Horse Body Condition Scoring: Fat, Thin or Just Right?

Why Score Your Horse?

It is easy to miss slow changes in a horse you see every day, and winter coats and blankets hide a lot. Scoring gives you a number to track, so you can adjust feed and exercise before a small gain or loss becomes a big one.

Being overweight raises the risk of laminitis and other problems in horses and ponies, and being too thin leaves a horse short of reserves for winter or work. Your vet can help you set a target for your horse.

Where to Feel

Run a flat hand firmly over each area, on both sides:

• Neck: a hard, thick crest along the top of the neck is a sign of extra fat.
• Withers and behind the shoulder: fat fills in around these as a horse gains.
• Ribs: in ideal condition you can feel them easily with light pressure but can't clearly see them.
• Back and loins: a crease or gutter along the spine suggests extra fat; a ridge of spine suggests too little.
• Tailhead and hindquarters: soft, spongy fat around the tail shows a gain; prominent hip bones show a loss.

Heavy breeds and some native ponies naturally have thicker necks, and fit athletes may score lower, so ask your vet to score your horse with you the first time.

The Two Common Scales

Henneke 1 to 9. Developed in the US and widely used there and elsewhere. Each area is scored and the scores averaged. A 1 is emaciated and a 9 extremely fat; most horses are at their best around 5, with ribs easy to feel and the back level.

0 to 5. Widely used in the UK and reproduced in the Scottish Government's welfare code for equines. A 0 is very thin and a 5 obese; about 3 is ideal for most horses. The code suggests scoring the pelvis first and adjusting by the back and neck.

Pick one scale and stick with it, so your records make sense over time.

Adding a Weigh Tape

A weigh tape goes around the girth, just behind the withers and elbows, and gives an estimate of weight. It isn't exact, but used the same way each time it shows the trend. Measure at the same time of day, on level ground, and write it down with the condition score.

Acting on the Score

• Gaining: weigh the hay, cut out unnecessary bucket feeds and treats, limit rich grass and add exercise if your horse is fit to work. Make changes gradually, and ask your vet before cutting forage hard.
• Losing: check teeth, worm testing and how much hay is actually eaten, and talk to your vet before increasing feed.
• No change but a change in shape, such as a crest appearing, is still worth mentioning to your vet.

Worming, supplements and anything sold as a treatment: see your vet or a pet supply store with trained staff. Weight changes are worth a vet visit before you buy anything.