# What is a "cresty" neck?



## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

What does a cresty neck look like, and what does it mean? I think it has to do with IR?

I'm not talking about extreme where it looks like the horse has an inflatable neck, I mean more mild cases. What are tell tale signs?

Pictures would be great. How does this neck look? I am hands on so need a personal example for comparison.


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Subbing to find out more about it myself.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

I just found this graphic, not sure if it's accurate though, as I have no knowledge on the subject.


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

I'll be comparing Chief to that chart. LOL

Just today the farrier was out. He commented that Chief was getting a bit cresty.

I asked, "You mean fat?"

He said no, just that what I am feeding is probably a bit too rich.

Been wondering what he meant by that, and what I could/should change.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

I'm not sure if the picture I posted would be a 2 or a 3, guess we'll find out when someone who knows comments XD

I also wonder if drafts are more prone to it, as they have more mass anyway?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

that white horse looks normal to me, but a photo where his head is not lowered would be good; so the neck is in a state of relaxation.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

Here's a really good link. A crest can either be fat or muscle, however, you're never going to have a very large crest that is muscle. 

The vet that said the diet was just too "rich"...that simply means yes, the horse is getting too many calories and getting fat. 

Calories are calories, and you won't get rid of a crest by feeding a different diet with an identical amount of calories. 

That Cresty Neck: Is It Muscle or Fat? - The Winning Edge


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

gottatrot said:


> Here's a really good link. A crest can either be fat or muscle, however, you're never going to have a very large crest that is muscle.
> 
> The vet that said the diet was just too "rich"...that simply means yes, the horse is getting too many calories and getting fat.
> 
> ...


I read that article earlier, glad to know it's a good one


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Agree with this picture is *not* a good one for seeing a "cresty neck"...
Better pictures of the horse with head up at a naturally held level and carriage, along with face/frontal, a side shot and from the butt would all help. Pictures like you would do for a conformation critique...

So,...
Cresty neck can come from many areas of horse-husbandry but many associate and think, "cresty-neck = IR horse".....wrong.
Cresty neck_ is_ for some just a over-feeding of calories, period resulting in a fat horse.
Cresty neck can also be a piece of the diagnosis of EMS {equine metabolic syndrome} which is what many also tag "IR" to.
IR horses also have other tags helping to verify a diagnosis.
Bloodwork is a must.
IR can be the result from genetics or from being fat or obesity.
Horses may also exhibit a fat deposit on the face above the eyes, along the rump, the cresty neck, voracious appetite and lethargic or reduced stamina.
Not all of those signs need to be apparent and some are not grossly apparent to a average person looking but to a trained professional who is UTD on clinical signs added to other pieces of information...makes a critical diagnosis a lot easier done.

My friend had a IR horse.
Horse was having issues and took him to the vet for a look-see...
Horse didn't even get off the trailer and the vet was already calling out what he was seeing and she/I missed. All the signs were there but subtle, very subtle. You don't need glaring, smack you in the face signs for something to be occurring.
We, both of us missed it as we looked for large presentations of symptoms...wrong.
Symptoms were there but not gross in size and not every one.
The educated eyes of her vet though saw instantly what we missed, drew bloods, did a thorough exam to rule out some other possibilities then sent us home. He called later in the week with testing results.

Moral of that story is... 
If you think you may have a horse with a issue happening, do _not_ self diagnose but get a vet out to do a actual exam and testing for a definitive diagnosis so a treatment plan and course of action can be started to slow down the progression of the "disease", get the horse healthier and more comfortable as there are other things left unattended can make the horse miserable and a candidate for death as a means of pain relief.
This is a serious issues...not to be taken lightly, guessed at or not aggressively make changes to a daily existence and think your horse is going to bounce back perfectly from...
If a doubt exists in your mind...*call the vet out!* 
:runninghorse2: ....
_jmo..._


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Drafts and many pony breeds tend to have crests that are more prominent. I'd say the 0 has no muscle as well as no fat and the 1 is where you want to be with muscling. Visually my drafts are at 2 or 3. Add fat to the muscling and a short neck on a horse that is in work and you have a bull neck. Thick and wide with a prominent crest.


