HUNTER & SPORT HORSE


EQuestrian
& Answer


Q. Is your horse the right weight, and in good condition?

Reprinted with permission
May/June 2004


Special Thanks to Purina Mills for use of this information,
published on their web site:
  http://horse.purinamills.com 

1. Poor Condition: Horse is extremely emaciated. Spine, ribs, tailhead, hip joints, and lower pelvic bones stick out. The bones of the withers, shoulders, and neck easy to see. You can't feel any fat.

2. Very Thin:
Horse is emaciated. Spine, ribs, tailhead, hip joints, and lower pelvic bones are still prominent. You are just able to see the withers, shoulder and neck structure.

3. Thin: 
Fat covers half-way up on the horse's spine.
A little fat covers the ribs, but the spine and ribs are still easily seen. The tailhead is prominent but you can't see individual vertebrae.  The hip joints are more rounded but easy to see.  The lower pelvic bones aren't visible, but the neck, withers and shoulders are still accentuated. 

4. Moderately Thin: Horse shows a slight ridge along his back. You can just see the outline of ribs. Hip joints are no longer visible. Neck, withers, and shoulders don't look terribly thin. 

5. Moderate: Horse's back looks flat, with neither a ridge where his spine sticks up, nor a crease where his spine sits lower than the fat running along each side. Ribs aren't easily felt.  Fat around the tailhead feels a little spongy.  Withers are rounded.  Neck and shoulders blend smoothly into the horse's body. 

6. Moderately Fleshy:
Horse may have a slight crease down his back. Fat over ribs and around tailhead feels spongy or soft. Fat begins to show along the sides of the withers, behind the shoulders and on the sides of the neck. 

7. Fleshy: Horse might have a slight crease down his back.  You can feel each rib but you can also easily find fat filling between the ribs. Fat around the tailhead is soft. Horse has fat along the withers, behind his shoulders and along his neck.

8. Fat:
Horse has crease down his back where fat stands higher than his spine.  It's hard to feel ribs.  Tailhead fat is very soft.  You can easily see the fat on his withers and behind his shoulder and his neck has noticeably thickened. There is fat on his inner thighs. 

9. Extremely Fat:
Horse has an obvious crease down his back. You see patches or bulges of fat over his ribs, around the tailhead, withers, behind the shoulders and along his neck.  Inner thigh fat may rub like corduroy.  Flank is filled with fat. 

Is your horse the right weight and in good condition?  
Continued on page 2

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