Weight Management Tools
Body condition scoring tool
What is it?
Body condition scoring is a method of practically assessing the horse or pony’s level of fat covering across several areas of the body where fat is normally laid down. Follow our guide to assess by eye and by touch using a numerical grading system. We recommend using the 1-9 scale based on the method developed by Henneke et al (1993).
How to use the calculator
- Ensure your horse or pony is stood on a firm, level surface.
- Your horse/pony should be relaxed, bearing weight on all four feet and ideally stood square.
- Score each of the six body areas on the diagram above from 1-9. Click here if you need help with how to score each area.
- Enter your horse's score for each of the six body areas into the calculator to find out your horse's Body Condition Score estimate.
BCS TOOL
Please click on calculate button to get your horse's score
Your results
You have scored your horse's body condition as:
Body condition index (BCI) tool
What is it?
The body condition index (BCI) is a method of assessing body fat similar to the Body Mass Index (BMI) used in humans. It has been primarily developed to identify horses and ponies that are likely to be overweight or obese and may be particularly useful when body condition is monitored by more than one person, or by those less familiar with body condition scoring. A mathematical equation using five body measurements is used to calculate the horse’s final BCI score.
The BCI was developed by The University of Melbourne in collaboration with SPILLERS*
*Potter SJ, Erdody ML Bamford N, Knowles E, Menzies-Gow N , Pippa K. Morrison P , Mc. Argo C, McIntosh BJ , Kaufman K Harris PA, Bailey SR (2023) Development of a body condition index to estimate adiposity in ponies and horses from morphometric measurements Equine Veterinary Journal in press.
How to use the calculator
- Start by tying your horse or pony up on a firm, level surface (concrete is ideal).
- Ideally he should be relaxed, stood squarely and bearing weight on all four feet.
- Measure your horse/pony’s height, length, neck circumference, heart-girth and belly-girth in centimetres as shown in the picture above taking particular care when measuring your horse’s belly girth if this is new to the horse.
- Enter your scores into the calculator below for the final estimate of your horse's BCI score.
GUIDELINES
Neck Circumference: Midpoint of Neck.
Heart Girth: Slight angle behind shoulder.
Belly Girth: Widest point of belly.
Height to withers: Please avoid following the contour of the horse's body for a more accurate result.
Length: Point of shoulder to point of buttock.
BCI Tool
Please click on calculate button to get your horse's score
Your results
's body Conditioning Index is:
How to use a weigh tape
Most owners don’t have the luxury of regular (if any) access to a weigh bridge, making a weigh tape a more practical option. Although they may under or over-estimate the horse/ pony’s actual weight, if used correctly, they can be a useful way of monitoring gradual changes.
1. Make sure your horse is stood as squarely as possible on a firm, level surface.
2. Place the weigh tape over the horse’s back at the base of the withers, Next, bring the tape underneath the girth area just behind the foreleg and elbow.
3. Check your weigh tape is correctly positioned. It is likely it will be on a slight angled line (/). Incorrect positioning will affect the accuracy so always check the manufacturer’s instructions.
Tips on improving the accuracy of your weigh tape:
Always use the same weigh tape to help improve accuracy when comparing measurements over time.
Try to monitor your horse’s weight weekly, ideally at the same time of day as changes in gut fill can affect the result – this why most of us prefer to stand on the scales first thing in the morning!
Remember weigh tapes are not accurate for pregnant mares and foals/ youngstock (especially those under 6 months of age).
Muscle Wastage Scoring Guide
The SPILLERS muscle wastage scoring guide has been developed to help owners identify muscle atrophy or ‘wastage’ in three key areas – the neck, the back and the hindquarters. Each area is assessed separately using one of two scales (A or B) and given a score of 1-4. A score of 1 indicates no muscle wastage whereas a score of 4 indicates severe muscle wastage.
