Monitering your horses weight - Do you? and How?

cambrica

cambrica

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I know weight tapes can be a bit hit and miss as to their accuracy and a weigh bridge is not practical so I have found the Carroll & Huntington weight formula and am curious as to any of you that use this method.
Roberto is looking a tad porky, mainly as he is not being exercised at all, due to minor surgery. Hopefully I can start riding again in a few days and really want to know what he weighs now and monitor his weight loss to get him back to a fit and healthy boy.
Interested in any other methods or formulae.
 
I do use a weigh tape. Although they are not necessarily accurate in terms of exact weight, as long as you use the same tape, and put it in the same place on your horse (the correct place) you will at least get a reading against the last one, if you see what I mean! I do this and write it down roughly every six to eight weeks, and have done for quite a few years, which has proved a useful record when going to the vets or worrying about weight gain or loss. (now I read this, it makes me sound a bit manic!!!!…..)
 
I mostly go by condition score but more so than that I find it easy to photo record! I like to do it to see if my horse is improving muscle and fitness etc as I ride her, but I make a point to take pics side on, from the back and front so I have something to compare to :-)

My haffy tends to struggle keeping weight on by Feb/March, then it creeps up until about now when she starts to look a bit too round. It's not as easy as one would think to record these changes with condition score alone.
 
Yes I use the weight tape every week or every other week. The vet told me his weight is perfect and I then measured him using the weight tape so I know what he should be on the weight tape. The weight tape is not correct as he weighs more on than weight bridge than the tape but I do use it to monitor if he is the correct weight or not.
 
Well his condition score was pretty good and his muscle tone was improving quite noticeably. It's quite demoralising to see just how much that can change within 3 weeks!
Not wanting to come across as completely obsessive ! I might do both - weight tape and formula as research states it is pretty accurate. Will be interesting to compare. After all I do like my statistics, figures and charts! No, not obsessive at all :-))
 
I condition score on a regular basis and adjust feed etc accordingly. Weightape and bridges are academic really as 2 horse of the same breed and height could be totally different weights. Condition scoring is the only real way of seeing horse your horse is doing. I can give an example in dog terms, for my dogs breed he should be 36kg max he weighs 36.5kg and is super slim and fit, at what I would consider a pet weight he was 40kgs so even at his slim fit weight he is still classed as overweight. It's nice to know what they weigh for wormers etc.
 
What ever happened to the mark 1 eyeball?
I can look at my horse, or any other and tell instantly if horse is over weight, underweight or just right.
Weight tapes, formula, condition scoring not required.
 
PaddyMonty said:
What ever happened to the mark 1 eyeball?
I can look at my horse, or any other and tell instantly if horse is over weight, underweight or just right.
Weight tapes, formula, condition scoring not required.
Click to expand...

This is actually what I mean by condition score lol take 2 steps back and have a good look.
 
to be honest i just look at them! i can see when they have gained or lost. try to keep them the same weight and find in spring feeds get cut and exercise is upped to keep them from exploding on the grass!
 
PaddyMonty said:
What ever happened to the mark 1 eyeball?
I can look at my horse, or any other and tell instantly if horse is over weight, underweight or just right.
Weight tapes, formula, condition scoring not required.
Click to expand...
I agree with being able to condition score by eye of course, hence why I don't have a weight tape, the same as I know I need to lose weight by looking in the mirror and don't own bathroom scales. However it would be interesting to know just how much he weighs. It's also useful to know for other reasons too such as worming and transport in the trailer, as my vehicle doesn't have a large towing capacity. Lots of reasons really but mainly curiosity!
 
We have a weigh bridge brought to the yard twice a year and the horses are condition scored by the weigh bridge person. In between I judge by eye and feeling for ribs and hips. I have a weight tape but don't use it.
 
jojo5 said:
I do use a weigh tape. Although they are not necessarily accurate in terms of exact weight, as long as you use the same tape, and put it in the same place on your horse (the correct place) you will at least get a reading against the last one, if you see what I mean! I do this and write it down roughly every six to eight weeks, and have done for quite a few years, which has proved a useful record when going to the vets or worrying about weight gain or loss. (now I read this, it makes me sound a bit manic!!!!…..)
Click to expand...

I'm reading this and thinking 'ooh spreadsheets and graphs' :D

Totally getting a weigh tape for Little Miss Fatty now!
 
Same, I just do it by sight.

He's a poor keeper though, which I actually find so much easier to manage than a good-doer!!
 
I just do by sight. I used to weigh tape every month, but found the weigh tape could tell me he was doing well when my eye said otherwise - he loses weight first in from of the wither, in the flank, and at his dock head, so those are the places I keep an eye on.

with mine I err on the side of too much food, as he is a poor doer who hasn't been fat in his life - he'll be impossible to ride before he gets fat so I use how he feels to ride as a scorer too!
 
I regularly use a weigh tape but only to see if she has gained or lost weight, I don't know how accurate the actual figures are. I go by condition score as well, but as mine is a hugely good doer I find the weight tape is a good way of monitoring small changes which might be more difficult to spot when you see the horse every day. I also find that it is more motivating to keep up the hard work of keeping her weight off when you can see the actual measurements coming downwards.
 
I just look over & have a feel, weight tape now & then when I think hmm put on/dropped of quite abit. Just to see roughly his much on/off.
 
I go off rugs and girth, if they're getting to tight, they're getting too tubby! Im a bit of a feeder and have all mine on a vast array of suppliments so rather than cutting feed i jst myther friends and family to come and help exercise them more.
 
Stand back and look at him, and have a feel of ribs etc.

Interestingly the weight tape doesn't register any difference on him whether he's in the lean end-of-winter stage or the plump midsummer stage, even though I'm careful always do to it the same way in the same place. His girth holes never shift either by more than one hole in either direction.
 
We use a weigh tape to keep track as both are fatties. We weigh every week so we can pounce on any tiny gains immediately before you can properly see them.
 
I weigh tape weekly. It's a useful indicator of weight changes, which can creep up un noticed when you see the horse every day. I also get them popped on the weigh bridge if they're at the vet clinic for any reason, so I know that x cm girth circumference = y kg for a particular horse.

I need to keep an especially careful check on my HW maxicob, who would balloon outwards given half a chance.
 
For those of you with a good eye, would you say this pony is too fat, too thin or just right?
image_zpsb6b07aa4.jpg

I have to admit that I can see him 3 times a day and have a different opinion each time, it's not til I get my hands on for a feel I can really tell so am interested in opinions of those with a better eye. But to answer the question, I'm a bit obsessive and monitor him constantly, by eye, by feel and by tape.
 
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