Topline and cresty necks ?

NeverSayNever

NeverSayNever

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i have a Sec D Mare who is 8 and still maturing. She isnt a typical good dooer although we dont have good grass, the only time I ever restrict her grazing is in the height of summer.

We had the physio out 4 weeks ago as she had been a little restricted through her back. ( I now know this was a combo of 2 abscesses in her hinds and her being a bit stiff and sore from me having done a bit too much in the school). I got a programme to work through from the physio to help and also to promote muscle development and we reviewed her feed. She gets adlib hay and a feed of just grass, baileys lowcal balancer and linseed.

Now since the physio was out 4 weeks ago I have been following her recommendations to build muscle etc and she said yesterday that she can already see a big difference in several areas; she is building muscle across her back, in her gluts and stifles and her neck has improved a lot -however, she also has a small crest appeared!! The physio said that the only thing she can think of, given she literally has not a pick of fat anywhere on the rest of her, is that its perhaps been sat in the neck and now she is building that big muscle lower down and also topline, that its pushing it up. Anyone heard of this happening?

As you can see from this pic taken about 6 weeks ago, she is lean, however she has definitely muscled up and begun to get more topline since this..
IMG_0585_zps13f91faa.jpg
 
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No, not heard of that happening.

I would be very careful about allowing a crest to develop and it might be worth cutting her feed back to a level that enables her to maintain her current condition, without this sort of thing happening.... It might be worth you supplementing Magnesium as this helps them metabolise sugars and prevent fatty deposits.

She looks lovely and trim in the pic, and I agree she could do with some more topline but that is as much about exercise as it is about feeding - if not more.... Yours is a very rare welshie - I don't know of many that can get add lib hay without getting obese!!

ets... You mention she has suffered with abscesses which can be a direct cause of dietary imballances, so if it is a regular occurence it would be worth you looking into forage analysis through forage plus or getting her on a good hoof supplement like pro-hoof from ebay or one of forage plus's...
 
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CBFan said:
No, not heard of that happening.

I would be very careful about allowing a crest to develop and it might be worth cutting her feed back to a level that enables her to maintain her current condition, without this sort of thing happening.... It might be worth you supplementing Magnesium as this helps them metabolise sugars and prevent fatty deposits.

She looks lovely and trim in the pic, and I agree she could do with some more topline but that is as much about exercise as it is about feeding - if not more.... Yours is a very rare welshie - I don't know of many that can get add lib hay without getting obese!!

ets... You mention she has suffered with abscesses which can be a direct cause of dietary imballances, so if it is a regular occurence it would be worth you looking into forage analysis through forage plus or getting her on a good hoof supplement like pro-hoof from ebay or one of forage plus's...
Click to expand...

thanks BC - hehe, she was on forageplus winter balancer right up until 4 weeks ago when we switched Baileys lowcal, purely as it seems to have more protein and I hoped it might help her build some muscle. It was the first time she had had an abcess, our ground has been particularly dire to the point ive since put her to a livery yard. Re exercise, up until a week ago when we got snow again she was in work most days and really very fit. The physio had put us on the right lines in terms of working in the correct way to promote building topline, although she works fairly correctly naturally anyway. She really needs the adlib hay as as I said, she isnt a typical good dooer and struggles to maintain weight through winter, (although I always keep firmly in my mind that she is welsh and am cautious for that reason) so Id rather have her on adlib hay than up her feed and really her feed is minimal. The just grass is a locally grown product with no molasses and it is high in protein but low in sugar, she also is only getting a 1 round scoop with her balancer in.

eta - just been looking at magnesium as you suggested, interesting reading!
 
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Yes you're right.. I'd rather They were on add lib hay rather than buckets of hard feed any day :)

Coolstance copra is meant to be good to help with condition too... and I also like D&H ERS Pellets :)

My boy is a good doer and, although he's always been on a fibre only diet, it took me a while to get it right, and a lot of work to get rid of the crest...

As for Magnesium, it is one that is often lacking - even with some of the better supplements - my boy needs about 3 times the amount that is in Pro hoof and similar. Copper and Zinc are two other important ones :) May be worth looking into a forage analysis if you do continue to have problems :)
 
I would go for magnesium too, there was a really good article someone posted where they gave it to several cresty horses and they all started to lose the fatty deposits. I'll try and find it!
 
Genie's neck has grown a LOT since we started taking dressage more seriously. Her neck is huge and she's not overweight (vet very happy with her). It's just the way her muscle is coupled with her being a cob. I think the fact that she has a short neck also adds to the appearance.

A very sleepy Genie showing her neck...

34hf9rm.jpg
 
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My two cobs have always had good crests, not overweight- definitely fit with a good topline. When they are worked properly, fed well and are generally put together right they should look the classic "show horse" shape.

22736_343892401014_1669355_n.jpg

Fit to hack to the meet, hunt all day and hack home, not once was she out of puff. They dont have to look like whippets!

2641_71447191014_2456191_n.jpg

Yes hes at a show, and was gelded late so a little bit different, but he was all muscle here and fit. No strain on his joints, no cellulite and didnt sound like a steam train unlike some others. (for purpose, obviously he would look different if he was eventing lean)
Its not the greatest picture, but I dont want to post pro pics!

They were both on adlib hay and fed according to weight and work.
 
xloopylozzax said:
My two cobs have always had good crests, not overweight- definitely fit with a good topline. When they are worked properly, fed well and are generally put together right they should look the classic "show horse" shape.

22736_343892401014_1669355_n.jpg

Fit to hack to the meet, hunt all day and hack home, not once was she out of puff. They dont have to look like whippets!

2641_71447191014_2456191_n.jpg

Yes hes at a show, and was gelded late so a little bit different, but he was all muscle here and fit. No strain on his joints, no cellulite and didnt sound like a steam train unlike some others. (for purpose, obviously he would look different if he was eventing lean)
Its not the greatest picture, but I dont want to post pro pics!

They were both on adlib hay and fed according to weight and work.
Click to expand...


The thing is there is fit and there is fit and if you compare your horses to OP's horse there is quite a vast difference and I know what I would prefer to see. That said I don't like the 'classic "show horse" shape'... while I agree that not every horse has to look like a whippet, I would argue that a crest is indeed mainly down to diet rather than the fact that he was left entire quite late. I agree though, he is better in comparison to the majority of welsh D's in the showing world... A bit of understanding about diet goes a long way though...

Miss C - Your mare's neck looks perfect! Not an ounce of fat or crestiness on it :)
 
Ahh cresty necks...I have to admit Shadows neck is one of my most favourite attributes, but like Miss C's Genie, his is all good topline :D he always had a fairly typical welsh neck but the dressage has certainly helped.
 
My now old & retired gelding was fitter than fit. Would hunt a solid 7 hours, competed every weekend through spring & summer, hunted all winter, rode a good 90 mins every night - all in his prime. Not an ounce of fat on that boy but still classed as cresty.
 
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