The henneke scoring system is a scientific method of evaluating a horse s body condition regardless of breed, body type, sex or age. Bone structure of the withers, shoulders, and neck are prominent. Body condition scores are numbers used to estimate energy reserves in the form of fat and muscle of beef cows. Assess, visually and by feel, the horse s pelvis and rump, back and ribs and neck 2. Spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, tuber coxae and ischii projecting promi nently. Jan 15, 2019 horse owners should regularly condition score their horses to determine whether a change in body condition would be desirable. T he body condition score bcs system offers an objective method of estimating a horse s body fat levels. The first place to look when assessing a horses body condition score bcs is the ribcage. These scores are added together and averaged into the accurate body condition score for that horse. This fact sheet will help you to assess the body condition score of your horse and to estimate its weight. Providing the horse ample turnout time, in addition to structured exercise, may be the key to bringing the horse back down to an ideal body condition score, fabus says.
One more factor you should consider when assigning a body condition score is the basic body type of your horse. Body condition scoring is a method of evaluating body fat in relationship to body musculature. If done on a regular basis, it is an excellent way to monitor the nutritional wellbeing of your horse over time. Body condition or change in body condition is a more reliable indicator of nutritional status than liveweight or change in liveweight. Horses body condition scoring and weight estimation body condition fatness is the most reliable indication of the suitability of a horse s diet. We team up with world horse welfare and find out how to assess our horses ponies using the 5. In the uk a scoring system of 15 is traditionally used whilst in the usa a 19 system is more. This video describes how to assess equine body condition score. Body condition scoring and the kentucky 4h horse program.
The horse has had nothing to eat for five or more days andor image 1. Introduction to body condition scoring horses purdue extension. The horse is adequately fed, has a body condition score bcs, table 1 or reference ut extension sp 782 for more information of less than 3 image 1 and has no other associated health problems andor 2. Key areas for evaluation are the backbone, ribs, hips, pinbones, tailhead, and brisket figure 1.
Weight of horses was highly correlated p may 03, 2019 body condition scoring serves as an effective tool to determine the nutritional needs of your horse. Each body condition score will have an illustration to match and describe what you should be looking for in determining the body condition score of your. Register to download this helpful, easytofollow body condition score chart here. Nomograms were constructed to predict weight from height and condition score. And, once youve recognized the state of your horses. A system called body condition scoring can be used to rate ideal body condition. If you cannot see the ribs, then the score should be a 5 or.
Having evaluated your horses top line, body condition and cresty neck scores, you will have a good idea of where your horse deposits fat and builds muscle, which will help identify areas for weight gain, loss or top line development. The body condition score bcs system offers an objective method of estimating a horse s body fat levels. Each body condition score will have an illustration to match and describe what you should be looking for in. Body condition scoring for horses the equine nutrition. A body score of 1 has no apparent fat cover, a 57 is the average pleasure horse, and a 9 is an obese animal. If ribs are easily seen, the horse will have a score over the ribcage below a 5. A horse maintained at optimum body condition will achieve better. A horse s bcs is based on an appraisal of fat accumulation in these areas. Henneke 1983 assigns a numerical value to fat deposition as it occurs in various places on the horses body.
Horse body condition scoring purina animal nutrition. Body condition score can be affected by a variety of factors such as feed intake, weather, exercise, metabolic diseases like equine metabolic syndrome, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, illness, tooth issues, parasitic infections, reproduction, and many others. Monitoring the weight and condition of your horsepony. The horse body condition poster comes in two sizes making it perfect for your barn, tack room, or feed room. It contains descriptions and illustrations of body condition scores for horses on a. Equine body condition is primarily a function of the balance between a horses intake and expenditure of energy and is affected by both external and internal. The henneke horse body condition scoring system is a numerical scale used to evaluate the amount of fat on a horse s body. The neck and withers should not look obviously thin and should blend smoothly into the shoulder.
Vets use it, nutritionists use it, animal welfare organizations use it, because a bcs is a universal way of determining the current condition of your horse. The horse s body condition measures the balance between intake and expenditure of energy. Can you tell whether or not a horse is healthy just by looking at it. Using your horses body condition, top line and cresty neck scores. Don henneke assigns a numerical value from 1 to 9 based on the deposition of fat on horses in the areas of the. Body condition scoring is also sometimes referred to as fat scoring. Equine body condition scoring chart hygain horse feed. Henneke body condition score scale 1 9 clue to overall health of animal may impact breeding welfare cases.
