Horse condition scoring a good husbandry tool - Wenzhou SiliconSky Ventures Co.,Ltd

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension horse specialist Dr. Kathy Anderson shows how to palpate for a horse’s condition score. In the next two photos she demonstrates how to first measure a horse’s heart girth and then where to measure length. These are used in a formula to estimate a horse’s weight when a scale isn’t available.

Good, solid ranch horses can be an asset to any cattle operation. Keeping them in good condition is important and how to monitor that condition was the topic at a recent workshop led this fall by Dr. Kathy Anderson, Extension horse specialist for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Using a condition scoring system which rates horses on a scale of 1 (extremely thin) to 9 (bulging fat), Anderson walked workshop participants through assessment of six different horses.

“Visual observation is the first step,” said the extension specialist. “Palpation of fat cover will be necessary, especially this time of year as winter long hair will interfere with scoring.”

She also noted certain conformation characteristics or pregnancy status may influence the degree of fat appearance over certain body parts.

“Be careful not to confuse fat for muscle tone of physically fit horse as well,” she said.

When scoring a horses’ condition, Anderson noted observation points include the back, ribs, neck, shoulder and withers. A score of one will mean a horse has very prominent vertebrae in the back, the ribs are very prominent, neck is extremely thing, and the shoulders and withers are also prominent.

As fat cover increases so will the condition score. A number 2 score means the horse is still very thin, a number 3 will be thin, but the vertebrae show some fat. On a number 4 one can still see the rib outline, but everywhere else the appearance is less thin.

A score of 5-6 is considered average and a good condition goal to aim for with work horses, said the specialist. A score of 5 means the back is level, the ribs are not seen but easily felt, the neck blends into the shoulder and the shoulder blends smoothly into the body, while the withers appear rounded.

If the horse scores a 6 there is a slight crease on the back, the ribs aren’t seen but with palpation can be felt. Elsewhere little fat shows.

Condition scores from 7-9 mean horses are carrying more cover and are more susceptible to foundering, said Anderson. Also called laminitis, the condition is caused by an alteration in the blood supply of the foot which results in damage to the sensitive laminae where the hoof is attached to the foot.

Condition may also be impacted by a horse’s age. As older horses’ teeth wear down, they may not be eating as much. “Pecking order at the feed trough can also impact an animal’s condition,” she said.

During the workshop Anderson also covered how to estimate a horses’ weight for deworming doses. “This is an especially handy tool if a scale isn’t readily available,” she said as she demonstrated a weight tape measurement.

To estimate weight, measure the heart girth, square it, multiply by the horses’ body length, divide by 330 and that equals the horses’ weight. “It is usually within 100 to 200 pounds of the actual weight,” said Anderson.

For reference, view the condition scoring system here:

https://animalscience.unl.edu/Extension/Horse/Producer/conditionscoringchart.pdf

Barb Bierman Batie can be reached at [email protected].

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