Managing weight using SPC

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WFL

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Have any of you statistically-minded people tried using Statistical Process Control (SPC) for managing a horse's weight before?

Mine has dropped 2 tree sizes in 6 months and I want to be able to detect such changes quicker and react to it, but without reacting to normal variation in weight.

How often do you sample? Was the weight statistically stable? Which Shewart rules did you use? How did you correct out-of-control confitions?
 
try speaking to a nutritionist at somewhere like baileys or spillers/waltham cos they will have that sort of information for you.
Otherwise, regular recording with a weigh-tape is a pretty good indicator of changes in condition.
Weigh at the same time each time, say 9am on a monday and a thursday. record the weights and if you have Excel on your computer try running a graph to keep a check on his weight.
Make sure his calorie intake is higher than the outgoings - feed high oil and high fibre contents, and minimize ridden activity until his weight starts to change for the better.

Need any more help? PM me.
 
Good point on measuring on the same day and at the same time of day. I will use Minitab as Excel can only draw charts, whereas Minitab generates the stats, charts and does the analysis automatically.

Not sure about asking a feed supplier as what about grazing and workload?
 
Particularly Waltham have all sorts of trials running and might be able to help you out.
I thought minitab was limited to academics, which was why i suggested excel - but it is a bit useless in comparisson!

have you had the grazing/soil tested to assess its content?

I have (somewhere) a paper i read about the energy requirements for horses under different work loads. Will try to find it and send you the link.
 
I'm a 6 sigma Black Belt, so we get Minitab, although I use Excel a lot too. I would be interested in any links you could send me please.
 
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