Research from Australia has confirmed that a “cresty” neck is a reliable indicator that a horse is at greater risk for metabolic syndrome and associated laminitis.
Though the connection between cresty necks and metabolic issues has been assumed for years, there had been no concrete research to prove the connection. Fat tissue plays an important role in metabolism and insulin function hormones; insulin dysfunction is one of the primary risk factors for hormone-related laminitis.
Scientists at Queensland University of Technology assigned a body condition score (BCS) and cresty neck score (CNS) to 26 ponies. The CNS score provides an objective measure of fat accumulation on the neck. A CNS of 0 indicates that there is “no visual appearance of a crest and no palpable crest,” while A CNS of 5 indicates a “crest so large that it permanently droops to one side.”
The ponies were divided into three groups: Those with a CNS of 3 or greater with moderate body condition; those ponies that were obese with a cresty neck; and those with a moderate body condition, but no cresty neck. Each pony also received an oral glucose test to determine its ability to regulate blood insulin.
When the researchers compared the oral glucose test results, they found that crestiness was the primary indicator of insulin dysregulation.
Ponies that weren't obese, but that had a CNS of greater than 3, were five times more likely to have insulin dysregulation than the ponies with less pronounced crests, regardless of body condition. This makes the horses with a CNS of 3 or higher at greater risk for laminitis. A horse that doesn't have a cresty neck is less likely to have insulin dysregulation.
These results confirm what horse owners have long suspected: cresty necks are indicative of insulin dysregulation. This is consistent with human obesity research that links specific regional fat accumulation patterns with detrimental health consequences.
Read more at EQUUS magazine.
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