[beauxdatious]

How can you tell if a horse is overweight? I dont know if Beaux is, he looks a little heavy to me, but it might just be muscle? I heard SOMETHING about the crest?

Thanks to anyone who can help me!
Katie

[ThisIsMe]

If you can't feel their ribs without some major digging into their side, they're too fat!

[beauxdatious]

Lol, ok thats a start...?

[Cavalier]

Can you post a picture of the horse?

A cresty neck and cellulite are other telltale signs

[beauxdatious]

I will post one tommorrow, I took some awsome pcs today but left my camera at my grandmothers house. He doesnt have a chubby crest. He looks a little big because his belly is lowered? But if I press down ( not very hard) I can feel his ribs. He just looks fat to me. Idk what it is, he is on the vets diet (half scoop of grain) and 3 flakes of hay. He isnt a little horse he is 16 hands. He poops CONSTANLY! Drinks alot of water too. Is ridden hard every other day and put on a walker/ trotter every day I dont ride him. e gets feed 2x a day.

Hope that helps

[DressageGirl]

How much does my horse weigh?

How do I accurately work it out?
Body condition scoring is used extensively as an aid in management of sheep and cattle. Research in horses has shown that condition scoring provides a useful method of monitoring body condition. Body condition ("fatness") is the most reliable indication of the suitability of a horse's diet. 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. Weight estimation is necessary for dietary management, monitoring growth, and correct dosage of worm treatments and other drugs.
If you have access to scales suitable for weighing horses, these should be used on a regular basis to monitor growth, health and fitness. If not, you will have to rely on the methods of weight estimation outlined below.
Condition Scoring
To estimate your horse's condition
1. Assess, visually and by feel, the horse's pelvis and rump, back and ribs and neck
2. Give those areas individual scores. Intermediate assessments can be given half scores
3. Using the pelvic and rump assessment as the base, adjust that score by a half point if it differs by one or more points from the neck or ribs score
4. Height measurement should be performed on level ground when the horse is relaxed and standing squarely. Use the highest point of the withers as the measuring site.

0 Very Poor
Very sunken rump, deep cavity under tail, skin tight over bones, very prominent backbone & pelvis and marked ewe neck


1 Poor
Sunken rump, cavity under tail, ribs easily visible, prominent backbone & croup, ewe neck - narrow & slack

2 Moderate
Flat rump either side of backbone, ribs just visible, narrow but firm neck & backbone well covered.


3 Good
Rounded rump, ribs just covered but easily felt and no crest, firm neck


4 Fat
Rump well rounded, gutter along back, ribs and pelvis hard to feel and slight crest


5 Very Fat
Very bulging rump, deep gutter along back, ribs buried, marked crest fold and lumps of fat

[beauxdatious]

THANKS so much, those pictures helped ALOT!

[DressageGirl]

Originally Posted by beauxdatious

THANKS so much, those pictures helped ALOT!

There is a different body score system that Rescue organisations use, however from a visual/simple point of view I really like this one

[imacowgirl2]

If he is drinking and pooping constantly, that makes me think there may be a metabolic issue going on. However, I couldn't tell you which metabolic issue...maybe PM SueB and see what she thinks.

[MissBandit]

The BCS is generally determined on a 1-9 scale. The 1-5 is UK rated scale if I'm not mistaken.

http://www.buckeyenutrition.com/equinetechnical/EB02%20Body%20Condition%20Score.html

A 5 is considered a healthy weight on this scale.