Body condition scoring in horses is a numerical condition scoring system that provides a consistent measure of the degree of body fat in horses of various breeds and sizes.
You can download a copy of the scorecard, along with tracking information.
Animal extremely emaciated. Spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, and hooks and pins projecting prominently. Bone structure of withers, shoulders, and neck easily noticeable. No fatty tissues can be felt.
Animal emaciated. Slight fat covering over base of spinous processes. Transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae feel rounded. Spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, and hooks and pins prominent. Withers, shoulders, and neck structures faintly discernable.
Fat buildup about halfway on spinous processes. Transverse processes cannot be felt. Slight fat cover over ribs. Spinous processes and ribs easily discernable. Tailhead prominent, but individual vertebrae cannot be visually identified. Hook bones appear rounded, but easily discernible. Pin bones not distinguishable. Withers, shoulders, and neck accentuated.
Negative crease along back. Faint outline of ribs discernible. Tailhead prominence depends on conformation; fat can be felt around it. Hook bones not discernible. Withers, shoulders, and neck not obviously thin.
Back level. Ribs cannot be visually distinguished but can be easily felt. Fat around tailhead beginning to feel spongy. Withers appear rounded over spinous processes. Shoulders and neck blend smoothly into body.
May have a slight crease down back. Fat over ribs feels spongy. Fat around tailhead feels soft. Fat beginning to be deposited along the sides of the withers, behind the shoulders, and along the sides of the neck.
May have crease down back. Individual ribs can be felt, but not noticeable filling between ribs with fat. Fat around tailhead is soft. Fat deposited along withers, behind shoulders, and along the neck.
Crease down back. Difficult to feel ribs. Fat around tailhead very soft. Area along withers filled with fat. Area behind shoulder filled in flush. Noticeable thickening of neck. Fat deposited along inner buttocks.
Obvious crease down back. Patch fat appearing over ribs. Bulging fat around tailhead, along withers, behind shoulders, and along neck. Fat along inner buttocks may rub together. Flank filled in flush.
Scoring is based on visual appraisal and handling of horses, particularly in scoring horses with long hair. Conformation differences between breeds or types do not affect scoring when all criteria are applied. Muscle tone should not be confused with fatness. Scores can be assigned in half-point increments.
This article was originally posted by Nutrena (Henneke et al Texas A&M 1983).
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