Will wintering a pony out loose weight on its crest?

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Anna2015

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Got a 11.2hh pony. Very over weight. His crest is that big it looks as if he has a second neck that is starting to lean to the side. His previous owners kept him Stabled with hard feed every day in summer!

Anyway I had bloods done luckily cushings/laminitis came back clear. I have started working him daily and he's Stabled in the day and turned out at night but winter isn't far away and he's not going to loose that much weight by then.

I'm looking forward to winter as I was going to winter him out but some one told me once the neck is that large it's highly unlikely to ever return to normal. Is this true ?
 
In my experience most don't I'm afraid, not when it's got really huge.

It could though so yes wintering out is a good idea to help lose some weight
 
In my experience with native types and big necks the neck is the last thing to go, it is possible to get it down but you need to be tough and probably get him on the lean side of ideal by the end of the winter, if the neck does go you can then build the weight up carefully by working fairly hard as it comes back on but the crest may be the first thing to come back, I think some use it as a camel uses it's hump as a store in case of famine.
One of mine did drop his crest after a short course of metformin so that may be worth asking your vet about, although that was not why he was on it the crest went and never came back.
 
It will go down but I doubt ever totally go away. Winter out with no rugging or if you need to work clip out but don't over rug. Just make sure they're comfortable and not completely freezing to death but still having to keep warm.
 
Yes - winter him out, no cover and feed only hay - a pony that size does not need hard feed! Let him be a native pony, they are tough little critters, he'll grow a lovely fluffy coat and keep himself warm.

Its how I manage my Clydesdale weight too, she gets hay in winter when needed, where I live in NZ winters are very mild, so she doesn't get hay daily. Live on very short grass and is turned out to roam. Come spring she has lost some of the summer fat.

You will have to be tough, this is a native pony that has been fed like a TB - just not needed. You are not being cruel, neglectful or uncaring if you cut this little fellas food right back, so long as he can nibble for most of the day he will be fine.
 
You could substitute good clean barley straw for the hay BUT do it gradually.

One year I fed ad lib hay to my Highlands and they actually gained weight over the winter! I now introduce straw if necessary by providing both, then reducing the hay over time.

Also, I don't know if it is a rural myth, but I've heard rugging the crest alone will help reduce it. That was from a very experienced horseman who'd bought a project from the knackers. I pointed out the huge crest and was told it could be reduced by doing this. I still didn't like the horse though! :(
 
Dry Rot said:
You could substitute good clean barley straw for the hay BUT do it gradually.

One year I fed ad lib hay to my Highlands and they actually gained weight over the winter! I now introduce straw if necessary by providing both, then reducing the hay over time.

Also, I don't know if it is a rural myth, but I've heard rugging the crest alone will help reduce it. That was from a very experienced horseman who'd bought a project from the knackers. I pointed out the huge crest and was told it could be reduced by doing this. I still didn't like the horse though! :(
Click to expand...

I too have heard this but it is a myth - often referred to a sweating it off. If that worked all us fatties would be running around swathed in masses of clothing!
 
I have a friend who 'inherited' a horse in this condition - it was so bad the horse had become diabetic. It was allowed out in a small paddock with a grazing muzzle for a few hours. Came in and was allowed one very small net of hay that had been soaked for 24 hours plus a tiny feed with necessary minerals etc. Brutal - horse had to get to stage where its spine was protruding before the neck fat went. End result - horse was no longer diabetic and lived for several more years.

I stress that this regime was carried out under strict veterinary supervision and it took nearly one year to complete. If only people thought about this before over feeding their animals.
 
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