02/06/2024
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Body Condition Scoring allows you to be a bit more objective about your horse or ponyโs condition by assessing it against a recognised scale. At Baileys, we use a 1-9 system*, with 5 being ideal. ๐
Not only do you need to step back and look at your horse, but you also need to ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐! ๐
These are the key areas to get your hands on:
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Neck โ
Withers โ
Behind the shoulder โ
Ribs โ
Over the back/Top line โ
Over the tailhead and hindquarters
There are descriptions of what each of these areas look and feel like for each of the scores, on our web site or in our Equine Weight Loss Handbook: https://www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk/equine-weight-loss
It can seem a bit daunting, at first, but once youโve taken the time to score your horse a few times, youโll get a feel for it! ๐ And itโs a really good way to keep an eye on how much body fat theyโre carrying.
For improved accuracy, you can score each area separately and work out an average and, if you do it regularly and keep a record, you can monitor which areas lose or hold the fat.
Join our Equine Weight Loss Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/K4xhm3xk957ByjNf/
(*adapted by Henneke et al., 1983)
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