Calling all porky ponies!

It’s time to do something about that expanding waistline and there’s no better time to start than right now!

Before embarking on a weight loss plan, the first step is to objectively assess your horse’s condition and calculate his weight. This is really important as it will tell you how much weight needs to be lost and allow you to monitor progress over a period of time.

Body scoring assesses the condition of your horse. This is done by both looking at and feeling the them – especially with thick winter coats present! The horse is given a grade out of 5 – 0 being emaciated and 5 obese.

If your horse has a body score of 3.5 or over, this series is for you as he is is carrying too much weight and you need to take action before health problems occur!

The below body scoring chart, courtesy of The Blue Cross, provides clear outlines to follow when body scoring. It’s an excellent place to start and an interesting exercise to carry out.

Remember – fat is often carried unevenly throughout the body: some horses can appear ribby, have pointy hips or hardly any muscles and still be carrying too much weight.

Next up, it’s time to face the scales!