Log In Sign Up

Illustrated Guide: Body Condition Score System

By the Editors of EQUUS magazine

Subscribe Today and Save!

Don Henneke's nine-point body condition score scale takes the guesswork out of evaluating equine body fat levels.

The body condition score (BCS) system offers an objective method of estimating a horse's body fat levels.

Developed 25 years ago by Don Henneke, PhD, as part of his doctoral
research, the BCS scale ranges from 1 (poor) to 9 (obese). Horses are scored based on visual and hands-on appraisals of six body areas where fat tends to accumulate in a predictable pattern. Download an illustrated guide to the system below.

Body Condition Score System

(The article is in PDF format. If you have trouble viewing it, download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader program.)

This article originally appeared in EQUUS 377, February 2009.

Advertisement

Posted in Anatomy, Rescue & Welfare | Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Get 12 issues of EQUUS for only $14.97!

First Name:
Last Name:
Address Line 1:
Address Line 2:
City:
State:
Zip:
Email:
Credit CardBill me later

Offer valid in US only.
Canadian subscriptions | International subscriptions

Your subscription includes "Feed Your Horse Right", a digital booklet from EQUUS featuring how to avoid seven of the most common feeding mistakes.

First Name:
Last Name:
Address Line 1:
Address Line 2:
City:
State
Zip:
Email:

Get 12 issues of EQUUS for only $14.97 plus a FREE downloadable booklet! Save 73% OFF the cover price!

submit my order

Offer valid in US only.

Canadian Subscriptions | International Subscriptions