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The Henneke horse body condition scoring system is a numerical scale used to evaluate the amount of fat on a horse's body. It was developed in the early 1980s by Don Henneke at Texas A&M University with the goal of creating a universal scale to assess horses' bodyweight, [ 1 ] and was first published in 1983. [ 2 ]
Whilst they are not as accurate as performing DEXA scans that measure true body fat percentage, Body Condition Scoring is quick, non-invasive and requires no specialist equipment, just the scoring charts and a clinician. Similar systems exist for livestock. [8] For horses there is the Henneke horse body condition scoring system.
The horse is considered a "thin animal" (with little fat), whose weight is divided into approximately 11 % bone, 50 % muscle and 9 % fat; [2] but a large number of factors influence its weight. Some breeds (draft horses) are naturally heavier than others , and differ in size and bone structure, so the weight range of horses is highly variable.
A horse that has not previously had trouble maintaining weight that suddenly begins to lose weight for no apparent reason is not a hard keeper. This type of weight loss is usually a sign of a health problem. In most cases, the horse may require worming to remove internal parasites, or it could have a dental problem that requires floating of the ...
Grass is a natural source of nutrition for a horse. Equine nutrition is the feeding of horses, ponies, mules, donkeys, and other equines. Correct and balanced nutrition is a critical component of proper horse care. Horses are non-ruminant herbivores of a type known as a "hindgut fermenter." Horses have only one stomach, as do humans.
Weight loss [2] [9] Redistribution of fat, leading to bulging supraorbital fat pad, a "cresty" neck, and fat over the tail head [6] or in the sheath of males [2] Lethargy [1] [2] Behavioral changes, often an increased docility [1] Muscle wasting, especially along the top line [1] [6] Increased sweating, or less commonly, decreased sweating [10] [9]
This weight varies depending on the horse's age, its sex, the race distance and the month of the year. Weight for age races are usually Group 1 races, races of the highest quality. It is a form of handicapping for horse racing, but within the horse racing industry is not referred to as handicap, which is reserved for more general handicapping.
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