Horse body condition score: how to score your horse from 1 to 9

What the scale measures

The 9-point scale carries the name of Henneke, whose 1983 paper in the Equine Veterinary Journal related condition score and physical measurements to body fat percentage in mares. It scores fat cover, not weight, so a heavy-boned horse and a fine-boned horse can share a score at very different weights. The Merck Veterinary Manual calls for adjusting feed to keep a horse at 4 to 6.

Merck’s table describes six areas to check: the neck, the withers, the shoulder, the ribs, the loin along the spine, and the tailhead. Look at all six, because fat is not laid down evenly. A horse can look fine along the ribs and carry a crest of fat on the neck. Purdue Extension says the same scale suits all horses, even though it was built to judge reproductive efficiency in mares, and that it takes both a visual and a hands-on appraisal.

How to score your horse

Our own method, built on the Merck descriptions: stand the horse square on level ground in good light. Look from the side first, then run your hands over each area. Press lightly over the ribs to see whether you feel them easily, check the loin for a crease or a ridge, and feel the tailhead for spongy or soft fat.

Purdue Extension adds that it helps to watch the horse move, especially when judging the ribs. Score each area, then take the overall figure. If areas disagree, say neck 7 and ribs 5, ask your vet which to weigh more. Ask a second person to score as well, and use the same person and the same time of day each month so that your scores can be compared.

The scores that matter most

A 5 is what Merck calls acceptable for all: a flat loin, ribs not easily visible but easily felt, spongy fat around the tailhead and a neck and shoulder that blend smoothly into the body. A 4 is lean and may be acceptable for horses used in racing. A 6 may show a slight crease down the loin and is the upper limit, and the score Merck calls ideal for broodmares.

Merck’s table calls 7 unacceptable, with fat along the withers, behind the shoulder and along the neck, and its text calls a 7 overweight and 8 to 9 obese. Obese horses have a higher risk of laminitis, lipoma strangulation colic, insulin resistance and joint stress. Purdue Extension likewise says scores below 4 or above 6 point to likely metabolic and other health problems. At the other end, scores of 1 and 2 are unacceptable, and Merck warns of a risk of refeeding problems, so a very thin horse needs veterinary guidance before its feed is increased.

Fat on the neck and withers, and the breed factor

Fat starts to show on the neck and withers as scores rise. At 6, Merck says some fat is palpable at the side of the withers, on the neck and behind the shoulder. At 7 it is deposited along the withers, behind the shoulder and along the neck, and at 8 the neck is noticeably thickened. Feel these areas as well as looking at them.

Breed changes what you see. Merck notes that tailhead prominence at a 4 depends on breed, and that the withers at a 5 are somewhat rounded depending on breed. A Thoroughbred and a Quarter Horse at the same score will not look identical, so compare each horse with its own earlier scores, and ask your vet if you are unsure what is normal for yours.

Seasons and age

Cold weather raises a horse’s energy requirement, Merck says, especially for horses with thin or clipped coats and those without shelter. Merck adds that older horses with a score of 4 or lower may need more digestible energy once temperatures drop below their lower critical temperature, and that forage is the best way to supply it.

Purdue Extension calls scoring in winter especially important, because extra energy goes into staying warm and the winter coat makes visual checks harder. A heavy coat and a rug hide ribs and loin, so rely on your hands. If the score is falling, talk to your vet about feed before the cold sets in.

Log it with the weight

Our suggestion: write down the date, the score for each area, the overall score and the weight or tape reading, and take a side photo in the same pose each time. A series of dated entries shows a slow slide that no single day would. Condition and weight tell different things, so keep both.