Save Equus regularly receives calls direct from members and the public about horses of concern. We work cooperatively with the other agents of the Animal Welfare Act 2002 and once we have identified that the horse reported to us appears to be neglected or being treated cruelly, we liaise with special inspectors. We work to follow up and make sure the concerns raised with us are addresse

A very important indicator to us of a horse’s physical condition and general welfare is its weight, so gauging a horse’s weight to reflect its condition is an important part of Save Equus’s initial assessment of a horse. The following body score rating system, created in Victoria by Patricia Ellis (Attwood) of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, is the system used by Save Equus. This system helps us communicate about the condition of the horse.

We would like to advise members of this system, so that if you ever have the need to call us about a horse you are concerned about, you will be able to describe the horse’s condition to us more effectively.

An important thing to note when reading this body score rating system is to take account of the horse’s activity level. This information is noted in the body score rating system.

We do not recommend members go out assessing horses with this body score rating system – that is our job and we have trained our volunteers to do this. What we would appreciate is that if you are talking with us about a horse you are concerned about, you tell us about the horse’s neck, back and ribs and pelvis as per the body score rating system, so we get a better idea (first up), through your description, of the condition of the horse.

Methods of estimation

1. Assess visually and by feel, the horse’s pelvis and rump, back and ribs and neck.
2. Give those areas individual scores using a scale of 0 (very poor) to 5 (very fat).
3. Intermediate assessments can be given half scores.
4. Using the pelvic and rump assessment as the base, adjust that score by a half point if it differs by one or more points from the score for the neck or ribs.
5. Height measurement should be performed on level ground when the horse is relaxed and standing squarely. Use the highest point of the withers as the measuring site. Allowance should be made for shoes.

Body condition scoring system

Score	Neck	Back and ribs	Pelvis
0 Very poor	Marked ewe neck. Narrow and slack at base.	Skin tight over ribs. Spinous processes sharp and easily seen.	Angular pelvis – skin tight. Deep cavity under tail and either side of croup.
1 Poor	Ewe neck. Narrow and slack at base.	Ribs easily visible. Skin sunken either side of backbone. Spinous processes well defined.	Rump sunken, but skin supple. Pelvis and croup well defined. Deep depression under tail.
2 Moderate	Narrow but firm	Ribs just visible. Backbone well covered. Spinous processes felt.	Rump flat either side of backbone. Croup well defined, some fat. Slight cavity under tail.
3 Good	No crest (except stallions). Firm neck	Ribs just covered. No gutter along the back. Spinous processes covered but can be felt.	Covered by fat and rounded. No gutter. Pelvis easily felt.
4 Fat	Slight crest	Ribs well covered – need firm pressure to feel. Gutter along backbone.	Gutter to root of tail. Pelvis covered by soft fat – felt only with firm pressure
5 Very fat	Marked crest. Very wide and firm. Folds of fat.	Ribs buried – cannot feel. Deep gutter. Back broad and flat.	Deep gutter to root of tail. Skin distended. Pelvis buried – cannot feel.

0 Very poor		Very sunken rump Deep cavity under tail Skin tight over bones Very prominent backbone and pelvis Marked ewe neck
1 Poor	<	Sunken rump Cavity under tail Ribs easily visible Prominent backbone and croup Ewe neck – narrow and slack
2 Moderate		Flat rump either side of backbone Ribs just visible Narrow but firm neck Backbone well covered
3 Good		Rounded rump Ribs just covered but easily felt No crest, firm neck
4 Fat		Rump well rounded Gutter along back Ribs and pelvis hard to feel Slight crest
5 Very fat		Very bulging rump Deep gutter along back Ribs buried Marked crest Folds and lumps of fat

Typical body score conditions of various classes of horses

Endurance horses	1.5 – 2.5	Allowing body condition to fall below a score of 1.5 is likely to compromise a horse’s welfare. During winter, a long heavy hair coat complicates visual appraisal. You need to run your hands over the horse to get an accurate score. Poor body condition is not always due to lack of feed but could be related to parasite infestations, poor dental health, chronic injury or illness or lack of mobility affecting the horse’s ability to forage.
Polo ponies	2.0 – 2.5
Standardbred racehorses	2.0 – 3.0
Thoroughbred racehorses	2.5 – 4.0
Equestrian horses	3.0 – 4.0
Show horses	>4.0
Broodmares	2.5 – 4.0

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 at 11:06 pm and is filed under Education, Featured, News.