Body scoring your horse is a great way to assess their weight objectively. It involves observing the overall fat covering in three separate areas: the neck, body, and hindquarters. Looking at weight and condition in this way is much more useful than weight taping alone as horses don’t carry fat evenly over their body and may get build-ups in different areas.
Why body scoring matters:
Body scoring gives horse owners an objective way to monitor fat cover and overall health. By regularly scoring, owners can:
- Track weight changes over time, which is especially useful for seasonal shifts or changes in workload.
- Spot early warning signs of underweight or overweight conditions before they become serious health issues.
- Guide feeding and management decisions, ensuring the horse’s diet and exercise are balanced for its age, breed, and activity level.
- Support veterinary care, as vets often use body scoring to assess risk factors for conditions like laminitis or metabolic disorders.
How do I body score my horse?
There are three areas you need to visually inspect and feel to determine your horse’s body condition score:
- Neck and shoulders
Looking at your horse’s neck, can you see the shape of the muscles there? Have a feel along the crest and take note of whether it feels thickened or if there is hard fat present. Can it be wobbled from side to side? You should be able to feel the tubular nuchal ligament that’s near the top of the mane, along the length of the neck.
Take your hand and run it down the neck and onto the shoulder, does it stop when you meet the shoulder blade? Can you clearly see the shoulder? Fat can build up both in front and behind the shoulder blade which will make your hand move smoothly over it.
- Middle
Run your hand over your horse’s ribs, can you feel them with a slight pressure? Or do you have to press firmly? If you have to really push for them or can’t feel them at all, this indicates a large amount of fat covering them. Take your hand and run it over their back, can you feel the backbone and is there a visible curve present? With overweight horses, fat can build up and be higher than the spine which will create a gutter.
- Hindquarters
Next up you should have a feel over their hip bones, pelvis, and tail head. These should all be easily felt and seen with a thin layer of fat present. If they appear very prominent, the horse is underweight. Taking a look at your horse from behind, the quarters should be slightly rounded. If they are apple-shaped with a gutter, your horse is carrying too much fat here. In contrast, if they drop away at an angle, this indicates not enough fat coverage.
Horse body condition score chart
Following the advice above to inspect your horse, get a pen and paper at the ready and score each area using the chart below:
What am I looking for the score to be?
In an ideal world, all horses should be around a score of 2.5 -3. If your horse is at a 4 body condition score or higher, it is time to take immediate action as they are at a high risk of laminitis. Horses that have had laminitis in the past should never be above a body score of 3, whereas chronic laminitis shouldn’t ever get above a 2.5.
It is a good idea to use body condition scoring in conjunction with weight taping, doing both around every two weeks to closely monitor weight gain or loss. Be aware that weigh tapes are not the most accurate and can vary depending on which one you use, so ensure you use the same one throughout your readings. For a more accurate understanding of your horse’s weight, weighbridges are best.
If you are worried about your horse’s weight, contact your vet right away. They will be able to work with you to create an action plan to help your horse meet their goal weight in a healthy and controlled manner.
Looking for more advice on caring for your horse? Learn all about strip grazing next and why it is a great tool for weight management.