking/trotting)

He also spends the odd Sunday at a show (with my daughter).

He is only fed hay and he has a scoop of Happy Hoof each day to carry his supplements.

I guess there's no point in trying to establish if he's actually IR, but it's more a case of managing him as a IR/Lami risk, which I do anyway.

Think my original post was because of my suprise at how quickly his crest became firm.
 
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