Reliability of weight tapes

Cliqmo

Cliqmo

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Following another thread on here tonight I would like to find out how reliable people have found weight tapes- and whether reliability varies much from one brand to another?

I weighed my chap 17hh danish warmblood x cob (the photo on the right of my siggy was him a couple of weeks ago and he hasn't gained any weight since) and he came in at an almighty 880kg!! I doubted my own measurements so got my OH to weigh him and the lady who owns the tape and we all came up with the same answer but can this really be accurate??
 
Think it depends on where you did it 880kg is a lot. Did you do it round the fattest part of the stomach? We do it where the girth would sit just behind the front legs(if that makes sense) I think as long as you do it in the same place each time you do it you will be fine. We do my sisters TB approx. once a month cos he is hard to keep weight on at the moment he is 521kg he is 16.1hh tb.
 
I would agree with crazymare. I would condition score her and if she seems ok then just look for loss or gain with the weight tape. You need to measure at the base of the withers, then, making sure she is standing squarely put the tape where the girth goes.
 
They are not accurate and should be used as a guide only. You must make sure you place the tape in the same position every time. They are good for monitoring weightloss/gain as well as a guide for worming etc.
 
Depends on the weight tape. The dodson and horrell one was scientifically developed and found not to be statistically different to a weigh bridge. I personally wouldnt use any other make/type.
The other way to check is an equation which is girth (cm) squared X body length (cm) all divided by 8717.

It would be interesting if you did this and told us what you got!
 
[ QUOTE ]
The other way to check is an equation which is girth (cm) squared X body length (cm) all divided by 8717.

It would be interesting if you did this and told us what you got!

[/ QUOTE ]

Gulp. I will give it a go tomorrow
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Girth has to be measured all the way round, like the weightape. Behind the elbows slightly diagonally back over the wither. Hopefully you wont get 200kg or 1200kg and be way off!
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A client of mine had been weighing her pony with a weightape and got her coming in at 380kg. We put her on the weighbridge and she was 460kg.

So as others have said don't believe the actual figure but it will show up loss/gain.
 
The D&H is the most accurate, but still not accurate.
 
I did a calculated 'weigh' of my 15.1hh (now, I KNOW he's a porker at the moment) and he came in at 380kg!! Either my maths is wrong or he's got hollow bones. Used a different formula from the one shown here so I'll try again with this one.
 
My horse was weighed electronically at the Royal Vet College this week and he came in at 602kg. We had weight taped him for worming only 7 weeks ago and he was 545kg. I was horrified as I assumed I had under wormed him if you get my drift. I had been trying to build him up slightly but that gain was outrageous! I then weight taped him on his return from 'College' and he was the same as I had previously measured. So, either my tape is wrong or the RVC is wrong - no contest there really! So I am in agreement that tapes are good for measuring gain / losses but not really to be trusted (mine is an off the shelf tape, not the D&H one). I am going to weigh him again on a proper weighing machine next week to get a true picture and work from there.
 
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