Slightly Fatty Crest - advice plse

[SJ]

Last night I groomed my son's pony and her crest felt huge and hard, almost like some enormous insect had bitten her and left a massive swelling that had spread along the crest, starting about 4" above the withers and spreading along to about 7" below her poll. At first I thought she had been bitten and someone suggested a snake, someone else in my yard had a look and
said that it was a fat build up, and very dangerous and could be a pre laminitis sign. She's certainly not slim but is nowhere near as fat as I have seen her with her previous owners

She's a 12.2hh 12 yr old ExmoorX for four years. She is short legged and deep girthed and so never looks lean. She has never had laminitis. She is on the same starvation rations as in previous years. Out in starvation paddock during day, almost invisible feed at night and slice of hay. small slice of hay a.m. just so she doesn't get grumpy while the others are being fed. The only difference is she's only being ridden 2-3 times a week and in previous years it was more like 4-5 times and she's on a rather lush clean straw bed every night which I think she is eating. Previously she was kept at livery and they were very mean with their bedding.

I had hoped if it was a swelling it would have gone down a little by this morning but no such luck. I will put her on a non edible bedding at the wek end and ensure she gets more work.

Does any one have any ideas as to what this is and how we can get rid of it?

I feel realy guilty as I don't know how it happened.

Many thanks
Sara Jane

[Mehitabel]

some of these ponies can balloon really fast, so don't feel guilty. non-edible bedding is a good idea, is there any way to increase her exercise by lungeing or anything? it definitely sounds like a fatty crest to me, keep an eye on it, and start taking a pulse in the pastern hollow and keeping an eye on the temperature of her feet, so you know if there are any changes. some ponies have a detectable pulse there anyway, so don't panic if there is one, but it shouldn't be strong or "bounding".

[SJ]

Thanks ES

It's the speed at which this has happened. I'm sure it wasn't like that 2 days ago when I tacked her up. It wierd as although she's well covered, theres no obvious massive excess on any other one part of her except the crest, it feels horrid! I did check her pulse and for hoof heat this morning and she was fine, but I will keep an eye.

Will the fat break down or will she always have a predisposition build up on the crest from now on?

It's hidden by a very thick mane so it's very hard to see, it only when you touch her.

SJ

[Hels]

There's a pony with laminitis at our stable who is being kept in at the moment. I don't know anything about the condition, but what I've noticed is exactly what you describe, though I expect his is more severe. The neck looks swollen and distorted at the top by his mane, and last night when it was quiet I noticed him rubbing it against the stable door.

I know the owners are always paranoid about laminitis and have to half starve him half the time!

[Sue&Tasha Green]

My sisters pony has a very large crest and we started to notice it a while ago, it was really hard and quite large. recently she has started to develop slight laminitus.
You might want to keep an eye on her for a while, if she looks like she's not walking right, even if she looks a bit stiff ,get her off the grass as soon as possible.
Tasha

[Spydgal]

the fatty crest certainly is a laminitis symptom however the routine of the pony does not sound like it would bring on laminitis out of the blue. the only thing I would say is that a pony does not have to be overweight to get it but you do need to watch this.
did you notice any heat in the hooves when you checked?

[SJ]

No, there's no heat in her hoooves. She's now on inedible bedding much to her disgust and we've upped the exercise. It's just that instead of her crest tapering to a slim ridge where the mane begins to grow, it's actually thick about 2" wide.

[FOLLYFOOT]

Just read your thread and wondered how things are.

My daughters pony too has this problem and we constantly have to keep an eye on his weight especially at this time of year. He is turned out for 1 hour a day - 1/2 hr morning and 1/2 hr pm when the others get their breakfast and tea then he comes in and has Happy Hoof and veggies which he loves, he also has Farriers Formula. He is 12hh Welsh Section A aged 5yrs and his crest was huge and wobbly and you could see it move when he moved. He is exercised at weekends and I lunge him during the week for 20mins a day but it is a contant battle with the bulge! It really does seem as though he lives off fresh air, but I have definately noticed a huge difference in his weight since we have kept up this regime over the last couple of months. It seems hard and cruel, but believe me you do not want laminitis. Thankfully he hasnt suffered an attack to date, but I wont take the risk.

The crest apparently so I have been told, will never disappear once it has formed, although it may get smaller, it will never completely disappear.

Good luck, you seem to be doing everything there is to do and im sure you will notice a difference within a few weeks.

[Miriam]

The crest apparently so I have been told, will never disappear once it has formed, although it may get smaller, it will never completely disappear.

[/B][/QUOTE]


No the crest will never disappear. I have had a pony that has suffered laminitis in the past (the crest is usually associated with this) and the neck never disappeared. The pony on our yard had and attack also and her crest has never gone down.

[tika]

I have an 18-year-old morgan mare who foundered last year from a laminitis episode.

She is now wearing special shoes, on medication and, guess what, she had a cresty neck and fat deposits on her rump.

Many of these easy-keepers suffer from Cushings disease and also from Insulin Resistance or Peripheral Cushings. Usually there's something going on with their immune systems that throws them out of whack.

You might want to consider calling your vet and have him/her do a complete bloodwork panel on your pony. Have him do Thyroid tests (T3 and T4), ACTH test, cortisol test (for insulin resistance). Do not do the Cushings Test as that involves steroids and that can cause a laminitic episode.

The good news about all of this is, once you know why your pony has a "cresty" neck and you get him on some medication, the neck does go down.

My girl is on Permax for Peripheral Cushings and she's lost all of the fat deposits.

[tika]

....about supplimenting with magnesium.

If possible, also have your hay tested and suppliment according to what may be lacking in your hay. And, try putting your pony on a grass hay.

[SJ]

Thanks for your replies.

Change of bedding and extra work have paid off and she looks much better. Crest has done down a bit and I managed to plait her for a show on Saturday and she looked quite respectable. (she got my kids 2nd in jumping, 4th in just off lead rein and 4th in WHP - so she had something to whinny about!).

Interestingly she pulled off a front shoe on Monday and I couldn't get a farrier until tonight, so she hasn't had much work this week and has puffed up again. So the work is essential.

I don't think I need the vet at this stage although I will bear it in mind. I think this is just going to be an exercise in vigilance and good management.

SJ

[maverick927]

My pony has a massive crest. He isn't fat and the vet told me that it will never go :( . I do find it to be ugly, but to make it blend in with his neck I did loads of schooling so he now has a musclely neck so the crest doesn't look as obvious.

[tika]

Great news, SJ

I hope that I didn't imply that this was an emergency situation. But, through some of my research when my horse foundered, I discovered that a cresty neck is a strong indication that "something" may be brewing down the road.

Pony breeds do seem to have problems with Cushings, insulin resistance and laminitis/founder. It's these hardy breeds that can't cope with the modern-day management of their diet. They don't need the grains and high-quality hays. With some who develop severe problems, even a carrot can cause a major laminitic episode.

My girl had a cresty neck and funny-looking fat deposits on her rump for at least five years before she began having major problems. I now know why.

My vet at the time did tell me she was an easy keeper and we put her on a low grain/grass hay diet. She lost "some" weight but she still remained "cresty" -- until she began treatment.

Next time your vet is out ask him what he thinks. Those tests I suggested will help you get to the bottom of things if you become more concerned.

If you do decide to test eventually and all turns out well, at least you have a benchmark so that you can compare results down the road.

If you are interested, there are several good sites that can help you with information on cresty necks, etc. You may want to look at the bulletin board at www.horseshoes.com under laminitis. They have great information for horse owners there with assistance from well-known vets and farriers. You could pose your question there and see what feedback you get.

Just some thoughts to consider.