Body Condition Scoring

Fat deposit areas

• lumbar spine

• ribs

• tailhead

• area behind the shoulder

• neck

• withers

• hip

Use BCS

to evaluate regardless of breed, age, feed, and occupation

Objective evaluation

• changes dependent upon the horse in front of you

• Every horse has a different ideal condition

• Differing occupations require target scores

Hands on method

• eyes first then hands

• palpate with moderate pressure in the six key areas

• evaluate the fat type

• hair coat may change your ability to evaluate

• 
  

1

Poor: emaciated, prominent bones, no fatty tissues, not standing

2

Very thin: emaciated, some fat covering spine, rounded lumbar vertebrae prominent bones

3

Thin: fat build up halfway along the spine, fat slightly covers bones, muscle present, prominent parts

4

Moderately thin: negative crease along the back, faint outline of ribs, tailhead may be seen, not obviously thin

5

Moderate: back is level, ribs cannot be seen but easily palpated, spongey tailhead fat, withers are rounded

6

Moderately fleshy: slight crease around back, spongey rib fat, soft fat around the prominent bones, tailhead fat spongey

7

Fleshy: may have a crease in hte back, ribs felt but fatty, tailhead fat more firm, neck fat firmer

8

Fat: ribs hard to palpate, fat covering everything, crease in the back, tailhead fat, neck fat, shoulder fat buiildup

9

Extremely fat: round