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OUR SPONSORS!
Please make sure to take a look at our sponsorship recognition page! Every donation helps. Read more...
SPONSOR OF THE MONTH
Commercial Banking Centre
WE ARE REGISTERED!!
With a lot of dedication and paperwork, we are pleased to announce that Whinnying in Life is now an officially registered non profit charitable organization!
ELITE DRIVER & INDEPENDENT RIDER REGISTRATION Driving is a great way to increase confidence, self-esteem and self-awareness. Read more...
EQUITHERAPY REGISTRATION
The Equitherapy program encourages participants to get up close and personal with the miniature horses and Hoss with his canine friends.
Read more...
DAY PROGRAMS For those interested in registering for our day programs, please contact us by email or by phone at 705.969.1283
VOLUNTEERINGYou can help support Whinnying in Life by donating a few volunteer hours a month. You can find out what opportunities are available here.
FIND US:
5134 Dupuis Drive
Hanmer, ON P3P 0B3
705.969.1283
fax 705.969.9679
BODY CONDITION - SCORE YOUR HORSE
What is body condition scoring? It is a visual and hands-on method to evaluate the amount of body fat a horse has. Developed at Texas A&M University by D.R. Henneke and others, this system is a good management tool to determine the optimum amount of body fat for every type of horse.
How does body condition scoring work? The amount of fat covering areas of the neck, withers, down the back, around the tailhead, over the ribs and behind the shoulder is evaluated. These areas are where the horse deposits fat stores.
Body condition scores range from 1- 9, a score of 1 being emaciated with no fat stores and 9 being extremely fat. A score of 5 is moderate and where most horses should be. Be sure not to confuse body fat with gut fill or "belly".
Why is it important? By evaluating each horse's body condition regularly, the feeding and exercise program can be adjusted up or down to maintain the desired condition. Each class of horse, based on age, workload and use has an optimal body condition score. For example, a performance horse need enough body fat stores to use as an energy source to maintain performance, while too much fat can decrease performance.
This system sets a standard for evaluating and communicating the condition of a horse. This makes it easy to discuss a horse's condition as simply as telling someone the score over the phone.
The two most common nutritional problems most horse owners have is overfeeding or underfeeding their horse. To prevent either of these problems from developing:
- body condition score the horse
- adjust the feeding program if necessary
- monitor the score frequently
There are nine areas throughout the body:
- Neck
- Withers
- Shoulder
- The area directly behind the elbow
- Topline
- Ribs
- Tail head
- Point of hip
- Point of buttock
A tenth area found to be useful as well is the "twist", the area between the thighs, as viewed from behind. Each area should be appraised and scored individually and then the scores averaged to produce a final overall score. This doesn't mean you need to laboriously write down and calculate each area. What it does mean is that you need to look at the total horse and take into account individual differences. Some horses can be quite plump and yet still look a little ribby, so the overall score should look at areas other than just those ribs. Other horses can have quite a bit of fat cover, but because of funny conformation through the croup, look thin in just that one area. Be sure to look at all the areas, then form a general overall score based on individual areas of observation.
When appraising each area, use your hands as well as your eyes. Skeletal landmarks can be hidden by a furry winter coat, dirt, lighting or just the way the horse is standing. Hold your hand flat, fingers together, and feel for the reference points. Then walk around the horse and see if your observations are consistent from the other side as well.
Body Condition Scores
Because miniature horses have a much longer hair coat than full size horses the only way to accurately judge the condition of your mini is to feel through the hair. It is recommended that you give your horse a good feel at least once a month.