Why Has My Mare Got A Crest When I Can Still Feel Some Ribs?

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Shanny

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Hi

My 15hh native type mare has been out of work for 6 months due to back problem and is now being brought back into work slowly. I really need to get her muscled up a bit more, but I'm sure that will come the more I can do with her. Anyway, I'm woffling, so getting to the point!

She currently has a small crest forming. All her ribs are covered apart from the last few which you can feel really well - but they are not sticking out so to speak.

She is currently fed on 1/2 stubbs dipper of Alfa A Lite, Fomular for Feet, garlic and a joint supplement in the morning and bedtime. We don't have any grass at the moment, so she has 1 large net (about 6lbs) and two nets at night. She is out from all day and in at night.

I am a novice and am not sure what I'm doing wrong. So any advice would be gratefully received!

Thanks
 
With a horse in correct condition you should be able to feel the ribs easily, but they should not be visible. Like humans, individual horses tend to be prone to put weight on in different areas, some put it on their bottoms, some their necks etc. If you can only feel the last ribs and she is developing a crest, it does sound like your mare is starting to become overweight, which is a concern as the spring grass is around the corner.

I'd swap the Alfa A Lite for something lower calorie such as HiFi Lite and only give enough to mix her supplements with. If there is no grass at the moment, she still needs plenty of hay to munch, but either put it in a small holed net so it takes her longer to eat, or soak the hay well so some of the calories are reduced.

I would weightape her once a week, and if she starts to put on weight as the grass comes through you can start to decrease her hay intake.
 
my mare seems to hold her fat around her shoulders, she is fed only couple handfulls of hi-fi lite and a smidging of pony nuts and mineral and vit supplement and night times one slice of hay and she's out 24/7. I'd go over to hi fi lite and just add a supplement. Mine will be going into a smaller paddock soon once spring grass pops up fully.
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Mine is like this too. However she has recently undergone colic surgery and her weight has fallen off quite a bit.
Her ribs are quite visable, her hip bones are pertruding - but still a crest! Yes is has shrunk a wee bit. However she just seems to hang on to it!
 
My welsh has a permanent gutter down herbum and always a small crest. Currently she is semi retired and I can feel her ribs and they cast a slight shadow in the right light. When she was in full work she looked like a whippet- really tucked up and muscly but still had the gutter and crest. I've asked the vet and he said she was nowhere near overweight actually spot on and not to worry. It all depends on the individual I suppose.
 
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