An overabundance of fat along the top of the neckline, otherwise known as cresty neck , is an indicator of metabolic problems in your horse. In fact, researchers believe this type of regional fat deposit nuchal crest adiposity is a strong indicator of equine metabolic syndrome EMS.
Recognizing cresty neck in your horse early on is important as EMS can put your horse at risk for developing the potentially debilitating disease, laminitis. If your horse has already developed a cresty neck, the good news is that there are measures you can take to reduce this fat accumulation.
Feeding, exercise, and management practices can all help to get rid of a cresty neck because they improve insulin sensitivity.
Horses that have cresty neck are usually described as easy keepers or over-conditioned. In addition to being overweight, horses with a cresty neck may have some form of metabolic dysfunction or insulin resistance.
When there is too much sugar or starch in the diet hydrolyzable carbohydrates , they are converted to fat which is stored in fat deposits including the top of the neck. Even some of the volatile fatty acids produced during forage fermentation can be converted to fat. Over time, this area becomes enlarged and hardens. Simple sugars and starch are hydrolyzable carbohydrates HC.
