Grading a horses weight
Score 0 Emaciated
Score 1.0 Poor
Score 2.0 Moderate
Score 2.5
Score 3.0 Good
Score 3.5
core 4.0 Fat
Score 5.0 Very Fat
- with sunken rump and deep cavity under tail, skin tight over ribs; e.g., severely debilitated older horses with abnormal teeth occlusion, starvation.
Score 1.0 Poor
- very thin with prominent pelvis and croup, ribs visible
Score 2.0 Moderate
- thin with flat rump, croup well defined, some fat; e.g., mare that has been severely dragged down by milking while on poor pasture
Score 2.5
- e.g., racing condition or endurance horse.
Score 3.0 Good
- ribs and pelvis covered with fat and rounded; e.g., a halter horse in prime show condition.
Score 3.5
- e.g., mature mare in mid-gestation.
core 4.0 Fat
- fat covering ribs and pelvis requiring firm pressure to feel; e.g., an easy-keeping, mature horse on pasture with little or no work.
Score 5.0 Very Fat
- severe over condition with ribs and pelvis that cannot be felt, deep gutter in back; e.g., a fat pony prone to founder (laminitis).
0 Condition ...............................
Neck bone structure easily felt
Withers bone structure easily felt- no muscle shelf where neck meets shoulder
Back & Loin 3 points of vertebrae easily felt (see Figure 2)
Ribs each rib can be easily felt
Hind Quarters tailhead and hip bones projecting
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1 Thin....................................
Neck can feel bone structure- slight shelf where neck meets shoulder
Withers can feel bone structure
Back & loin spinous process can be easily felt - transverse processes have slight fat covering
Ribs slight fat covering, but can still be felt
Hind Quaters can feel hip bones
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2 Fair.............................
Neck fat covering over bone structure
Withers fat deposits over withers - dependent on conformation
Back & loin fat over spinous processes
Ribs can't see ribs, but ribs can still be felt
Hind Quaters hip bones covered with fat
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3 Good ........................
neck flows smoothly into shoulder
Withers rounds out withers
Back & loins back is level
Ribs layer of fat over ribs
Hind Quaters can't feel hip bones
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4 Fat................
Neck fat deposited along neck
Withers fat padded around withers
Back & loins positive crease along back
Ribs fat spongy over and between ribs
Hind Quaters can't feel hip bones
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5 Very fat................
Neck bulging fat
Withers bulging fat
Ribs deep positive crease
Back & Loins pockets of fat
Hind Quaters pockets of fat
Neck bone structure easily felt
Withers bone structure easily felt- no muscle shelf where neck meets shoulder
Back & Loin 3 points of vertebrae easily felt (see Figure 2)
Ribs each rib can be easily felt
Hind Quarters tailhead and hip bones projecting
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1 Thin....................................
Neck can feel bone structure- slight shelf where neck meets shoulder
Withers can feel bone structure
Back & loin spinous process can be easily felt - transverse processes have slight fat covering
Ribs slight fat covering, but can still be felt
Hind Quaters can feel hip bones
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2 Fair.............................
Neck fat covering over bone structure
Withers fat deposits over withers - dependent on conformation
Back & loin fat over spinous processes
Ribs can't see ribs, but ribs can still be felt
Hind Quaters hip bones covered with fat
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3 Good ........................
neck flows smoothly into shoulder
Withers rounds out withers
Back & loins back is level
Ribs layer of fat over ribs
Hind Quaters can't feel hip bones
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4 Fat................
Neck fat deposited along neck
Withers fat padded around withers
Back & loins positive crease along back
Ribs fat spongy over and between ribs
Hind Quaters can't feel hip bones
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5 Very fat................
Neck bulging fat
Withers bulging fat
Ribs deep positive crease
Back & Loins pockets of fat
Hind Quaters pockets of fat