Topic:Body Condition Score
Body Condition Score (BCS) is a numerical system used to assess the amount of fat on a horse's body. It provides an estimate of a horse's overall body fat and is used to evaluate nutritional status and health. The BCS system typically ranges from 1 to 9, with 1 indicating an extremely emaciated horse and 9 representing an extremely obese horse. This scoring method involves a visual and tactile assessment of specific areas on the horse, such as the neck, withers, ribs, and tailhead. Accurate BCS evaluation helps in the management of feeding programs and in identifying potential health issues related to undernutrition or overnutrition. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodology, application, and implications of Body Condition Scoring in equine management and health assessment.
Age and Body Condition Influence the Post-Prandial Interleukin-1β Response to a High-Starch Meal in Horses. Older horses and those prone to obesity may be at a higher risk for inflammation than younger and leaner counterparts. Previous research indicated a postprandial elevation in plasma concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, after consuming 1.2 g of non-structural carbohydrates/kilogram of body weight. However, these studies utilized horses of mixed age and body condition. The current study evaluated post-prandial IL-1β concentrations in horses specifically comparing lean to over-conditioned and middle aged to older. Our results suggest that at least two weeks of...
Variation in insulin response to oral sugar test in a cohort of horses throughout the year and evaluation of risk factors for insulin dysregulation. The oral sugar test (OST) is commonly used to diagnose insulin dysregulation (ID) and equine metabolic syndrome; however, possible seasonal changes in OST results have not been evaluated. Objective: To determine the possible variation in insulin response to OST throughout the year and risk factors associated with maximum insulin concentration (InsMax) and ID. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal cohort study. Methods: The OST was performed on 29 Finnhorses every other month six times. Serum total adiponectin concentration and phenotypic variables related to obesity were also measured. Changes in...
Yield, nutrient composition, and horse condition in integrated crabgrass and cool-season grass rotational grazing pasture systems. Integration of warm-season grasses into traditional cool-season pastures can increase summer forage for grazing cattle. The aim of this study was to determine impacts of this practice on yield and nutrient composition of equine rotational pasture systems as well as horse body condition. Two 1.5 ha rotational systems (6 to 0.25 ha sections/system) were evaluated: a control system (CON) (all sections mixed cool-season grass [CSG-CON]) and an integrated rotational grazing system (IRS) (three CSG sections [CSG-IRS] and three Quick-N-Big crabgrass [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.; CRB-IRS]). Three...
“Feeding the Foot”: Nutritional Influences on Equine Hoof Health. Nutrition plays an important role in equine health, including that of the foot. Deficiencies and excesses of dietary components can affect the growth and function of the foot and have been associated with important podiatric diseases. The recognition, prevention, and treatment of specific notable nutritional diseases of the foot are discussed, as well as information regarding specific ingredients included in supplements meant to improve equine hoof quality. Ensuring provision of a balanced diet, maintaining horses in appropriate body condition, and seeking guidance from an equine nutritionist ...
Risk factors, hematological and biochemical profile associated with colic in Delman horses in Gresik, Indonesia. Horses are herd animals that have been domesticated in the last century. In several countries, an overview of risk factors and clinical evaluation in horses with colic has not been well-described. This study aimed to evaluate risk factors and hematological profiles in horses associated with colic in Gresik, East Java, Indonesia. A cross-sectional study was performed during April - October 2019. A total of 115 horses were diagnosed based on physical examination, clinical symptoms, and rectal examination. A questionnaire was asked to the horse-owners to analyze the risk factors while the clin...
Development and Evaluation of a Muscle Atrophy Scoring System (MASS) for Horses. Loss of skeletal muscle mass likely compromises performance and welfare in horses and thus routine monitoring would be valuable. Currently available methods to assess muscle mass require expert knowledge and are often expensive. To provide a simple method, a muscle atrophy scoring system (MASS) was created and tested by three evaluators (raters) in 38 horses of varying age, breed, and health status. Inter-rater agreement on atrophy scores was in the good-to-excellent range for ratings of the neck (ICC = 0.62), back (ICC = 0.62) and hind (ICC = 0.76) regions but was poor for the abdominal...
Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) in horses: hormonal and biochemical study (19 cases). To investigate the hormonal and biochemical profiles of horses with osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD), serum insulin, cortisol, triiodothyronine, thyroxine, fasting blood glucose (FBG), cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), high- and low-density lipoproteins, albumin and uric acid were measured in horses definitely diagnosed with OCD (n=19) as well as clinically normal horses (n=18). Proxies representing insulin sensitivity [reciprocal of square root of insulin concentration (RISQI)] and beta cell responsiveness [modified insulin to glucose ratio (MIRG)] were calculated. Body fat percent (BF%) was est...
Cross-sectional study to identify the prevalence of and factors associated with laminitis in UK donkeys. Laminitis causes lameness in donkeys, but its prevalence and factors associated with disease remain uncertain. Objective: To determine the prevalence of and identify factors associated with laminitis in donkeys. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: All donkeys at the Donkey Sanctuary, UK, October 2015 to March 2019 were included. For animals that had laminitis during this period, age, sex, weight, body condition score, and the onset date and type of each episode (first or recurrent, acute or chronic) were recorded. Additionally, management data, foot lesion score, endocrine d...
Reproductive patterns and follicular waves in postpartum lactating versus non-postpartum cycling mares. This comparative study between postpartum lactating (PP Lactating) and non-postpartum cycling (N-PP Cycling) mares aimed to characterize reproductive patterns, types and frequencies of follicular waves, corpus luteum and endometrial echotexture dynamics, and the influence of season and body condition. Mares from each group were paired considering the day of parturition of a PP Lactating mare. The partum-ovulation interval (POI) and the postpartum interovulatory interval (PPIOI) were evaluated for PP Lactating mares, and 2 IOIs were evaluated for N-PP Cycling mares. The following observations w...
Transrectal three-dimensional fetal volumetry in early pregnant mares: Relationships between maternal factors and equine fetal volume measurements. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal, hormonal, and fetal factors on early fetal volume (FV) measurements in mares obtained by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound. Furthermore, postpartum parameters were explored in regard to their association with early FV. For this purpose, 149 German warmblood mares that were artificially inseminated and confirmed to be pregnant between days 14-16 of gestation, were examined transrectally at day 45 ± 1 of gestation with the portable 3D ultrasound device Voluson® i (GE, Zipf, Austria). FV was calculated by using the extension so...
Effects of feed deprivation on physical and blood parameters of horses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feed restriction on some physical and blood parameters in horses kept outdoors under natural conditions. Twenty horses were deprived of food for 48 h. They were closely monitored and examined, and blood samples were taken at the beginning (0) of the experiment and 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 and 48 hours afterward. During the experimental period, the control group (12 animals) had free access to water and hay, while the restricted group had free access to water only. Data were submitted to two-way analysis of variance with repeated measur...
Morphometric, metabolic, and inflammatory markers across a cohort of client-owned horses and ponies on the insulin dysregulation spectrum. In human metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes, methylglyoxal (MG), D-lactate, and several cytokines have been recognized as biomarkers of important metabolic and inflammatory processes. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) shares many similarities with these human counterparts. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to compare body condition score (BCS), cresty neck score (CNS), resting insulin, MG, D-lactate, L-lactate, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) between horses with and without insulin dysregulation, as clas...
Use of Remote Camera Traps to Evaluate Animal-Based Welfare Indicators in Individual Free-Roaming Wild Horses. We previously developed a Ten-Stage Protocol for scientifically assessing the welfare of individual free-roaming wild animals using the Five Domains Model. The protocol includes developing methods for measuring or observing welfare indices. In this study, we assessed the use of remote camera traps to evaluate an extensive range of welfare indicators in individual free-roaming wild horses. Still images and videos were collected and analysed to assess whether horses could be detected and identified individually, which welfare indicators could be reliably evaluated, and whether behaviour could be...
Equine inflammatory response to abdominal surgery in the absence of gastrointestinal disease. To investigate the, equine inflammatory response to ventral midline celiotomy in the absence of gastrointestinal disease in horses of varying body condition scores primarily using serial measurements of serum amyloid A (SAA). Methods: Experimental clinical study. Methods: University teaching hospital. Methods: Ten adult light breed horses free of any clinical disease, 5 with body condition score (BCS) 3-4/9 and 5 with BCS 7-8/9. Methods: Horses had a ventral midline celiotomy performed under general anesthesia, including manual decompression of the small intestine. SAA, semiquantitative fibrin...
