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

Estimating weight using Height and Condition Score
A horse's weight can be predicted using its height (in hands) and its condition score (Table 1).