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

Oliver has a "Cresty neck" but, the doc seemed to think it was more from him being a stud for seven years than anything else. Has to do with where the body chooses to deposit fat. Not all animals deposit fat the same places initially, kind of like us humans and our different "body types". When in doubt ask the doc.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

1. While overweight, the white horse does not look to have the IR cresty neck - although a better picture is needed and don't let your breath out just yet 

*Following is based on my experience with a horse diagnosed with Equine Metabolic Syndrome AND the horse in my avatar diagnosed with insulin resistance:*

Keep in mind equine insulin resistance is similar to human Type II diabetes.

1. An IR cresty neck can be "cement block" hard or rubbery hard like month old jello.

1.1. This type of cresty neck can hurt the horse when squeezed.

2. Puffiness (bags) under the eyes and sometimes stress wrinkles above the eyes, even though the eyes appear bright and alert.

3. Change in attitude that you can't quite put your finger on for the worse. It could elevate to not wanting to work at all. 

3.1. One early warning sign I noticed with my horse and two friends horses was the horses quickly ran out of energy. They started out at their normal energy level but suddenly they wore down --- like hitting a brick wall.

3.1.1. These things are not constant --- they can change from morning to night as the insulin level changes.

4. Some horses yawn a lot when their insulin rises.

5. Fat deposits over the shoulders and butt.

6. While overweight horses are the most inclined to develop IR thin horses can. Brood mares could be at high risk. Rescue horses that were starved can be a high risk.

7. Most horses will be at risk from age 15 and older, although that isn't written in stone either.

8. Certain "thrifty" breeds are predisposed to metabolic issues.

9. Get blood work done to give you a baseline. Even if the results are within normal range, that white horse still needs to shed 50 or so pounds and get it off any sort of grain.

*Very few folks on this forum work their horses hard enough on a daily basis to merit feeding them any sort of grain, including the weekend warrior trail riders.* endurance riders and event horses are another ballgame.

I'm sure I forgot something but I need to get my fellas turned out ---- which they are on limited grazing hours thanks to Joker being IR (albeit currently in remission) and Rusty being an easy keeper. Both are Walking Horses which are on the Predisposed List.

Hope this helps


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

While that is true and every owner needs to evaluate the type/amount of work as well as that animal's tendency to gain, lose or maintain on what is available you also have to look at availability of forage (pasture or hay) and cost. All of that also factors in to feeding. Pasture may be poor or nonexistant, hay may be cost prohibitive as a total diet, horse may be a hard keeper and even good pasture may not be enough even if available 24/7. If a concentrate is fed then look at the NSC.


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## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

When I bought PJ a little over a year ago the girl who sold him to me told me that he has a tendency to get overweight and had me feel the part of the neck where it gets cresty. She told me to remember what it felt like and if it started to feel hard, put him on a diet.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Thank you all for the replies! Keep in mind he's not mine, and I don't suspect anything is wrong with him, I just needed something to base the information on. This is a thread of pure curiosity. I appreciate all opinions though! 

So, there's not a "texture" specifically that signals it to be an IR crest. For some reason I thought there was. 

Why would it be painful for the horse to compress it? I would have thought it'd be like any other fatty "blob"

Can an IR or borderline horse safely be fed grain at all? Or is it an absolute no no?

I'm sure there's more questions I missed lol


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 said:


> Can an IR or borderline horse safely be fed grain at all? Or is it an absolute no no?


When you say "grain," I assume you mean actual grain as in corn/oats/barley etc that are high in NSC and cause acidity in the hind gut in horses. In my opinion, those should not be fed except in the tiniest quantity to any horse, but especially not to any IR, overweight or borderline horse. 

But of course many people confuse "grain" with bagged hard feeds, many of which are fine and sometimes helpful for any horse including IR horses. Those can include hay and alfalfa pellets, beet pulp, or low NSC senior or complete feeds.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

gottatrot said:


> BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 said:
> 
> 
> > Can an IR or borderline horse safely be fed grain at all? Or is it an absolute no no?
> ...


I was referring to bagged feeds, sorry. I thought a lot of senior feeds were high in sugar?


