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Equine
What is Body Scoring?
Being able to determine a horses overall body condition is a vital requirement for any equine massage therapist. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine if the horse is under weight, over weight or ideal. Being able to determine weather he has a bloated belly or is actually becoming overweight is not always an easy determination.
This is where the 'body scoring system' can help. Using 6 primary physiological locations of the horses body with visual and touch sensory observations, you can build a clearer picture of your horses present condition.
The average horse should show a body score condition of 4 or 5. (BS4 or BS5).
A body score above 5 denotes excess fatty tissue, while a body score below 4 denotes dangerously low levels of fat and body flesh.
However, the following notes are guidelines only. These notes need to be adapted with each individual horse, taking into account the horses, age, lifestyle, length of coat hair, conformation and breeding.
Equine
The 6 Primary Locations
Neck	Withers	Back	Tail	Ribs	Shoulder
Equine
The Transverse Process - refers to the lateral arrangement of vertebra. It is the site for muscle attachment and rib articulation.
The Tuber Coxae - refers to the horses hip joint.
The Ischia - one three lower pelvic bones that fuse together to form the horses pelvic structure.

Emaciated	NO FAT PALPABLE OVER ANY OF THE FOLLOWING BODY PARTS
Neck	Prominent with bone structure easily detectable and recognisable
Withers	Prominent with bone structure easily detectable and recognisable
Back	Prominent with bone structure easily detectable and recognisable
Tailhead	Prominent with bone structure easily detectable and recognisable
Ribs	Prominent with bone structure easily detectable and recognisable
Shoulder	Prominent with bone structure easily detectable and recognisable
Extra Notes:	No fatty tissue can be felt anywhere.
VERY THIN
NECK	Prominent with bone structure detectable
WITHERS	Prominent with bone structure detectable
BACK	Prominent with bone structure detectable.
TAILHEAD	Prominent with bone structure detectable with very thin layer of fat
RIBS	Prominent with bone structure detectable with thin layer of fat
SHOULDERS	Prominent with bone structure detectable with very thin layer of fat
Extra Notes:
TRANSVERSE PROCESS	Visually and to the touch detectable.
TUBER COXAE	Visually and to the touch detectable.
TUBER ISCHIA	Visually and to the touch detectable.
THIN
NECK	Prominent though individual vertebrae are not visible. Layer of fat is palpable.
WITHERS	Prominent though individual vertebrae are not visible. Layer of fat is palpable.
BACK	Prominent though individual vertebrae are not visible. Layer of fat is palpable upon the lumbar region, croup and rump.
TAILHEAD	Prominent though individual vertebrae are not visible. Layer of fat is palpable.
RIBS	Prominent though thin layer of fat is palpable.
SHOULDERS	Prominent though individual bone structure is not visible. Layer of fat is palpable.
Extra Notes:
TRANSVERSE PROCESS	Visually and to the touch detectable.
TUBER COXAE	Visually and to the touch detectable.
TUBER ISCHIA	Visually and to the touch undetectable.
LEAN
NECK	Lean covering of flesh with no visible bone structure
WITHERS	Lean covering of flesh with no visible bone structure
BACK	Lean covering of flesh. Depending upon conformation, breed and build, there may be a slight spinal ridge upon the lumbar vertebrae.
TAILHEAD	Depending upon conformation, breed and build, there may be a slight spinal ridge though fat remains palpable.
RIBS	Lean covering of flesh with slight visible bone structure
SHOULDER	Lean covering of flesh with no visible bone structure
Extra Notes:
TRANSVERSE PROCESS	Visually undetectable.
TUBER COXAE	Visually undetectable.
TUBER ISCHIA	Visually & to the touch remains undetectable.
MODERATE
NECK	Adequate covering of flesh with neck blending into withers. No visible bone structure
WITHERS	Adequate covering of flesh with withers blending into back. No visible bone structure
BACK	Adequate covering of flesh. No visible bone structure. Loins are flat.
TAILHEAD	Adequate covering of soft flesh.
RIBS	Adequate covering of flesh. No visible bone structure though ribs can be felt.
SHOULDER	Adequate covering of flesh with shoulders blending into neck and body. No visible bone structure.
Extra Notes:
TRANSVERSE PROCESS	Visually & to the touch remains undetectable.
TUBER COXAE	Visually & to the touch remains undetectable.
TUBER ISCHIA	Visually & to the touch remains undetectable.
MODERATE FLESHY
NECK	Good covering of flesh with neck blending into withers. No visible bone structure. May show signs of fat deposits either side of neck topline.
WITHERS	Good covering of flesh with withers blending into back. No visible bone structure. May show signs of fat deposits either side of withers.
BACK	Good covering of flesh. No visible bone structure. Loins may have a ridge of flesh either side of vertebrae.
TAILHEAD	Good covering of flesh with palpable spongy (not hard solid) fat. No visible bone structure.
RIBS	Good covering of flesh with palpable spongy (not hard solid) fat. No visible bone structure.
SHOULDER	Good covering of flesh with shoulders blending into neck and body. No visible bone structure. May show signs of fat deposits behind each shoulder. .
Extra Notes:
TRANSVERSE PROCESS	Visually & to the touch remains undetectable.
TUBER COXAE	Visually & to the touch remains undetectable.
TUBER ISCHIA	Visually & to the touch remains undetectable.
FLESHY
NECK	Excess covering of flesh either side and upon the neck topline.
WITHERS	Excess covering of flesh either side and upon the top of withers.
BACK	Excess covering of soft flesh. Loins may have a ridge of fat deposits and excess flesh either side of vertebrae.
TAILHEAD	Excess covering of soft flesh with palpable spongy (not hard solid) fat.
RIBS	Excess covering of flesh with ribs difficult to individually locate.
SHOULDER	Excess covering of flesh over and behind each shoulder.
Extra Notes:
TRANSVERSE PROCESS	Visually & to the touch remains undetectable.
TUBER COXAE	Visually & to the touch remains undetectable.
TUBER ISCHIA	Visually & to the touch remains undetectable.
FAT
NECK	Excess covering of flesh either side and upon the neck topline, producing a thicker, harder and less flexible neck.
WITHERS	Excess flesh either side and upon the withers.
BACK	Excess covering and filling of soft flesh. Loins will show an obvious ridge of flesh either side of vertebrae.
TAILHEAD	Excess covering and filling of soft flesh.
RIBS	Excess covering and filling of flesh with ribs very difficult to individually locate.
SHOULDER	Excess covering and filling of flesh over and behind each shoulder.
Extra Notes:	Fat may be detected within the inner thighs.
OBESE
NECK	Bulges of flesh either side and upon the neck topline producing a hard, thick and inflexible neck.
WITHERS	Bulges of flesh either side and upon the withers.
BACK	Bulges of flesh either side and upon the back. Loins will have a prominent ridge of bulging flesh either side of vertebrae.
TAILHEAD	Bulges of soft flesh.
RIBS	Bulges of fat over ribs. Near impossible to individually locate.
SHOULDER	Bulges of fat over and behind each shoulder.
Extra Notes:	Flanks will be filled with fat, subsequently the abdominal tuck will not be detectable.
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Bodyscoring

Gait analysis

Lameness

Conformation

Fittening

Stretching

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