Regular body condition score evaluations can help you proactively manage your horse’s nutrition and health.
Using a standardized and scientific BCS system, such as the Henneke scale, is important for consistency and thus accurate estimations of body condition. Such systems have identified areas of the body where fat is deposited, allowing for an estimation of whether fat is present (and to what degree).
Key body condition points include the neck, withers, shoulder, ribs, back and tailhead, and proper BCS evaluation requires hands-on palpation of these areas - for example, fat deposits over the ribs and tailhead will feel spongy and soft as the horse becomes overweight.
HOW TO BODY CONDITION SCORE (USING THE HENNEKE 9-POINT SYSTEM)
Evaluate one key body condition point at a time. Assign a score to each by palpating the area and consulting the descriptions provided in the system (See below for area descriptions according to Henneke et al (1983)).
Repeat for each body condition point on the body.
Sum the total scores.
Divide that sum by 6 - this will give you the Overall BCS.
Neck
Withers
Shoulders
Ribs
Back
Tailhead
INTERPRETING YOUR HORSE'S BODY CONDITION SCORE
Scores between 1-3 imply an energy deficit. The body metabolizes fat and carbohydrate stores during feed deprivation, and eventually will catabolize protein from the tissues when those stores run out - this will impact skeletal muscle, but also tissue from key organs such as the heart and intestines (Jarvis and McKenzie, 2021). Horses with low BCS are also at risk for refeeding syndrome, which can cause death as the body reacts negatively to sudden movement of nutrients, so strategic nutritional intervention is required when reconditioning starved horses (Jarvis and McKenzie, 2021.
1 = POOR/EMACIATED
2 = VERY THIN
3 = THIN
Scores from 4-6 are considered ideal, and generally mean that the horse's energy requirements are being met.
4 = MODERATELY THIN
5 = MODERATE
6 = MODERATELY FLESHY
Scores from 7-9 are overweight, implying an energy excess. While evaluating a subpopulation in Virginia containing 300 horses, Thatcher et al (2008) found that only 47% of these horses were at a healthy weight. 51% were overweight, and only 2% were underweight. This suggests that overweight horses are more prevalent than underweight, and as such, that excess energy in the diet is common. Overweight and obese horses are at higher risk for the development of laminitis, insulin resistance, poor exercise and reproductive performance, and joint discomfort (AAEP, 2022; King and Mansmann, 2004).
7 = FLESHY
8 = FAT
9 = EXTREMELY FAT/OBESE
Maintaining an ideal body condition around "5 = Moderate" can help optimize your horse's health and performance, and frequent body condition scoring is critical to make proactive changes to maintain that ideal condition.
REFERENCES
Henneke, DR., Potter, GD., Kreider, JL., Yeates, BF. 1983. Relationship between condition score, physical measurements and body fat percentage in mares. Equine Vet. J 15(4):371-372. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1983.tb01826.x
King, C., Mansmann, RA. 2004. Preventing laminitis in horses: Dietary Strategies for horse owners. Clinical Techniques in Equine Practice 3(1): 96-102.
Thatcher, CD.,Pleasant, RS., Geor, RJ., Elvinger, F., Negrin, KA., Franklin, J., Gay, L., Werre, SR. 2008. Prevalence of obesity in mature horses: an equine body condition study. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 92(2): 222.
Jarvis, N., McKenzie, HC. 2021. Nutritional Considerations when Dealing with an Underweight Adult or Senior Horse. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice 37(1): 89-110.
AAEP, 2022. Obesity - Horse Health. Accessed online: https://aaep.org/horsehealth/obesity#:~:text=Fat%20horses%20are%20at%20greater,on%20their%20heart%20and%20lungs.
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