Meet the Expert
Dengie Nutritionist
Tracey Hammond,
MSc (Dist), has worked
with Dengie since
2002. She moved into
the nutrition team in
2004 on completion of
her degree.
C
Condition
Scoring
As the winter approaches there is no better time than any to
condition score the horse. Here Dengie nutritionist Tracey
Hammond, MSc (Dist), explains how condition scoring can help
to ensure that your horse is provided with the correct amount of
energy to suit his workload as the days get shorter and colder.
hoosing a new feeding regime
can be a worrying time for
owners, as one of the biggest
concerns is whether it will
provide enough energy for their horse’s
workload. When calculating the correct
amount of calories – or energy – needed,
requirements of normal bodily function
and weight maintenance are taken into
account, along with the extra amounts
called for by daily exercise.
It might sound simple enough, but
other factors, such as the type of ground
ridden over, the weight of the rider and
temperature, can all influence the horse’s
energy requirements. Every horse utilises
feed differently too, so this can make
things even more complicated.
Getting it right
To gauge the effectiveness of your horse’s
feeding programme, keep a close eye
on his body weight and condition. If
horses maintain their weight, it’s a good
sign that they are receiving the right
amount of energy for the work being
done. However, any weight loss is a clear
indication that more energy is required.
Knowing your horse’s weight to begin
with makes monitoring his condition so
much easier because it gives you a good
starting point and helps you to identify
changes early.
A weighbridge or weight tape can be
used to give an initial figure, then again
at regular intervals. Knowing a horse’s
weight, however, doesn’t provide the full
picture, because it doesn’t tell us whether
he is the right weight and that’s where
body condition scoring comes in.
Condition scoring
This simple system uses a graded scale
to determine how fat or thin a horse is.
There are two main condition scoring
methods, using scales of 1-9 or 1-5.
Dengie uses the 1-5 version illustrated
on page 20.
Image: Horse, BB, has a good condition score 2.75
18
Image: You can purchase a weigh tape for
horses & ponies from a selection of retailers.
Shires tapes typically retail around £5.99 and
are available for purchase online.
Key areas...
The three key areas to check are the crest
of the neck, over the ribs and over the
quarters into the top of the tail. Here, the
degree of fat cover is determined and an
overall score awarded. On the Dengie
Condition Score Chart, an optimal body
condition score would be a 3, although
very fit horses might be at an ideal body
weight just under this.
The best thing about body condition
scoring is that it is easy to use, no costly
equipment is required and it can be
applied to a range of horses of differing
shapes and sizes.
This is perfectly illustrated by some
of the horses at Rockrose Equestrian
Centre, in East Lothian, who were
checked by the Dengie nutrition team
during one of their popular yard clinics.
Horse, BB
Meet BB, (image left) a 14-year-old,
15.1hh Scottish sports horse weighing
in at 386kg. This handsome lad is an
eventer aiming for 3*. He was checked
and given a body condition score
of 2.75 on the Dengie scale, which
seemed just about right for him.
Everything Horse Magazine • Issue 25• October 2015