Developed 25 years ago by don henneke, phd, as part of his doctoral research, the bcs scale ranges from 1 poor to 9 obese. Scoring focuses on critical areas of the body, based on palpable fat and visual appearance. Once you have identified the appropriate body condition score for your horse, you can evaluate the horse regularly and adjust the feed intake and. The main areas that are examined in the body condition score include the neck, withers, shoulder, ribs, loins and the tailhead. Body condition score chart kentucky equine research. Most horses, including performance horses and growing horses, should be in a body score of 56. Body condition fatness is the most reliable indicator of the suitability of a horse s diet. Heineke equine body score the body condition refers to the amount of fat that is distributed on the horse s body. Body condition scoring and weight estimation of horses. The henneke body condition scale is used to determine the overall health of horses. Remember, you will need to allow for variations according to breed and discipline, for example, a race horse could have a bcs of 4 and be fit and healthy, where a show hunter could be a 67 and look fine for their job. Body condition scoring virginiamaryland college of.
Overview of all the body condition scores for a horse. As a guide, a body condition score of less than 4 would indicate that the horses minimum calorie requirements are not being met by its diet, whilst one of more than 6 would indicate that its diet is supplying more calories than the horse requires. It is now widely used by law enforcement agencies as an objective method of scoring a horse s body condition in horse cruelty cases. Developed 25 years ago by don henneke, phd, as part of his doctoral research, the bcs scale ranges from 1 poor to 9.
The amount of fat is easily seen and palpated on the horse. Body condition scoring of horses ufifas extension university. Regular body condition scoring of your horse is a valuable tool for proper horse management. By using body condition scoring, you can find out what kind of shape your horse is in, and work to improve the score. This change in body condition represents an average of 2 14 pounds of gain per day, which should be considered near figure 2. The henneke scoring system is a scientific method of evaluating a horses body condition regardless of breed, body type, sex or age. Mares with a body condition score of 3 or below develop endocrine imbalances and have difficulty conceiving. Body condition of horses oklahoma state university. Body condition scoring bcs is a useful management tool for distinguishing differences in nutritional needs of beef cows in the herd. Fat horses tend to be less agile performers and tire more quickly than trimmer horses.
Nov 01, 2011 how can you tell whether your horse is too thin, too heavy, or in just the right body condition. Most vets agree that a horse with a bcs of 5 is in good weight or condition. Youll find that in some disciplines, like racing, and some life stages, like pregnancy, a higher or lower score than the moderate 5 might be preferred. It is now widely used by law enforcement agencies as an objective method of scoring a horses body condition in horse cruelty cases. Bone structure of withers, shoulders and neck easily noticeable. Body condition scoring your horse what is body condition scoring. The best way to evaluate a horse s weight and condition is with this universally recognized body condition scoring bcs system produced by the alberta government and based on the henneke body condition scale. This system uses a numeric score to estimate body energy reserves in the cow. Slight fat covering over base of spinous processes, transverse processes.
Backbone, ribs, tailhead, and hipbones are prominent. Condition scoring and weight estimation horses livestock. Research indicates that there is a strong link between the body condition of a cow and her reproductive performance. Spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, tuber coxae and ischii projecting prominently. Body condition scoring bcs systems were originally developed for use in production animals for the assessment of both muscle and fat reserves, but are now widely used in companion animals dogs, cats and horses to estimate only fatness. This condition scoring system is based on visual appraisal and palpable fat cover on six areas. This change in body condition represents an average of 2. Body condition scoring for horses the equine nutrition nerd. Some horses, usually the easy keepers, just tend to carry more body fat than others. Our natural inclination is to provide an emaciated horse with a lot of caloriedense food, but special care when feeding is what is truly. Since it can be hard to recognize if your own horse is over or underweight. Looking at a horse with body condition score of between 4 and 5 should evoke the word smooth.
Register to download this helpful, easytofollow body condition score. It is important to recognize specific areas on the horses body to assess body condition, and to gain experience in identifying body condition on different horses. Each body condition score will have an illustration to match and describe what. Bcs ranges from 1 to 9, with a score of 1 being extremely thin and 9 being very obese. Research in horses has shown that condition scoring provides a useful and objective method of monitoring body condition.
Knowing your horse s body condition score bcs is important. Each body condition score will have an illustration to match and describe what you should be looking for in determining the body condition score. For custom feeding suggestions to help you maintain or change your horse s body condition score, call the forage first equine nutrition helpline at 18006808254. Backbone, ribs, hipbones, and tailhead project prominently. Body condition scoring for horses bsc was designed as a ranking system and remains the most reliable tool in determining a horses body condition. For instance, a 1200 pound horse may either have high or low body condition score. Appropriate horse care allows a proper body condition to be maintained in the horse. Getting an accurate body score using the chart shown to the left, a score of 19 is given to each point of reference, usually in. This free downloadable chart prepared by kentucky equine research uses pictures and directions to guide horse owners through the easy steps to match their horses to body condition scores from 1 poor to 9 extremely fat. The horses body condition measures the balance between intake and expenditure of energy.
