305:) found both for 1995 and 1996 (study 1) and for 1998 (study 2), that significantly more horses finished the race when they had a higher (vs. lower) body condition score. Horses competing in 1995 and 1996 had body condition scores ranging from 1.5 to 5.5 (1998: 2.5 to 5.5); no horses with a score of ≤ 2.5 (1998: scores ≤ 3) finished the respective race, and all horses with a score of 5.5 (same in 1998) finished the respective race. In both studies, no significant relationship was found between the horses' weights and their time to finish the course (or, if they were eliminated: the miles they completed before elimination). The studies did not find a significant effect for the influence of rider weight on the race results; for 1998, the rider weight / horse's body weight ratio was significantly higher among horses qualified for metabolic criteria than for race finishers (but no significant effect on placing of the finishers). The authors discuss for their first study the role of substrate depletion at sub-maximal exercise levels, but also the possibility that horses had a negative energy intake before the race due to their high exercise levels, possibly also leading to a decrease in muscle mass. They explain the differences of results between the studies in part in that the participating horses of the 1990 Purina Race of Champions had to qualify before and present a more highly-performing field of horses. Both Tevis Cup studies found that horses with a higher body condition score had, however, a significantly higher rate of not finishing the race due to lameness.
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being extremely fat; the ideal range for most horses is from 4 to 6. The system is based on both visual appraisal and palpable fat cover of the six major points of the horse. The system is used by law-enforcement agencies as an objective method of scoring a horse's body condition in horse cruelty cases.
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Not much research has been conducted on the connection between body condition score and performance ability in horses, so optimum scores are unknown. However, horses with a low body condition score lack the fat reserves for strenuous work and also may lack lean muscle. Horses with a very high body
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Stallions have the best reproductive success at a body condition score of 5 or 6. Stallions have a high energy output during breeding season, so some advise a stallion begin the breeding season at a 6 or 7 to keep him within the healthy range at the end of the breeding season. If a stallion has a
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with the goal of creating a universal scale to assess horses' bodyweight, and was first published in 1983. It is a standardized system that can be used across all breeds without specialized equipment; condition is assessed visually and by palpation. Scores range from 1 to 9 with 1 being poor and 9
268:
are very high, so most mares lose condition while lactating. Also, a mare with a body condition score less than 5 has more difficulty conceiving. For these reasons, recommendations are for breeding mares to score between 6 and 7. Higher body condition scores have not been shown to affect
294:(a 241 km/ 150-mile, 2-day endurance race), the top seven finishers of the race (i.e. highly competitive horses) had significantly lower body condition scores and marginally less rump fat than horses eliminated for metabolic criteria (i.e. less competitive horses).
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Monitoring a horse's body condition may alert a horse owner or barn manager to potential health or management issues. Body condition score can be affected by a variety of factors such as feed intake, weather, exercise, metabolic diseases such as
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Horses on pasture should enter the winter season at a body condition score of 6 or 7. On extremely cold days, a horse cannot eat enough feed to balance the energy requirements of maintaining body heat, so condition is often lost over winter.
477:
671:
Garlinghouse S. E., Bray R. E., Cogger E. A., Wickler S. J. (1999). The
Influence of Body Measurements and Condition Score on Performance Results during the 1998 Tevis Cup.
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The average horse is healthiest with a body condition score between 4 and 6 (breed dependent), which indicates that the horse has a proper balance of feed to exercise. An
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Apparent crease down spine; ribs difficult to feel; soft fat surrounding tail head; fat deposits along withers, behind shoulders, and on inner thighs; neck is large
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Ridge of spine and outline of ribs are visible; tail head may or may not be visible depending on the breed; withers, shoulders, and neck do not appear overly thin
385:
Henneke, DR; Potter, GD; Kreider, JL; Yeates, BF (October 1983). "Relationship between condition score, physical measurements and body fat percentage in mares".
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Breeding mares with a body condition score less than 5 have been linked in research to problems with reproduction. The energy demands of milk production for a
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Obvious crease down spine; patchy fat on ribs; bulging fat on tail head, withers, behind shoulders, and on neck; fat fills in flank and on inner thighs
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Location and order of accumulation of fat deposits in a horse: This horse is moderately overweight, but without significant fat deposits, score 6.
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Slight fat cover over body; individual vertebrae and ribs no longer visibly discernible; withers, shoulders, and neck do not appear overly thin
593:
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Lawrence, L.M., Jackson, S., Kline, K., et al. (1992). Observations on body weight and condition of horses in a 150-mile endurance ride.
