Weigh-taping: didn't realise how inaccurate this was!

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

As title really.

Have always conscientiously weigh-taped my good doer and always given myself a "hurrah" for doing it.

Had a portable weigh-bridge chappie to the yard this week (they're in the area):-

Weigh-tape said 420k; weigh-bridge said 464...........

Not even remotely near.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Do keep up MiJodhs ? a weigh tape is only good for measuring increase and decrease, they are notoriously known for under measuring ?

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

My tape weighs approx 20 kg under….

 

[smolmaus]

I am surprised it was that close tbh ? thats about 10% off? Not awful!

 

[sbloom]

I have a customer whose result was over 100kg out, might have even been closer to 150kg, on a 15hh cob.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I've never expected them to be wholly accurate - although last time I weighed mine on a weighbridge he was 25kg lighter than the tape!

But along with BCS and photo's, I use a weigh tape weekly to monitor changes.

 

[criso]

I 'calibrate' my weight tape against the weighbridge at my vets so I know it weighs 25-30kg under.

I have however also found portable weighbridges from feed companies variable coming out heavier than the one at my vets.

So if I had those measurements, I would estimate actual weight between the two.

 

[Leandy]

No idea why you would expect them to be particularly accurate really? How accurate do you think it would be to estimate people's weight by measuring under the arms?? To show variations over time for a particular animal it has a use though. It is reasonably easy to estimate ballpark figure for a horse just by looking at it though alongside a table of ranges by height. But yes, I'd say anything within say 10 to 15% accurate sounds reasonably useful to me. You rarely (never?) need an exact weight.

 

[smolmaus]

I have a customer whose result was over 100kg out, might have even been closer to 150kg, on a 15hh cob.

I don't think weigh tapes are made for cobs!

My 14.1 cob has the barrel of a 15h horse and the leg length of a 13.2 pony, if the weigh tape was within 50kg I'd be astounded ?

 

[sbloom]

No idea why you would expect them to be particularly accurate really? How accurate do you think it would be to estimate people's weight by measuring under the arms?? To show variations over time for a particular animal it has a use though. It is reasonably easy to estimate ballpark figure for a horse just by looking at it though alongside a table of ranges by height. But yes, I'd say anything within say 10 to 15% accurate sounds reasonably useful to me. You rarely (never?) need an exact weight.

I agree wholeheartedly but the one I mentioned was out at least 20% which indicates even the rate of change is significantly off.

 

[holeymoley]

Mine is 100kg off.

Which is quite good as I know just to add on 100kg to be in a rough idea of actual weight. We managed to work it out through a series of visits to the vet and taping at the same time.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I weigh tape The Beast at 620kg on a thin day. Given how long she is, how voluptuous her bottom is and how large her scapula and general skeleton appears to be I dread to think how much she actually weighs. I assume 700kg for worming as the margin for overdose on wormers is high enough for that to be OK. But really ought to get her on a weigh bridge to check as I could be undergoing even at that.

I think the tape is more accurate for MrT who is 525kg on the tape. He is large though the barrel, short coupled and short legged with a less well muscled bottom so has less body in the places the tape doesn't measure.

I think how much the tape measure is "out" by will vary from horse to horse depending on their build surely? As well as the inaccuracy inherent in each tape.

 

[Starzaan]

I have a weigh bridge, and everything gets put on it weekly. Also clients who just come to us for swimming put their horses on it each time they come.
Generally, weigh tapes are between 50kg - 100kg out. I say to all my rehab clients to weigh on a weigh bridge and record that weight, with a weigh tape too so you know where you’re starting. That way you can track loss or gain as needed.

 

[Goldenstar]

I think they are of some use to see if they gaining or losing but I get mine weighted regularly.

 

[Coblover63]

I had my very overweight cob mare weighed by a feed rep and she came in at 625kg ?‍ I immediately weigh-taped her for reference and that said 618kg. Some months later, the weigh-tape was now telling me she was now 537kg. Another feed rep came to the yard so I smugly popped her on the scales..... for her to weigh in at 575kg! Yeah, so she'd definitely not lost as much as I'd thought.

 

[AlpacaTeddySJ]

I was also shocked at the difference, my 15.2hh Warmblood 3yr weigh tapes at 470kg (I suspected this was well under) but weigh bridge was 530kg!

 

[tda]

It does very much depend on the shape of your horse / pony!
My fatty last weightaped at 600kg, she's just gone to fat camp and weighed in there at 568kg
Like others have said, good to monitor changes

 

[Polos Mum]

Different portable machines can vary too - I had one 50kgs different between vets weight bridge and nutritionists one - within a week of each other.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Different portable machines can vary too - I had one 50kgs different between vets weight bridge and nutritionists one - within a week of each other.

The ones I trust most are at vet hospitals where calibration is regularly checked as they are used pre anaesthesia.