weigh tape vs weigh bridge

Buds_mum

Buds_mum

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Well I knew it wouldn't be spot on but get this.....

On the weigh bridge... 676kg
Weigh tape... 592kg

So tape for my boy 84kg diff, not useful at all really!!

Least I can keep an accurate eye on it now I know the difference.
 
Yep - the main thing is with tapes is they allow you to see changes but I've not found an accurate one yet for weight, which worries me slightly as most of us are under dosing on things like wormers or supplements.
 
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Haha ffionwinnie. I got it up to 610 by going miles to far back round his belly, whereas the tape tells you measure round the heart girth which is what gave me that result.
Very interesting though as vanner says, for wormer for example I have been giving him a 600kg dose whereas he is closer to 700kg (worm count clear however so not a major problem).
 
I have two weight tapes, one I bought and one I subsequently got free with something.

One is over by about 40kg and the other is under by roughly the same amount but I guess if I average them I get close to the right amount.

I use them to track changes but wouldn't rely on them for accuracy.
 
Mine was 560 on scales, and 540 on tape - but friends horse was within bare kilos between the 2 and has been for last 4 weigh ins (measured for sedation while being scoped for ulcers at vets and 2 for A&P visit)
 
My local feed merchants says for worming to add 10% to the tape weight indication........

From most of the weigh bridge/tape weights given that looks like it wouldn't be far out.
 
I thought both weightapes and weighbridges weren't all that accurate, but dosage for wormers and that sort of thing that you use them for aren't that accurate anyway, so its six of one and half a dozen of the other! When I worm I tend to go over a bit anyway as my pony tries to spit some out or cover me in it completely so I allow for a little bit of difference!
 
I only use the weightape to see if there are any changes. I'm sure it's weighing WAY under true weight. My 4yo is chunky 14.3 and it says he's under 400kg!
 
I've got one of those. I don't think it IS accurate on my horse, but perhaps it depends on conformation; deep chested horses will appear to weigh more than slighter builds?

ETS: the Dodson and Horrell tape
 
I did my mini-dissertation on this last year. I did a lot of research and all papers and research I found showed that weight tapes underestimate - A LOT!

In my results I found that for heavier breeds of horse ie cobs etc the weightape was WAY out, anywhere between 91 and 130kilo! But for lighter breeds ie TB and TBx they were a lot closer but still out, between 40 and 71kilos.

*The weightape underestimated all horse weights
 
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i didn't realise they were that bad until really recently when a new livery moved on and said her horse weighs 550kg on the proper horse weighing scales, I thought my horse was 500kg as that is what the tape says -well her horse is a proper lightwieght by comparison, miles lighter in build1 I was stunned, don't know what my horse weighs but its got to be a fair amount more than I think!!
 
I found the opposite, on the way tape my mare is about 510kg, the formula (weight x weight x length all divided by 11877) puts her at about 560kg. She ended up at the Dick vets and for meds they weighed her and she came out at 507kg
 
We have Spillers out to our yard twice a year to weigh the horses on the weighbridge. The first time they weighed him, he was 464kgs on the weigh tape - 545kgs on the weigh bridge! I have now got a Spillers weigh tape and that is not quite so far out but still underweighs him by approx 30kgs. Also the Spillers person said that with my cob a weigh tape is no good for monitoring his weight as he doesn't put weight on around the girth area. He weighs the same on the tape every time I do it even though I know he has put on/lost weight.
 
I think it depends on your horse. My horse was 45kg more on the weighbridge than the weigh tape whereas my friend's was only 7kg out. my horse has a long back, a big head and quite chunky legs for his build (crossbreed) whereas my friend's mare is a very well bred section D. As others have said the weighttape just gives you the opportunity to see whether they have lost or put on weight.
 
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