A Standard Scale to Measure Equine Keeper Status and the Effect of Metabolic Tendency on Gut Microbiome Structure. Thriftiness in horses has been associated with more efficient nutrient harvesting in digestion, absorption and/or utilization, but the relative contribution of the gut microbiome to host metabolic tendency is not well understood. Recognizing the unreliability of owner reported assignment of keeper status, this research describes a novel tool for calculating whether a horse is an easy (EK) or hard (HK) keeper and then characterizes microbiome differences in these groups. The Equine Keeper Status Scale (EKSS) was developed and validated based on data gathered from 240 horses. Estimates of dietar...
A Multiomic Approach to Investigate the Effects of a Weight Loss Program on the Intestinal Health of Overweight Horses. Obesity is endemic in human populations in the western society, and with mounting evidence that the intestinal ecological environment plays a major role in its pathogenesis, identification of therapies based on intestinal microbiota modulation are gaining attention. Obesity in companion animals is also a common clinical problem. We set out using a multidimensional approach, to determine the effectiveness and safety of a weight loss program for horses incorporating diet restriction and exercise. In addition, we aimed to investigate the effect of this program on the overall intestinal health of ...
Influence of endocrine disease on l-lactate concentrations in blood of ponies. Blood l-lactate concentrations are higher in people with developing or established diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance. Objective: To investigate whether blood l-lactate concentrations are positively correlated with measures of insulin dysregulation (ID) or increased autumnal ACTH concentrations in ponies. Methods: Systemically healthy client-owned ponies (n = 101). Methods: Prospective case-control study. Blood samples were obtained from 101 clinically healthy ponies. Breed, weight, height, and subjective and objective measures of body condition were recorded. Blood l-lactate, glucose, t...
Evaluation of long-term welfare initiatives on working equid welfare and social transmission of knowledge in Mexico. Working equids play an essential role in supporting livelihoods, providing resilience and income security to people around the world, yet their welfare is often poor. Consequently, animal welfare focussed NGOs employ a range of initiatives aimed at improving standards of working equid welfare. However, there is debate surrounding the efficacy of welfare initiatives utilised and long term monitoring and evaluation of initiatives is rarely undertaken. This study compares equid welfare and the social transmission of welfare information across Mexican communities that had previously received diffe...
Case-Control Study of Risk Factors for Equine Asthma in Texas. Equine asthma is a common condition in horses, for which few host-related risk factors have been identified. The objective of this study was to identify host-related risk factors for the development of equine asthma. A retrospective, case-control study was performed, utilizing horses presented to the Texas A&M University, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital from January 2014 December 2018. Incident cases of mild to severe equine asthma (n = 37), diagnosed clinically with cytologic support of disease were examined. For each case, two control populations were identified, including one tem...
Nutritional Considerations When Dealing with an Obese Adult Equine. Equine obesity is common, reducing quality of life and requiring dietary energy restriction. Equine obesity is identified using subjective body condition scoring. Considerations are given for life stage and health status when managing obese equines. Every effort should be made to maximize feeding duration, and minimize time spent without feed while meeting all essential nutrient requirements. Limiting total daily dry matter intake to 2% of current bodyweight per day of a low caloric, forage-based diet may result in adequate body weight loss. Weight loss and weight management plans should be mo...
Nutritional and Non-nutritional Aspects of Forage. Many forage types are available, typically divided into cool or warm season grasses and legumes, which can be fed as fresh pasture or after preservation. Testing for nutrient content confirms what should be supplemented to make up shortfalls. Although testing is recommended, it is not always practical. Typical values for the forage type are available; however, they cannot be relied on for actual content. Non-nutritional aspects must also be taken into account. The provision of complementary feeds to ensure adequate vitamin and mineral intake is recommended. Additional supplementary high-qualit...
How to Perform a Nutritional Assessment in a First-Line/General Practice. Inappropriate nutrition is a priority welfare challenge. Nutritional mistakes are common and can lead to adverse events, such as poor growth and performance, colic, laminitis, and obesity. A detailed nutritional assessment involving evaluating the equine patient, current diet/ration, and management is essential in creating an effective nutritional plan. Goal(s) should be established and used to inform the plan. Management or resource barriers should be considered. Effective communication and a team-based approach versus an authoritarian one are likely to enhance the success of the nutritional ...
