Body Condition Scoring Flashcards
Henneke Scoring
Physical and visual inspection used to access degree of fat covering as a good indicator of general health. Categorized on a 1-9 scale
Ribs
first place to lose weight and add weight.
BCS below a 5: ribs easy to see
BCS above 5: cannot see
BCS above 7: difficult to see
Shoulder
BCS below 5: bony structure will be more visible
BCS at 5: blends smoothly with the body
BCS above 5: fat is deposited behind the shoulder and becomes bulging
Withers
BCS below 5: will be prominent
BCS at 5: will appear rounded
BCS above 5: will be bulging with fat
Loin
Area just behind where the saddle sits
BCS below 5: spine becomes prominent
BCS at 5: will be relatively level, and not sticking up nor a dent or crease along the spine
BCS above 5: build up of fat on either side of the spine and causes a visible crease to appear
Tailhead
the base/root of the tail, joins the rump to the tail
BCS below 5: Prominent and is easy to discern
BCS at 5: fat is filled in
BCS above 5: fat will feel soft and begin to bulge.
Neck
Fat deposited at the top of the neck
BCS below 5: able to see bony structure
BCS at 5: blends smoothly into the body
BCS above 5: thick all around with fat evident at the crest
1- Poor body condition
extremely emaciated
boney
no fat
complete ribs and skin
2- very thin
emaciated
slight fat
ribs are easily seen
3- thin
transverse processes cannot be felt
more fat
Obesity
Can lead to problems like:
laminitis
bone issues
difficulty cooling off
weight tape
- Stand the horse square.
- Place tape around heart girth.
Formula for weighing a horse
heartgirthheartgirthbody length/300
=horse weight in pounds
Scale
most accurate
most expensive
can be difficult to get horse on the scale