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Also, Stallions will have far more crest than a mare or gelding. This is normal


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Just trying to get @Foxhunter s pic to display


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Foxhunter said:


> Also, Stallions will have far more crest than a mare or gelding. This is normal



I've never even met a stallion (that I know of) but isn't that because the hormones lead to more muscle mass?

I don't see where anybody posted a picture before you? But that looks awful


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

No, not all senior feeds are high in sugar. You just have to read the bag and if NSC isn't listed then ask around or call the company directly. 

Texture can be firm but flexible if it is muscle. My drafts have good sized crests on them but they are not heavy with fat. There is a layer of fat on them though. It isn't excessive. I'd say if it was hard, lumpy, looked like cellulite and flopped around there would be trouble brewing.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

-----



BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 said:


> Why would it be painful for the horse to compress it? *I don't have an answer but it's what I noticed with both my EMS horse and my IR horse. I could venture a guess and say it has something to do with the rise of insulin as it relates to the neck becoming more hard.*
> 
> I would have thought it'd be like any other fatty "blob" *No. There is a difference between the feel of a solid fat neck and an insulin neck. It's something one has to literally touch to get it. *
> 
> ...


*keep in mind, anything I listed apply to my horses but they are still subtle and early things that often go unnoticed, and the horse founders "out of nowhere". It wasn't out of nowhere, the owner didn't know what to look for ORRRRR the owner was in denial ------ that was me when Joker foundered big time ----- I was in denial because I was already dealing with one metabolic horse and had changed everyone to his diet ---- I couldn't believe what I was seeing but Joker's insulin levels were THREE times higher than normal and Cornell U asked my vet if the horse was still alive.

That was in 2012. The avatar pic of Joker was this past Spring. It took a LOT of money and micro-micro managing him to pull him thru.

I preach all this in the hope at least one person will pay attention and save themselves, their horse, and their checkbook a lot of heartache, tears, & sleepless nights:cowboy:*


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

QtrBel said:


> Texture can be firm but flexible if it is muscle. My drafts have good sized crests on them but they are not heavy with fat. There is a layer of fat on them though. It isn't excessive. I'd say if it was hard, lumpy, looked like cellulite and flopped around there would be trouble brewing.


^^^^That sums the neck up pretty darn good --- it's the gross truth :faceshot:


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

Foxhunter said:


> Also, Stallions will have far more crest than a mare or gelding. This is normal


Yes, but stallions can get fat too so you have to look at the body condition of the whole horse. Here's an example of a stallion with a crest but good body condition.










This guy has a crest and a crease down his back, and fat deposits behind his shoulder, etc.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Yeah when they look like a sail fish you are in deep trouble...


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Here's the picture I was trying to find before. At least his head is up


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

could you show the whole horse, with his neck up? 

that sort of looks to me more like a hrose whose neck muscles, beneath the crest area, are under developed. If the neck muscles on the upper neck (that which lift the neck, such as when a horse goes forward to meet a new herd member with curiousity and maybe a bit of 'challeng') were more develped, the very small 'crest' you show in that photo would not be noticeable at all.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

tinyliny said:


> could you show the whole horse, with his neck up?
> 
> that sort of looks to me more like a hrose whose neck muscles, beneath the crest area, are under developed. If the neck muscles on the upper neck (that which lift the neck, such as when a horse goes forward to meet a new herd member with curiousity and maybe a bit of 'challeng') were more develped, the very small 'crest' you show in that photo would not be noticeable at all.


I don't spend much time with him, but will take a picture next time I see him, if I think about it. I didn't make the post about him, he's just the only one I have who really shows definition and sharp lines like he does. Cherokee's pattern throws everything off. I agree with you on the muscle, he's hardly ever ridden.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

what do you all think about this horse? cresty neck wise.

his crest is hard, and flops from one side to the other. he has butt pillows, and a bit of behind the shoulder fat, but spine is NOT down in a 'valley'

He is Andalusian, 19 years old, 24/7 turnout, timothy hay + sometimes alfalfa, no grain, ridden about 3 times a week on trails.


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Tiny, He is cute, I think cresty goes with his breed doesn't it? I like the tacked up pic.

As I said before, my farrier mentioned that Chief is getting a bit cresty. That is what particularly interested me in this thread.

Here are some pics taken this evening of a very dirty Chief. Looking for opinions.

