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WORDS BY : DR JENNIFER STEWART BVSC BSC PHD EQUINE VETERINARIAN AND CONSULTANT NUTRITIONIST CEO JENQUIN
THE VOLUME OF INFORMATION ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A CRESTY NECK IN HORSES IS STEADILY INCREASING . HORSES AND PONIES WITH INCREASED FAT ALONG THE NECK ( IE A CRESTY NECK !) ARE FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE TROUBLE REGULATING THEIR BLOOD GLUCOSE AND THUS AT HIGHER RISK OF DEVELOPING LAMINITIS . RECOGNISING BODY TYPES THAT INDICATE A HIGHER RISK OF EQUINE METABOLIC SYNDROME CAN HELP PREVENT LAMINITIS .
Horses are not immune to the obesity epidemic , which is one of the most important welfare issues today . Surveys from around the world show that in certain equine populations , between 27 and 50 % of horses are too ‘ forward ’, over-conditioned or obese . In Australia and New Zealand 30-60 % of leisure horses and 22 % of pony club horses are overweight – ie too fat ! Picking up on early signs of insulin resistance ie a cresty neck , abnormal hoof growth rings – and as the laminae weaken , separation of the hoof wall from the white line and seedy toe – can help early recognition .
In humans , abdominal / gut / belly fat , measured as waist circumference , is more closely linked to risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease than fat elsewhere in the body . Similarly , in horses , fat deposited along the crest of the neck (‘ cresty neck ’), has been associated with altered metabolic states , including insulin resistance and an increased risk for laminitis . Insulin resistance = being unable to manage blood glucose levels . When blood glucose levels rise , insulin is released from the pancreas to ‘ carry ’ the glucose into the muscle and liver cells , where it is stored until it ’ s needed . Insulin ‘ resistance ’ occurs when the cells don ’ t respond to insulin . When this happens , glucose and insulin both remain high in the blood . High blood glucose and insulin can cause major health problems .
The metabolic syndrome of equids resembles the wellcharacterized syndrome in humans where excess body fat and insulin-resistance are linked . Together they cause ‘ metabolic syndrome ’ ( EMS ) which is a derangement of several normal body processes . It has a genetic basis and in horses ( and humans ) that are genetically susceptible , the combination of a high sugar diet + insufficient exercise is the path to metabolic syndrome .
2023 AQHA YEARBOOK ~ MAY / JUNE ISSUE