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Some studies addressed the relationship of body condition score and endurance performance in endurance races. In a study of the 1990
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S.E. Garlinghouse & M.J. Burrill (1999). Relationship of Body
Condition Score to Completion Rate during 160-km Endurance Races.
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Crease down spine; ribs have fat filling between them; tail head spongy; fat deposits along withers and neck and behind shoulders
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Spine and ribs cannot be seen however ribs can be felt; tail head is spongy; withers, shoulders, and neck are rounded and smooth
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is a numerical scale used to evaluate the amount of fat on a horse's body. It was developed in the early 1980s by Don
Henneke at
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Emaciated; slight tissue cover over bones; vertebrae, ribs, tail head, and bones of withers, shoulder, and neck are visible
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Extremely emaciated; no fatty tissue; vertebrae, ribs, tail head, and bones of withers, shoulder, and neck are visible
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Slight crease down spine; ribs and tail head feel spongy; fat deposits along withers and neck and behind shoulders
691:"Bulletin #1010, Body Condition Scoring for Your Horse | Cooperative Extension Publications | University of Maine"
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Novak, Susan; Anna Kate
Shoveller (2008). "Evaluating your Horse's Condition". In Ken Blackley (ed.).
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should be watched closely as it is prone to either being overweight or underweight, respectively.
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body condition score less than 3 or greater than 8, reproductive performance is compromised.
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611:"Relationship of body condition score to completion rate during 160 km endurance races"
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Novak, Susan; Anna Kate
Shoveller (2008). "Feeding Management". In Ken Blackley (ed.).
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condition score carry too much weight, which interferes with stamina and biomechanics.
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16:
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108:
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496:"Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food for Cats and Dogs"
711:"Horse welfare: Minimum standards for water, feed, care and shelter in Tennessee"
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Proceedings 16th. Equine
Nutrition and Physiology Society Symposium, 398-402.
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Habitat for horses, Henneke Body
Condition Scoring table including photos
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allows a proper body condition to be maintained in the horse.
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The
Henneke scale describes body condition scores as follows:
301:(a 160 km / 100-mile 24-hour race held each August near
584:. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. pp.
519:. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. pp.
478:"Body Condition Scoring | Animal Health and Welfare"
581:Nutrition and Feeding Management for Horse Owners
516:Nutrition and Feeding Management for Horse Owners
545:"Introduction to Body Condition Scoring Horses"
269:reproduction, but are unhealthy for the horse.
52:can be relatively easily diagnosed this way.
709:Hopkins, F; Meadows, DG; Mitchell, L (2007).
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609:Garlinghouse, SE; Burrill, MJ (July 1999).
26:Henneke horse body condition scoring system
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615:Equine Veterinary Journal. Supplement
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434:"Body Condition Scoring your Horse"
628:10.1111/j.2042-3306.1999.tb05290.x
399:10.1111/j.2042-3306.1983.tb01826.x
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360:Mendell, Chad (11 October 2013).
40:(BCS) has been adapted for other
339:, and many others. Appropriate
297:By contrast, two studies on the
667:Equine Vet J Suppl 30, 591-595.
653:J. Equine Vet. Sci. 12:320-324.
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716:. The University of Tennessee
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482:Government of Saskatchewan
387:Equine Veterinary Journal
325:equine metabolic syndrome
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335:, parasitic infections,
309:Horses on winter pasture
292:Purina Race of Champions
50:Obesity in cats and dogs
30:Texas A&M University
21:
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38:body condition score
467:Retrieved 2009-11-3
303:Truckee, California
463:2009-11-29 at the
282:Performance horses
173:Moderately fleshy
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595:978-0-7732-6078-8
530:978-0-7732-6078-8
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36:The concept of a
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739:Horse health
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699:. Retrieved
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366:TheHorse.com
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337:reproduction
333:tooth issues
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244:Ideal scores
69:Description
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331:, illness,
254:hard keeper
250:easy keeper
72:Definition
725:pages 6–10
720:2017-10-29
701:2017-10-29
561:2012-03-21
444:2012-03-21
371:2017-10-29
347:References
341:horse care
318:Management
101:Very thin
299:Tevis Cup
273:Stallions
155:Moderate
42:livestock
733:Category
637:10659324
461:Archived
407:6641685
191:Fleshy
697:. 2002
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500:FEDIAF
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75:Image
66:Score
46:cattle
714:(PDF)
586:71–91
555:(PDF)
548:(PDF)
119:Thin
83:Poor
673:In:
633:PMID
590:ISBN
525:ISBN
403:PMID
266:foal
209:Fat
24:The
623:doi
521:1–3
395:doi
252:or
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