Chief is said to be a mustang cross, a stallion until the age of 7 not used for breeding. Never trained or ridden either. 11 yrs old now, ridden only lightly at walk trot, going for long periods of time with no riding as he is plagued with problems with the RF sesamoid bone plus arthritis.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

wow. if that is 'cresty necked' then my guy is CRESTY NECKED.

to me, Chief looks fine.


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks. 

Back in April the vet told me he needed 50 more pounds. So I started giving him some pelleted feed instead of just a ration balancer. 

I think he has gained a bit more than 50#. Wondering if I should cut down, but then again going into winter maybe best to just keep feeding the same.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

Chief looks OK, it's often hard to see in pictures what you can feel in person. It appears he has a defined flank and behind the shoulder area, and I don't see much of a crest on him. 
Tiny's guy...probably getting closer to danger zone. You can't take just one area to do a body condition score because horses can have one area that doesn't match the overall picture. That's why you average the numbers to get the score. The spine can be in a channel due to braced back muscles from pain or hind end weakness, but the horse can be thin. Or a horse can have a positive spine due to muscle wasting or injury but be overweight. If there is a floppy crest and fat deposits and spongy tail head, then I'd say definitely overweight. In the photo it appears the flank and behind the shoulder area meld together with the rest of the horse instead of creating a depression which is another sign of overweight.


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks for that comparison, @gottatrot. Very insightful.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

anndankev said:


> As I said before, my farrier mentioned that Chief is getting a bit cresty. That is what particularly interested me in this thread.


_I'm not seeing "cresty neck" at all._
What I do see is a hair cowlick in all probability and only when his head and neck carriage is a certain way turned and held.
A "older" horse at gelding will have the hormone development other young "cuts" just don't get.
It goes with the thicker jowl, throatlatch, neck and heavier muscled body many "studs" get.
Your guy is gorgeous btw and I _am_ missing the "cresty neck" your farrier is seeing...
_Maybe my glasses need cleaning...:shrug:
:runninghorse2:...
jmo...
_


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

@gottatrot
We have tried to get X's weight down. when the pasture grasses are high, he is put on a dry paddock (which he hates), and fed only timothy. He acts like he is starving, will nosedive to the grass when led past it. He takes off a little weight, but just doesn't slim down much, even on poorer quality hay.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

I know others had mentioned in another thread that Cherokee looked possibly IR, with possible founder/laminitis based on his hooves. He doesn't have a crest, though he does have some "pads" and a large belly. So, does the body fill in before the neck most of the time or is it just dependent on the individual horse?


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 said:


> So, does the body fill in before the neck most of the time or is it just dependent on the individual horse?


It's highly individualized, just like with people.

@tinyliny, it's good you're managing X to prevent laminitis. Sometimes I disagree with Dr. Getty because I don't think every horse can have access to 24/7 hay, even low sugar hay. Studies have shown some ponies will never self regulate and keep eating 4% of their body weight daily if allowed to. But she has some good information about why some horses overeat. Apparently fat secretes a hormone called leptin that tells the brain the horse is full. If the horse has too much body fat, the brain is exposed to this too much and becomes resistant, never telling the appetite to shut off.

That seems to be compounded with horses that have Cushing's or early Cushing's since they end up with excess Cortisol levels. If you've ever talked to anyone who takes a corticosteroid, they have a raging hunger and often gain weight.

I have several friends that have gone with the Getty program and never successfully got the horse to lose weight. One was recently warned by a vet that she had to cut back on the hay (the horse is dry lotted and gets no grain). 
I believe the only solution is what I do with my mare, I weigh her hay and she only gets the amount that keeps her a good weight. 
She is on pasture during the day, so this sometimes amounts to only 5 to 8 pounds in a 24 hr period. 

This is frustrating for her but she has adapted over time and although she continuously tries to eat when hay or grass is available, she is not upset or stressed about it. With my Cushing's mare the choice seems to be feeling hungry or sick/dead from extreme obesity.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

gottatrot said:


> It's highly individualized, just like with people.
> 
> @tinyliny, it's good you're managing X to prevent laminitis. Sometimes I disagree with Dr. Getty because I don't think every horse can have access to 24/7 hay, even low sugar hay. Studies have shown some ponies will never self regulate and keep eating 4% of their body weight daily if allowed to. But she has some good information about why some horses overeat. Apparently fat secretes a hormone called leptin that tells the brain the horse is full. If the horse has too much body fat, the brain is exposed to this too much and becomes resistant, never telling the appetite to shut off.
> 
> ...


