01 January 2018

Body condition scoring

At Redwings we recommend regularly body condition scoring your horse, pony or donkey in order to prevent weight gain and help manage his diet throughout the year.

Although changes in fat distribution on your horse do not happen overnight, it is good to get into the routine of scoring at least once a month and ideally fortnightly.

Body condition scoring is the method that we use to keep track of our horse’s waistline; it’s quite literally a handy way to monitor your horse’s weight. Using the same weight tape on a routine basis can also help us keep on top of changing weight by ensuring your measurements are consistent.

Body condition scoring also helps you monitor fat distribution more holistically and it is the best tool to objectively identify if your horse or pony is overweight and at risk of associated diseases.

Watch renowned independent equine nutritionist Teresa Hollands explain how to body condition score your horse or pony in the video below, produced as part of the Talk About Laminitis project by Boeringer Ingelheim in 2014.