RE: [RC] green grass, founder and body shape and condition - Karen Standefer
The cresty neck is many times indicative
of insulin resistance and/or Cushings Disease. These horses typically
have laminitis issues (many of them chronic).
With a horse that is IR or Cushings, the
grass can be dead and brown and still deadly. It is the sugar content in
the grass that is the killer. Stressed grasses are typically the most
high in sugar content. There is a lot of great information here:
Horses that are IR or Cushings should not
have ANY sugar. There are forage products on the market for horses like
this (LMF Low Carb Complete is one). Cinnamon also seems to help as does
getting the vit/mins as closely balanced as possible.
Karen
Referenced Post:
Next equestion involves the thick or "founder"
neck. Why do some horses tend to put weight on at the crest of the
neck? I mean, otherwise lean-shaped horses. Another friend has a gelding
who has had several minor scares with laminitis (lives on irrigated, green
pasture)....so has to be rotated on and off. Again, all his weight goes
onto neck, not over ribs. He currently has visible ribs; still quite
heavy neck.....
Another friend has an Arab gelding; pretty lean when she got
him last fall.....has had regular exercise all winter and good hay and the
sorts of things you give a hard feeder (beet pulp, rice bran, etc)...as he was
a bit ribby when she got him, pointy hipbones, prominent spine....while he
gained weight GRADUALLY over the winter, and overall looks better, some months
ago he started to develop that cresty neck...while still almost
ribby.....again, the question is, is that just this horse's particular
physiology, or does that maybe indicate a prior bout with laminitis???
His access to green grass is only hand grazing
Are some horses more prone to put weight on the neck...and
are those more likely to founder?
Then again, this is California.....all non-irrigated
pastures dry out by end of may (I waiting for my front field to dry up so I can
put the horses out there, right now it is too green) but, how the heck do folks
in other parts of the country manage their horses, in areas where there is more
consistent rainfall and pastures stay green all year?
Karen
--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.322 / Virus Database: 266.11.15 - Release Date: 5/22/2005
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.322 / Virus Database: 266.11.15 - Release Date: 5/22/2005
