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What is Body Condition Scoring?

Body condition scoring is a visual and hands-on methond to evaluate the amount of a horse's body fat. Developed at Texas A&M University, by Dr. Henneke, this system is an excellent management tool to aid in keeping your horse in proper condition. Body condition scores range from 1 to 0, a score of 1 being emaciated with no fat stores and a 9 being extremely overweight. A score of 5 is moderate and the ideal of where most horses should be. By evaluating each horse's body condition regularly, the feeding and exercise program can be adjusted up or down to maintain the desired condition.

Score 1. *Poor*	The horse is extremely emaciated; with prominently projecting spinous processes, ribs, tail head, and hooks and pinks. Bone structure of withers, shoulders, and neck easily noticeable; no fatty tissue can be felt.
Score 2. *Very Thin*	The horse is emaciated; slight fat covering ove base spinous processes. Transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae feel rounded. Spinous processes, ribs, tail head, and hooks and pins are prominent; withers, shoulder, and neck structures are faintly descernable.
Score 3. *Thin*	The horse has a slight fat build up about halfway on the spinous processes, and the transverse processes cannot be felt. Slight fat covers over the ribs, but the spinous processes and ribs are easily discernible. The tail head is prominent, but individual vertebrae cannot be identified visually; withers, shoulders, and neck accentuated.
Score 4. *Moderately Thin*	The horse a slight ridge along the back and a faint outline of the ribs is discernible. The tail head prominence depends upon the confirmation, but fat can be felt around it. Withers, shoulders, and neck not obviously thin.
Score 5. *Moderate*	The horse has a flat back (no crease or ridge). Ribs are not visually distinguishable, but easily felt. Some fat around the tail head beginning to feel spongy. The withers appear rounded over the spinous processes, while the shoulders and neck blend smoothly into the body.
Score 6. *Moderately Fleshy*	The horse may have a slight crease down the back. Spongy fat over ribs and soft, fat around the tail head. Fat beginning to be deposited along the side of the withers, behind the shoulders and along the sides of the neck.
Score 7. *Fleshy*	The horse may have a crease down the back. Individual ribs can be felt, but noticeable filling between ribs with fat. The fat around the tail head is soft. Fat deposited along withers, shoulders, and along the neck.
Score 8. *Fat*	The horse has a crease down the back. Difficult to feel ribs and the fat around the tail head is very soft. Area behind the shoulder is filled with fat, there is a noticeable thickening of the neck and fat is deposited along the inner thighs.
Score 9. *Extermely Fat*	The horse has an obvious crease down the back. There is patchy fat appearing over the ribs and bulging fat around the tail head, along the withers, behind the shoulders and along the neck. The fat along the inner thighs may rub together and the flank is filled with fat.

Modified from Henneke et al. (1983 Equine Vet. J15(r):372