04
Nov
Assessing Weight
To calculate your horses weight you will need to measure (in inches):
- The length of your horse from point of shoulder to point of buttocks.
- The girth.
You will also need to asses your horses condition.Assessing your horses condition
To asses your horses condition accurately it is necessary to look at three places on the horse:
- rump, looked at from behind.
- back, saddle region and flanks below saddle.
- neck, base of neck, only just in front of withers.
and give a condition score from the table below:-
| rump | back & ribs | neck area | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emaciated | awaiting detail. | awaiting detail. | awaiting detail. | |
| Poor | awaiting detail. | awaiting detail. | awaiting detail. | |
| Moderate | Croup well defined but some fatty tissue felt under skin. Pelvis easily felt. Slight cavity under tail. | Backbone just covered, individual processes not apparent but easily felt with pressure. Ribs just visible. | Narrow but firm. | |
| Good | Fatty tissue covering whole area giving rounded appearance without any gutter. Skin appears smooth but pelvis easily felt. | Vertebrae well covered but no gutter. Backbone easily felt with pressure. ribs just covered. | Firm. No crest except stallions. | |
| Fat | Pelvis buried in soft fatty tissue, gutter to root of tail, pelvis felt only with firm pressure. | Gutter along length of backbone ribs well covered by fatty tissue. Bone structure only felt with firm pressure. | Wide and firm, with folds of fatty tissue present. Slight crest even in mares. | |
| Grossly Fat | Pelvis buried in fatty tissue, deep gutter to root of tail, skin distended. No part of pelvis felt even with firm pressure. | Deep gutter along length of backbone ribs buried in fatty tissue. Bone structure cannot be felt. Back more like a table. | Very wide and firm, with folds of fatty tissue present. Marked crest even in mares | |
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