Best way to get rid of "milk crest" in 2 yo filly?

[kaprikorn]

Hi everyone,

I am getting a 2 yo filly ready to show in halter, but she has this stubborn little crest that sweating and 20 min a day exercise is not geting rid of. What do you experts recommend to resolve the problem?

Thanks for you input !

Sheryl

 

[Jill]

A couple of my horses were looking cresty last year and had great improvement in all of them when I switched to a low carb / low starch feed. It's high in fat but still low calorie and really did the trick. It's 12% protein / 6% fat / 20% fiber and packed with nutrients but very little carb / starch / sugar. In particular, my 2005 stallion and an older mare were quite cresty but this change alone has eliminated the crestiness in their necks.

Good luck!

 

[Jessica_06]

I totally agree with Jill on this!

If you're feeding sweet feed switch to a pelleted feed like Purina Equine Adult etc... I've seen some great improvements on this not only from me but also a friend that I recommended the feed too, her horses look the best they ever have!!!

 

[barnbum]

"milk crest?" What is that exactly? I certainly know what a crest is--but "milk?"

My horses get cresty too--I've been told part of the issue is Buckeroo breeding. I know at one time it was a weight issue, but that's not the case as much now. Even my new filly has a crest--at 6 weeks of age!

That's why I'm curious about the term.

I feed Gro N Win--so not even a feed.

 

[Jill]

I've got tons of Buckeroo breeding here but haven't found the crestiness to be due to the line at all.

Of my cresty horses, one was DunIT who has Buckeroo lines but he was just too fat all over including crest from the feed program I had had him on. The mare that had the issue has no Buckeroo. None of my other (many) Buckeroo horses had the crest. They all lost weight (as most were just too fat on the senior feed, and two were cresty). DunIT and Lou lost their crest, simply by taking them off the senior pellet they'd been on and putting them instead on a low carb feed.

Additionally, mature stallions to have a bit of a thicker neck (than mares or geldings) when not sweated because that's how adult boys are... still, my Buckeroo stallions are not at all thick like you might find in a coarsely made or stocky type horse. Buckeroo is not prepotent for thick necks.

Some horses are absolutely just built thicker but the Buckeroo line is not really known for thickness, in body or in necks -- though of course you can find examples that are not what we strive for that have some Buckeroo breeding. Buckeroo is actually known for a modern look and attitude, and to be so prepotent for that modern "styling" on down through the line. The Buckeroo look can be unmistakable in nice examples even a couple-few generations removed.

(Sorry, but I have got to speak up when it comes to this particular line -- so much of my breeding goals revolve around what I see in my individual Buckeroo bred horses.)

 

[uwharrie]

Low starch feed, NO grass, limited hay and remission.

this worked wonders on Dreamie and Romeo

( you have seen the before and after photos)

Exercise and sweating to get the last little bit off before the shows

 

[Marty]

Good topic for discussion.

I think a lot of show horses live in sweats year round.

I had one horse that I bought Silver Belle who came to me with one heck of a crest like an old stallion. She is the old style mini, short and squatty and not much leg. I thought for a while it was a thyroid problem. Soon as I took her off sweet feed it was gone before I could even notice. I also have to watch feeding her too much beet pulp. She only gets a small portion or the crest will come back. Even my senior stallion Nick never got real cresty and I never sweat anyone. For a long while I fed ration balancer but when it got to be over $20. a bag I switched to Purina Strategy and no cresty problems on anyone.

Interesting subject though......I think that some horses are just predisposed to a cresty neck, especially if you have the old style minis that are short and large boned like Silver Belle. My friend has a whole herd of these older style minis and I swear they all look very fat/obese and very cresty and that is on a well managed farm that dry lots half a day or more. Just my opinion for what its worth but when I see them I do wonder if its just in her breeding program and if it should be considered a conformation thing and not just the slow metabolism on its own.

 

[kaprikorn]

Thank everyone.

I was told a "milk crest" is what you get on very young stock. . .I could have been misinformed. What I have is a Fallen Ash bred filly that has this little thickness on the top edge of her neck. She is not fat, has been exercised 20 min a day with a neoprene sweat and wears a neck fleece sweat daily. She is fed pelleted feed and is off grass completely. . . .but this little edge remains. (saving up for hard times) I will try the low carb

Thanks again for the input,

Sheryl

 

[Echo Acres]

Remission works wonders! We use sweats, but also feed Remission. It has helped drastically on some of our horses. We tried Quessence but switched to Remission when the other was on back order. It is cheaper and does a much better job.

 

[mydaddysjag]

Glad to hear the remission works as well or better than the quiessence. I was about to run out of quiessence, and couldnt get it soon enough, so just switched to remission. I wish it were pelleted though.

 

[kaprikorn]

Where can I get Remission? I have not heard of this. . . Is this something you get from a specaility store like tack shops or Tractor Supply? My feed store only carries Legacy brands.

Thanks

 

[Echo Acres]

It is a suppliment and can be ordered online. You can google it and find the cheapest, but I think we ordered it from www.foxdenequine.com