Insulin resistance is a strange creature and a sticky wicket. It seems even the base guidelines don't seem to fit each and every horse --- except to reduce their NSC intake.

*Gotta, I quoted you so you would be sure to read this post*

Joker was diagnosed in 2012 and foundered to where I wasn't sure he would survive --- his insulin level was three times what it should have been and Cornell asked my vet if he was still alive.

He wore a grazing muzzle with limited turnout time for nearly three years. 

I weighed his tested hay and put it in a slow feeder for nearly three years.

He was on a prescription herbal supplement thru the vet, as opposed to Thyro-L until early this year.

He has been in remission for two years.

This past May the vet had me put Joker on watermelon rinds. I do give him some watermelon but the other horse gets the bulk of the meat while Joker gets the bulk of the rinds. I chop everything to the size of my thumbnail 2x/day in the amount of half cup twice.

J<knock-on-wood> Joker is doing amazing --- so amazing, I went Googling for studies to feed watermelon to horses.

Here is a current study that you might like to read

http://www.j-evs.com/article/S0737-0806(13)00164-0/abstract

*This does NOT mean everybody and their brother* should start indiscriminately feeding watermelon to their fat horse or horse diagnosed with metabolic issues. This is NOT meant to be the "flavor of the month" for metabolic horses but it is something to read and discuss with the vet <----anyone with a metabolic horse needs to be talking to their vet on a continual basis --- this is not something you can go alone.

It was a long, gut wrenching and expensive three years to get Joker stabilized. Thankfully my vet, along with being a leg specialist, does a lot of horse health reading that is a bit left of the traditional center. He knows I am wide open to non-traditional methods, if he thinks they might work.

And because I am so happy Joker is alive, I again get on my bragging stool to say Joker is my avatar --- he was just shy of turning 22 when I took this last Spring. Even though his neck still looks a bit cresty, I can see three ribs and the vet has ordered me to keep him ribby.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

@walkinthewalk
why must it be chopped up small?

I wonder if it would help me? I have a lot of belly fat, and that is a sign of insulin resistance in humans. I don't think I could eat watermelon rind, though.


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

horselovinguy said:


> _..._
> What I do see is a hair cowlick ...
> ...
> Your guy is gorgeous btw and I _am_ missing the "cresty neck" your farrier is seeing...
> ...


LOL, you are right on about cowlicks. Chief has them a plenty. I read something about 'reading cowlicks' and checked his out. They are in the same places on both sides of his neck, so that means that even though he has so many he is not completely crazy. Hahaha.

Thanks for the compliment, he has such a sweet face. 









^^^ pic is from 2 weeks after I got him.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

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tinyliny said:


> @walkinthewalk
> why must it be chopped up small?*I don't want them choking --- they both have a tendency to choke.
> 
> 
> ...


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

^^that just means you need chickens @walkinthewalk. :grin: Mine would LOVE to be on the receiving end of that!


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

egrogan said:


> ^^that just means you need chickens @walkinthewalk. :grin: Mine would LOVE to be on the receiving end of that!


Noooooooooo! I had my fill of chickens, growing up on the farm. Nothing like being five years old, your first job is gathering eggs and there are two hens waiting to peck your fingers off ---they gave me the hairy eyeball the minute I walked into the hen house, lollol


My new neighbor has a few chickens -- I'll have to ask her if she wants what I don't feed the horses for her chickens. I hope she lets them roam a little bit --- the last folks who lived in that house had chickens and I hardly saw any ticks!

I would think we in SE would at least be seeing greenhouse watermelons in the stores. These look like leftovers from last summer:eek_color:


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Question @walkinthewalk why don't you want them to eat the seeds? They aren't toxic to my knowledge


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

I'm curious too. Aside from finding random watermelon vines in the poop piles which aren't toxic but your horse would avoid just due to location they aren't going to cause problems. Too small to be a choke hazard. I thought it was rind that provided citruline not the meat.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

1. I especially don't want Joker eating the seeds because he has dealt with both front and hind gut issues in the past. Hind gut in the last year. I view the seeds the same as corn --- hard to digest. 

