How accurate are weighbridges?

Luci07

Luci07

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 October 2009
Messages
9,380
Location
Dorking
Visit site
Friend just took her new trailer with horses in, to see exactly what she had left payload wise. She had worked it out based on the trailer specifications and weight taping the horses. It would appear that the trailer is somehow 200 kilos heavier than it should be (only amendment is a battery) OR her horses have turned into shires... seems odd they could be 100 kilos each what the weight tape says. As a comparison, my horse weighed in at 625 kg when he was at the AHT (so on a weighbridge himself) and he is similar to her 2. She is going back again with an unladen trailer to double check but I did wonder if the actual scales could be out. Thoughts?
 
I find weight tapes to be fairly useless to get an accurate weight for some horses.. I had one that the weight tape said was 480 on a weight tape and he was actually 540 when weighed at vets
 
Luci07 said:
Friend just took her new trailer with horses in, to see exactly what she had left payload wise. She had worked it out based on the trailer specifications and weight taping the horses. It would appear that the trailer is somehow 200 kilos heavier than it should be (only amendment is a battery) OR her horses have turned into shires... seems odd they could be 100 kilos each what the weight tape says. As a comparison, my horse weighed in at 625 kg when he was at the AHT (so on a weighbridge himself) and he is similar to her 2. She is going back again with an unladen trailer to double check but I did wonder if the actual scales could be out. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Most weigh tapes are about 100kg under. Think is in accurate weigh tape.
 
My heavy cobs have exactly the same girth measurement. One is just over 15 hands (but bum high) and weighs 580kg on the horse weighbridge at the vets (he's VERY wide). My Spillers weight tape is spot on for him, other ones I've tried seriously underweigh them both. The other is nearly 16 hands and weighs 700kg but the weight tape thinks he's the same as my other horse. If I used a different weight tape they would be much heavier than the measurement on the tape. So I think it is more likely to be weight tape error rather than a lorry weighbridge error.

PS before any comments although my horses sound very heavy for their height they are both healthy, you can feel their ribs and the vet is happy with their condition.
 
We have a calibrated public weighbridge. It has to be calibrated annually and must be within 20kg tolerance.

I've not bothered for a while as my horse isn't keen on standing on the weighbridge so I can't remember exact figures but weightapes are not very accurate! In your friends case the weighbridge will be correct, unless it is out of calibration & not a public weighbridge.
 
Weighbridge will be far more accurate than weigh tape so likely horses are accounting for the extra.

Unless the trailer has been modified before she'd bought it? Heavier mats or floor replaced would change the trailer weight
 
I don't know about weigh bridges (for trailers) but weigh tapes can be well out! We're actually going to do a weigh tape/bridge 'test' next Saturday (for the horses). Horses are all getting weighed on a bridge and we're going to tape them too and see how accurate it is.
Last time my boy was weighed I did this, he was 653kg on the bridge but if I taped him he was about 570! Nearly 100kg out.
 
My weigh tape is at least 50kg out, think they are closer to reality for some breeds than others. Mine is a Welsh d so has decent bone. Useful for seeing fluctuations in weight only.
 
Myloubylou said:
My weigh tape is at least 50kg out, think they are closer to reality for some breeds than others. Mine is a Welsh d so has decent bone. Useful for seeing fluctuations in weight only.
Click to expand...

Amye said:
I don't know about weigh bridges (for trailers) but weigh tapes can be well out! We're actually going to do a weigh tape/bridge 'test' next Saturday (for the horses). Horses are all getting weighed on a bridge and we're going to tape them too and see how accurate it is.
Last time my boy was weighed I did this, he was 653kg on the bridge but if I taped him he was about 570! Nearly 100kg out.
Click to expand...

Had my gelding weighed last week. Before it I weight taped him at 402kg. He is acutally 482/3kg.

OP, she'll need to go back without the horses to see if the trailer weighs what she thinks it should.
 
My weight tape was estimating 2 ponies quite a bit more than the weigh in at the vets, I was pleasantly surprised but quite miffed by it
 
Plan b was to go back today with an empty trailer but I would be really really suprised if her horses were so much heavier than mine was. All 3 are a very similar stamp and breeding..

Fingers crossed for her today.
 
the rules surrounding weights and measures are so strict that I can not imagine that the weighbridge will be inaccurate beyond an extremely tight tolerance (nowhere near what you are asking)

The exception of course would be a weighbridge that is no longer officially in use and which may not have been checked and calibrated for years
 
Luci07 said:
Plan b was to go back today with an empty trailer but I would be really really suprised if her horses were so much heavier than mine was. All 3 are a very similar stamp and breeding..

Fingers crossed for her today.
Click to expand...

If she's local to Dorking, I weighed both my horses on a local independent nutritionalist's equine weighbridge. Wasn't very expensive. IMO most sports horses are under weighed by approx. 85-100kgs on weigh tapes.
 
My mare was just weighed on an equine weight bridge it was 100kgs more than my weight tape I must admit I was shocked but pleased as it made my riding weight ratio better.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top