broken crest

[slaneyrose]

Hi

I`m just curious about this phenomenon, I have seen it on donkeys where the crest gets really big then flops over and doesnt ever seem to go back to normal after that.......I have heard that miniatures get it, what causes it and what can be done if anything to correct it??

 

[Dona]

A broken crest is usually caused by a horse being obese. Fat is stored in the crest...and when there is too much of it...it can cause the crest to fall over "break". Sometimes, taking weight off the horse will help to pull the crest back up some....but if it is truly "broken over"....usually nothing helps.

Now sometimes a very thick & heavy mane will pull a crest over. If this is the case, you would just need to cut or thin out the mane to reduce it's weight, so it doesn't pull the crest over. Allowed to go unchecked....it can result in a crest that won't return to it's natural position too.

 

[wwminis]

A broken crest is usually caused by a horse being obese. Fat is stored in the crest...and when there is too much of it...it can cause the crest to fall over "break". Sometimes, taking weight off the horse will help to pull the crest back up some....but if it is truly "broken over"....usually nothing helps.

Now sometimes a very thick & heavy mane will pull a crest over. If this is the case, you would just need to cut or thin out the mane to reduce it's weight, so it doesn't pull the crest over. Allowed to go unchecked....it can result in a crest that won't return to it's natural position too.

[SIZE=18pt]Dona, Your right on with your anwser! :aktion033: I agree 100%

: [/SIZE]

Bill

 

[Sandee]

Definitely overweight will cause that "fallen" crest. Our older gelding had it when we got him and we were told he was at least 50 lbs overweight. Put him on a diet and exercised him and it did help. In his winter woolies it doesn't show. When he's clipped for summer however it's noticeable enough that I didn't even bother to try him in any halter classes. It doesn't show up on pictures too much as his white mane and big white spot tend to blend together and hide it. It's definitely there and nothing I've tried so far will camoflage it.

 

[bluerogue]

I bought a stallion from a forum member whose crest had fallen. He was in good weight, but had the thickest mane on a horse I've ever seen. And this was after she had cut some of it out, too! I cut more out after he got here, and had the vet look at him. My vet said once they fall, it's for life, as the cartilage is broken, and will not repair correctly. We tried training his mane to fall to the other side, but it kept going back to the original side. So we gave up, and kept it trimmed pretty thin. He lives with a friend now, and is much happier with her because she has more land for him to run around on. She keeps his mane thinner than I did, but his neck looks really good. I have a super nice filly and colt by him from 2005, and another one on the way out of the fillies dam for this spring. She's due in March or April (pasture bred, and they were sneaky!).