I could be way off the mark but someone has to convince me a whole bunch of seeds are harmless when the horse has dealt with digestive issues; Rusty has dealt with digestive issues but it wasn't ulcers --- he had what I call "cow bloat" a few years back. 

The vet ran all kinds of tests that were inconclusive. He put Rusty on an herbal prescription for sixty days which seemed to fix whatever was wrong. We never did pinpoint the issue but Rusty has been fine ever since and I don't want to upset that apple cart by feeding him watermelon sections that have more seeds than watermelon

2. Citruline is found in both the rind and the meat. There are quite a few scholarly articles on the Net regarding the benefit of watermelon for human diabetics --- some are so scholarly I can't understand them, lollol

3. I did some googling and have learned watermelon juice is becoming a big deal deal thanks to the Vegens --- and so is the price

There is also citruline powder on the market for humans ---- Some have additives, some do not but I am still Leary to buy any of it because I think it's fairly new. I need to discuss with the vet, lol

98% of the time, I don't feed insulin resistant Joker anything without running it past the vet first; keep in mind Joker's insulin numbers were so high in 2012 Cornell U asked if he was still alive. I am thankful the vet who owns the facility keeps one foot in the holistic/herbal side of horse medicine and I am thankful he has a sweet tooth so I can bribe information out of him, lollollol


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

I suppose that makes sense with a horse who's had issues in the past. If they haven't, probably wouldn't be a bit real
I didn't know that herb was on the market.

Btw, I took a picture of Cherokee today, just to see what you think of the "crestiness" or lack of. If you can even see lol He's so muddy


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 said:


> Btw, I took a picture of Cherokee today, just to see what you think of the "crestiness" or lack of. If you can even see lol He's so muddy


He looks pretty normal --- mud and all, lollol


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

walkinthewalk said:


> BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 said:
> 
> 
> > Btw, I took a picture of Cherokee today, just to see what you think of the "crestiness" or lack of. If you can even see lol He's so muddy
> ...


Good to know he's fat but not cresty lol

I don't even know where he's getting mud, it hasn't even been raining!


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

walkinthewalk said:


> -----
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So what does an IR cresty neck feel like? Or supposed to feel like?
My guy has a cresty neck, it's very firm, above his normal neck area. Feels like, kind of, when I tense my arm muscle and feel it. Nothing like my fat over my calf muscle, which is fairly soft.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

I know I'm kind of dragging up a dead feed, but how overweight so you think a horse would have to be for their barrel to jiggle when they move?

I've always thought horses stayed "tight" even when they were overweight, so it's odd to see.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Stand squarely behind the horse. If you can see its barrel "hanging" past its hips, the horse is too heavy unless it's a mare in foal.

I've never seen a jiggly barrel


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Not always. My son's mare has a huge barrel. Even slightly ribby it sticks out beyond her hips. When we first got her she had a fat pad over it and I swore she was pregnant. She lost the fat but kept the roundness. I still swore she was pregnant even though we had passed 11 months of having her. We wormed her with a Power Pack, gave her a round of Sand Clear and made sure she had high quality protein. Some of that turned out to be hay belly and worms but she is still rounder than you would think she should be as you can see her barrel still from behind. I thought maybe poor feeds and care as a youngster and her barrel was "stretched" to that shape permanently. Nope half of her babies have it and they have had great care and feeding. She takes up an awful lot of leg for a short horse. I've seen a few so fat that they jiggle when you poke them in the ribs. Never really paid that much attention to if they jiggled under saddle.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

walkinthewalk said:


> Stand squarely behind the horse. If you can see its barrel "hanging" past its hips, the horse is too heavy unless it's a mare in foal.
> 
> I've never seen a jiggly barrel


Well I have! Lol

Literally, think walking and their side jiggling as they move much like an overweight person.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

:


BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 said:


> Well I have! Lol
> 
> Literally, think walking and their side jiggling as they move much like an overweight person.


Oh my. :eek_color::eek_color:


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