shetland-cresty neck - and diet for exercise energy - advise please ?

magic

New Member
Jul 19, 2007
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on the Essex/Suffolk border
Hi all, I have "inherited" a tubby shetland gelding who is not so much " carrying a lot of condition" as two ponies on four legs size - he does not have laminitis more by luck and good fortune - I have had the little fatty for a month now and have had him on a "no you cant have that" diet . He has lost a lot of the general extra body fat though he still has more to lose- unfortunataly this makes the fatty crest even more pronounced and does not seem to have shifted it an ounce - I have given him some light driving exercise but due to his diet even though he has vit/min suppliments he has no energy - I think that he need more exercise in order to have any chance of shifting those "extra pounds" :eek: any advice on what to give him to get a bit of "go" just enough to start that fat burning but not to put the weight back on - don't want to use a big stick ;) - I never had to speed a pony up before always wanted then to slow down !
 
Phil maintained a lot of his crest even after losing weight. A half-decent winter with no rug, food or shelter helped to shift the last pounds and although he is bigger now it is mainly muscle. I have been told hi big neck and crest are more due to the way his neck is set on to his shoulder. I think just keep at it. Horses all have 'stubborn areas' and a lot of them seem to have the crest area as a particular area that causes trouble because it takes so long to shrink.
 
Got any photos.

Some shetlands can be built very cresty and you won't shift it all.
 
My shetland has always had a huge crest. However I can feel his ribs so I'm not too worried :)

With more exercise, energy levels should increase without having to feed anything laden with calories you don't want; Plus a lot of ponies are naturally laid back and lethargic in warmer weather.

I would carry on doing what you're doing tbh, lots of walking out and hill work if you can.
 
My Shetland can have a crest even when he is slim (not atm!) I worry when his crest gets any bigger and he starts developing fat pads and loosing his wither but it's different for everyone..

I lunge and longrein up and down hills to get the weight off him and he is muzzled 24/7 while out between March and October.
 
Mine is now super slim after enforced diet, still has a crest, always has but its much less defined now and not hard. Never had to feed anything to make him go, has endless energy, saying that if he don't want to do it then he makes it clear but thats not lethargic just him being bloody minded. We do plenty of inhand walking etc , making sure he is working through his body not just ambling along , lunging/long reining is great but can't at moment, as soon as he is able then we will be.
 
Not tried it myself but cinnamon is supposed to be good to help rid fat, particularly crests, think it helps speed up the metabolism. Look at Metabolic Horse Supplies website if you decide to try it!
 
Feeding magnesium will make his crest disappear. NAF Slimline has mag added so would be a good choice as he would get all his vits/mins too.

If hes anything like my shetty once he has lost a bit of weight he will be quite whizzy!! (Imagine grown lady being towed up the road by pony !!)
 
(Imagine grown lady being towed up the road by pony !!)

Don't need to imagine it, seen 3 grown men being dragged up the hill by one 2 year old.
 
Progress - can " wobble" his crest a bit more today - but he thinks that is all "so unfair" that he and his two pals are in a " no-blooming-grass in here ! " field.:D can't post picture 'cos Hubby has swiped my camera and is away for the rest of the week - and the web cam will not reach the fields ! :)
 
My 2 girls took me gravel skiing one day, my mum thought it was so funny she was crying with laughter, my old shetland also took me grass skiing although i was on my belly being dragged along a grass verge :D, he kept looking back at me, im sure he was laughing, look at my pictures and you will see his laughing face :)
 
update on Podgy pony :) he has been in the " theres no blooming grass in here field ! " for almost a month now and has been having slimline in his " paltry" bit of chopped hay which seems to be working . I found his withers this morning :D The only downside is that his skin is all wrinkly - do they do tummy tucks and face lifts for ponies ? Hey if Slimline works I wonder how it tastes on cornflakes !!! :rolleyes: my neighbour says that perhaps Slimline does not make you loose weight it just makes your skin crinkley and baggy !
 
My boy is a slim boy since I put him on the "oh my god, my throats been cut" paddock three years ago, he is now allowed to go in the main field a couple of times a week with my lami pony and they have stayed fit slim and healthy, ever since.

He is never fed hard feed, just quality hay in winter and has mineral licks and veg all year round to supplement his diet. I work it that he and Star go on the paddocks after the oldies eat it all down to a safe level. He is also ridden three times a week all year round just short hacks now though as my kids are in their mid teens and way too tall!

Once its off you will find it easy to adjust his grazing so he can have a little without ballooning again. It took ages to get Kosha down but this is him now
2007_05310146.jpg
 
He might be on the poverty park but riding him through a field where he doen't even have to bend down to eat............. LOL :D :D :D
 
when i got my new shetland he was a ginger table with the tinest of legs:eek:
i got him home . and started on his diet he has 2 handfulls of happy hoof twice a day and is on a very restricted paddock with very low grass his was worked everyday long reining and then driven most days .he lost the weight and he legs grow:rolleyes:.
his a stocky little chap anyway but him being overweight made him look tens times wrost.
now his back to a sensiable weight i have found he has much more energy to drive :D
 
As some of you may know I have just got a Shetland Gelding, he isn't FAT but he isn't exactly slim either, I was shocked to be honest to see how much
grass him and the others were on when I went to view but she said they
'were no problem and she had never had one with laminitis'.

I have moved him straight to 'restricted grazing' but he can see the
'field of grass' on the other side of the electric fence and I am pretty sure
within a few days will be trying to get to that side.

My Filly is also on restricted grazing, there IS grass coming thro' but certainly not loads of it. Usually I turn her out for a couple of hours a day whilst I am there to graze the 'other side' of the fence. Would it be safe to let the
shetland out as well? At the moment, partly because of the lousy weather,
they are both getting a slice of hay on a night as well.
 
How old is he?

He doesn't look at bad to be honest?

I have one of mine on cinnamon, it burns down fat, worked wondered on my section a.
 
update- podgy pony - he is looking slimmer everyday - still in the "cut me own throat dibbler" paddock :D and having slimline he seems to like it - mind it is the only chop/feed he gets :mad: - has picked up a bit more speed in the carriage now - even hubby has driven him around the fields :eek: is still shoesless so not so keen on stoney ground and who can blame him ! a few more weeks of this and he will be fit enough to take to thetford forest for a longer drive. yay
 
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