Fallen crest?

[WashingtonCowgirl]

Spanky has a fallen crest. What causes this? Is there any way to reverse it or at least make it better?

 

[Genie]

I heard of someone using a neck sweat and also getting the horse's weight down. Not sure how much it improved the problem. I would guess that there would not be much you can do once it falls.

 

[targetsmom]

If the crest is heavy enough to fall over, the real danger is an increased risk of founder. Yes, you might be able to make it look better by neck sweating, but I would suggest you get Spanky checked for insulin resistance - a blood test of insulin and glucose levels that your vet can do. You might want to check out the articles on this website: http://www.safergrass.org/articles.html. If the heavy crest is due to insulin resistance, you should put Spanky on a low carbohydrate diet and keep him off of grass. Founder is something you definitely want to avoid!! And horses can have a heavy crest and not be fat all over. Does Spanky have fat deposits elsewhere on his body? We have an insulin resistant mare with a heavy crest and fat deposits near her udder, but is otherwise very fit and very competitive in halter.

 

[Eagle]

All I can say is get him checked by a vet fast. I have been having problems with my stallion Eagle for over a year now and I have finally found a vet that will check next week for IR and Cushings. His first sign of being ill was his neck flopped and he didn't have a big crest.

The people on here are great and are really helping me so I am sure they will give you all the information you need.

good luck

Renee

 

[Lizzie]

There are some good thoughts here, at the Equine Studies Institute.

http://esiforum.mywowbb.com/forum1/694.html

Lizzie

 

[Sandee]

As stated the fallen crest usually comes from having too much fat all over or they have had at sometime. The neck is the most difficult nearly impossible place to lose that. Stallions, or so I've been told, are particularly bad about getting fallen crests. My old gelding was a stallion for 7 years and then gelded. He was WAY over weight when we bought him and had a broken crest. We managed to take a lot of the weight off but have never in 8 years been able to get his crest to reduce. Hope you have better luck.

 

[Eagle]

Lizzie Thank you, that link was very informative.

 

[WashingtonCowgirl]

That's the thing though. He isn't fat, and I've seen a few different pictures of him throughout the years and he hasn't been fat in any of them. His mane is CRAZY thick (like 3 1/2 - 4 inches thick) in the middle where it has fallen. Could the weight of his mane and the fact that he is out of shape cause it? Here are some recent pictures of him, and one from a few years ago:





And from a while back:



Last week:

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I couldn't see the most recent photo. I can say the 2nd pic he is a lil heavy there, not terrible, but his neck is thick. Sweating it would help.

His mane is also pretty long and thick and that can come into play. My one gelding his neck was starting to crest, right after Nationals we competely shaved it off. He had mane for the next show season and his neck came up alot. Another option is to try and get the mane lay to the other side which will require keeping it braided all the time til it decides it wants to lay over on that side.

 

[WashingtonCowgirl]

I couldn't see the most recent photo. I can say the 2nd pic he is a lil heavy there, not terrible, but his neck is thick. Sweating it would help.

His mane is also pretty long and thick and that can come into play. My one gelding his neck was starting to crest, right after Nationals we competely shaved it off. He had mane for the next show season and his neck came up alot. Another option is to try and get the mane lay to the other side which will require keeping it braided all the time til it decides it wants to lay over on that side.

I'm not sure I have the heart to shave it off lol. I plan on keeping his mane up in braids for the winter, because I won't have the time (or daylight) to keep up with his mane or tail a whole lot this winter, so I will just put it on the other side to see if that helps any

As for feed right now he is getting 1 cup soaked beet pulp, 3/4 cup Purina Mini and Pony and basically free fed grass hay. He is dry lotted.