It is especially important to condition score the horse during the winter, when extra energy is utilized to maintain body temperature and the winter hair coat makes visual observation more difficult. A horse s body condition score is an estimation of the. Body condition scoring is used extensively as an aid to management of sheep and cattle. During winter and spring it might be difficult to see ribs because of the horses coat. For horses and other equines, a scale of 1 emaciated to 9 obese is commonly used. For optimum reproductive efficiency, broodmares should be a 57, and not allowed to lose condition such that they are below a 5 during breeding season. The heart girth and length of 281 of the horses were also measured.
Regional college of veterinary medicine body condition scoring. If you cannot see the ribs, then the score should be a 5 or above. Body condition scoring many physiological functions in horses are influenced by body condition, including a horses maintenance, reproductive and exercising requirements. Weight of horses was highly correlated p condition score r 2 0. Horses with body scores of greater than 7 are evaluated for dangers associated with an obese horse such as laminitis. Reprinted with permission from the university of kentucky. Improve your ability to horse body condition score by evaluating as many different horses as possible, assessing the six areas in the same order each time so that you develop a system. Energy is derived primarily from carbohydrates, fats, and any protein excesses, and is the foundation for balancing equine diets. Aug 12, 2016 horse body condition scoring has become important in recent years as the incidence of equine obesity has increased. Body condition scoring beef cows body condition scoring can be done using visual indicators or a combination of visual and palpation of key bone structures for amounts of fat during routine processing of cows through a chute.
Ideal scores most horses, including performance horses and growing horses, should be in a body score of 56. How research done on weight and body condition scoring at the tevis cup ride has led to changes in aerc rules for. Download a free equine body condition score chart from ker. Horse body condition scoring has become important in recent years as the incidence of equine obesity has increased. Ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones easily visible. Estimating a horses condition and weight primefact 928. Areas such as the back, tail head, pins, hooks, ribs, and brisket. Body condition scoring your equine how to meet the code of practice requirements body condition scoring bcs is a way to assess the amount of fat on an animals body. If a horse meets most, but not all criteria for a score, use 0. Horses with a bcs of one or two are especially vulnerable to what is known as refeeding syndrome. Body condition scoring bcs is an objective system of evaluating a horse s level of body condition amount of stored fat and assessing a numeric score to facilitate comparisons between horses. Aug 07, 2014 this free downloadable chart prepared by kentucky equine research uses pictures and directions to guide horse owners through the easy steps to match their horses to body condition scores from 1 poor to 9 extremely fat.
Henneke 1983 assigns a numerical value to fat deposition as it occurs in various places on the horse s body. Henneke horse body condition scoring system wikipedia. Jul 25, 2019 the body condition score bcs system offers an objective method of estimating a horse s body fat levels. Henneke body condition score scale 1 9 clue to overall health of animal may impact breeding. Accurate estimation of a horse s weight is an art that requires a lot of experience and even experienced horse handlers often make substantial errors. If you follow my blog you know i am always talking about this. Dec 18, 2012 by horse council bc the best way to evaluate a horses weight and condition is with this universally recognized body condition scoring bcs system produced by the alberta government and based on the henneke body condition scale. This video describes how to assess equine body condition score on a scale of 1. Body condition scoring serves as an effective tool to determine the nutritional needs of your horse.
In order to do this, one must evaluate body fat in relationship to body musculature. Body condition scoring for your horse masterson method. Many owners fail to recognize significant variations in the weight of horses or variations due to age and breed types. It is important to note that all horses of the same weight will not necessarily have the same body condition score.
The body condition score bcs system offers an objective method of estimating a horses body fat levels. It will dictate what he is fed and how much exercise he requires to maintain the appropriate bcs. Since it can be hard to recognize if your own horse is over or underweight, it is often helpful to have two or three friends who dont see your horse everyday. The lower the body condition score bcs, the more difficult it is to successfully rehabilitate a horse. Aug 12, 2014 equine body condition score poster contains descriptions and illustrations of body condition scores for horses from 19 emaciated to obese based on the henneke body condition scale. Body condition scoring bcs is a classification system used to determine relative fatness or body condition of horses.
Increasing a mature horse s body condition from a score of three to a score of six may take four months when consuming about 1 34% of body weight in grain per day and unlimited hay. The henneke body condition scoring system habitat for horses. Periodic reevaluations of individual horses will help to decrease the influence of conformational differences in body condition assessment. They were assessed for condition score by adaptation of a previously published method. Horses with high condition scores are also predisposed to problems, but the problems are less immediate than those of a horse in poor body condition.
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