Pastured stallions...

[fastrack]

We brought our stallions in from their herd pastures this weekend. Usually they keep in good shape 'herding' their mares all summer. However, this year 2 of our stallions developed thick, almost 3" fatty neck crests.

Why this year and not any other?

We've had a lot of rain this year, perhaps over abundance of grass compared to other years?

They are in smaller lots now. Normally they go on hay until winter weather, then we will also feed grain.

Any suggestions on what to feed to reduce those fatty cells??

 

[shorthorsemom]

remission will help with the cresty necks.

 

[muffntuf]

Its been a very wet season. Grass carries more sugar when it is wet. Pull them off pasture and start giving them dry hay and get them to working.

 

[Jill]

A few years ago, some of our horses including one of my stallions was too cresty. Not as thick as what you're describing, but more than I was happy to see. We switched all our adult horses to a low starch / low carb feed. No more issues with anyone being cresty and they all look really fit and shiny just from the feed program and their own initiative to run around and play.

 

[barnbum]

Yup--it's the grass!!! Too many sweet calories! We just created a dry lot for this reason.

You can pull them off, limit their time on pasture, or add muzzles. It's a royal pain in the neck when horses can't just graze happily.

 

[Jill]

Yup--it's the grass!!! ...

Well, it's not JUST grass. When horses get a huge crest, you've got to consider a genetic component as well...

 

[Connie Ballard]

Jill is your low starch/carb grain Safe Choice?

 

[Jill]

Jill is your low starch/carb grain Safe Choice?

Hi, Connie --

No, it's not. It's a feed that's formulated by Kentucky Equine Research (KER) and milled by my local co-op. Locally, it's under the "Pacemaker" brand and they call the one I'm talking about "Fat & Fiber".

The KER formulas are licensed to feed mills around the Nation, and I think the same feed I'm using would be available under different brand / line names in other locations. I've been using the KER / Pacemaker feeds for 15 years. They've got a full line up and I love this low carb / low starch one for most of our horses. I use it and then their senior complete pellet for the babies and late term pregnant / lactating mares.

Here's a link with some information from my co-op's feeds: http://www.ker.com/t...c/products.html and the KER site (again, these formulas are available in other places besides my local area): http://www.ker.com/

Jill

PS chart that gives an idea of the forumlas KER licenses out:

 

[little lady]

remission will help with the cresty necks.

Help me understand this...as I am interested in this product...

So by giving this to a horse that has a cresty neck does that help them digest their food in a different manner to help reduce the cresty neck? Any additional input would be great.

 

[Riverdance]

Help me understand this...as I am interested in this product...

So by giving this to a horse that has a cresty neck does that help them digest their food in a different manner to help reduce the cresty neck? Any additional input would be great.

I found out the hard way that Remission/Quessence can also cause the crest to fall over. Be careful with that product.

 

[little lady]

I found out the hard way that Remission/Quessence can also cause the crest to fall over. Be careful with that product.

Ohhh...thanks for the info!

 

[fastrack]

Thanks everyone for the replies!

Sounds like pulling them from pasture and putting them on hay will cure their crests.

We'll have to watch next year...and maybe limit pasture time.......or.........get more minis so they can keep the grass down!!

 

[targetsmom]

Lots of experience here with cresty necks...

A few points - Nutrena Safe Choice is NOT a particularly low starch feed... I do feed it to mares and foals, but it is "controlled starch" not low.

My cresty neck mare gets Purina Carb Guard which IS low in starch and NSC. She is on a dry lot and also gets Remission, mainly because of the danger of founder. My very first horse that I got 50 years ago had a cresty neck - the crest was pretty much fallen over - and she foundered so many times and so easily that THAT is why I feed Remission, not for any cosmetic reason. Remission or Quiessence contain magnesium and chromium; I am not sure exactly how they work but I assume they affect metabolism somehow. Check out the articles at http://www.safergrass.org/.

Neck sweats do help, as does trimming the mane and swapping it from side to side. My current cresty necked mare is also a show mare so I do care what it looks like to some extent.

If you want to REALLY cut down on the sugar/starch, you can soak (not wet down) the hay for a half hour or so to remove a lot of the sugar. Or get your hay tested and feed only the lowest NSC hay you can find.