Obese ponies - do they ever loose the crest ?

Gingerwitch

Gingerwitch

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I have been asked if I will look after a friends pony for 18 months whilst they go on a " gap year" - but OMG it is huge - I am sure its neck is bigger than its belly !.... now i can say no, and no harm done.... but it would be a nice project for the next year and i probably wont be up to riding for the forthcoming year - due to my leg.

But do really really fat ponies ever loose their crest ?
 
In my experience yes but that's based on a sample size of one and the weight came off with lots and lots of ridden work, which doesn't sound like your plan.
 
I inherited a fat pony with a huge crest. Strict grazing, diet and magnesium, 6 months later looked like a diff pony and no big crest.
 
Well I'm sure some do but my boy has never lost his crest, even when I had him almost skeletal with bones sticking out everywhere. He looked bizarre as his neck was still huge. I get lots of judgmental comments but I know that it won't shift whether I like it or not. The vet is perfectly happy with his weight and that's what counts.
 
I'd say yes if pony can be worked, so it ends up with solid muscle instead of flab. But I do think with some if the crest has developed fat pads, short of the rest of the horse being too thin, it will never have a truly slim neck, it will be either fat or muscle.
 
From my experience, if with work and diet the weight becomes "normal" but the crest stays get the pony tested for metabolic diseases unless it is a very late cut gelding.
 
my pony went out on companion loan and had to come home when he was so huge he looked like hed been inflated ! i fed him mag ox and now a year later his huge hard crest has gone:D
 
I read somewhere that when one of the charities (sorry cant remember which) takes in obese ponies it reduces the weight down below the desired weight to lose the crest and then brings them back up to a more suitable weight.
 
I think it depends on the pony, some lose the crest, some reduce it. I've found a very strict diet (1.5% ideal bodyweight soaked hay) and exercise is the way forward. Exercise doesn't have to be ridden. Walking in-hand is very beneficial, or long reining, at least 3x a week, preferably longer. I used to take the lead rein pony out with the dog for walkies, as well as a small amount of ridden work. It could take a year to get the pony down to an ideal weight though. Good luck
 
We bought a very fat pony in August. It's taken til now to get him trimmed down. No crest anymore and just nicely slim.

He gets 1 day off per week and either ridden for an hour or lunged for 20 minutes for the other 6 days.

Before he was at his ideal weight he got just 2 haylage nets per day, now he gets 3 nets and 3 scoops of Happy Hoof with added vits n mins.

He has been stabled full time since this horrible wet weather started as the fields are either all water or mud. I'm sure the cold weather helped him lose his weight but either way he looks great now.

Good luck with your project.
 
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