Nutritional Considerations when Dealing with an Underweight Adult or Senior Horse. Weight loss occurs when the supply of energy is insufficient to meet the energy needs of an individual. The energy supply may be reduced by inadequate provision of feed, inadequate consumption, reduced digestion and absorption, or disruption in metabolic processing. Increased energy expenditure occurs with exercise and during cold temperatures, pregnancy, and lactation. Underlying clinical disease, particularly chronic inflammation, neoplasia, and protein-losing conditions, can cause weight loss or exacerbate existing weight loss. A methodical approach to weight-loss investigation and treatmen...
Estimation of Liveweight from Body Measurements through Best Fitted Regression Model in Dezhou Donkey Breed. Dezhou donkey is an excellent local hide, meat and milk breed in Shandong Province. To accelerate the speed of breeding, reproduction and conversation, correlation and multiple regression analysis between body weight (BW) and body size of Dezhou donkey rearing under intensive farms was made by SAS 9.4 software (Statistical Analysis for Windows). A total of 162 donkeys of both gender of age 2 ~ 10 years old were used to investigate the relationships between BW and body dimensional traits (cm) including height of withers, body length; thoracic depth, thoracic girth (TG), thoracic width (TW), cir...
Study on Strongyle Infection of Donkeys and Horses in Hosaena District, Southern Ethiopia. Gastrointestinal helminth parasite infection is a major influencing factor against the profitability of working equines all over the world. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Hosaena district to investigate the prevalence and the potential risk factors of strongyle infection. To address this, 384 equines; donkeys (n = 208), and horses (n = 176) were randomly selected for the coprological examination to identify strongyle eggs using the floatation technique. Results: The study revealed that the overall prevalence of strongyle infection in the Hosaena district was 54.2% and...
Strip-grazing: Reduces pony dry matter intakes and changes in bodyweight and morphometrics. Obesity can negatively impact upon equine welfare and bodyweight (BW) of pastured equines is often difficult to manage. Objective: To compare the effects of three restricted grazing regimens on changes in pony BW and morphometric measurements. Methods: Randomised study. Methods: Twelve mature ponies were individually grazed in 10m wide, rectangular, electric fenced paddocks. The dry matter (DM) herbage yield of each paddock was determined, and paddock length adjusted on Day 1 to provide 1.5% of individual pony BW as herbage DM daily, for 28 days. There were four ponies per treatment. Treatmen...
An Accurate Image Analysis Method for Estimating Body Measurements in Horses. This study proposes a standardized image analysis method for assessing horse conformation. A total of 34 adult American Quarter Horses (mean age = 6.7 ± 2.9 years, body weight = 489 ± 44 kg) were used. Reference angular measurements were performed using a digital goniometer, and reference linear measurements were determined using a standard measuring tape. For image analysis, photographs from the animal's left profile were taken at a distance of 3 m using eight markers to facilitate visualization. Images were processed using ImageJ software. Reference and estimated values showed great ac...
Changes in metabolic and physiological biomarkers in Mangalarga Marchador horses with induced obesity. This study aimed to characterize and correlate physiological and metabolic changes in horses fed a hypercaloric diet (HD). Nine mature horses with a mean initial body condition score of 2.9 ± 1 (scale, 1-9) were fed a high-calorie diet for 5 months. Fasting blood samples were collected before the study and biweekly for the duration of the project to determine the concentrations of cholesterol (CHOL), very low (VLDL), low (LDL) and high-density (HDL) lipoproteins, triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, and fructosamine. A low-dose oral glucose tolerance test (LGTT) was conducted before, 75...
Overfeeding Extends the Period of Annual Cyclicity but Increases the Risk of Early Embryonic Death in Shetland Pony Mares. Obesity has been associated with altered reproductive activity in mares, and may negatively affect fertility. To examine the influence of long-term high-energy (HE) feeding on fertility, Shetland pony mares were fed a diet containing 200% of net energy (NE) requirements during a three-year study. The incidence of hemorrhagic anovulatory follicles (HAF) and annual duration of cyclicity were compared to those in control mares receiving a maintenance diet. Day-7 embryos were flushed and transferred between donor and recipient mares from both groups; the resulting conceptuses were collected 21 day...
Clinical Factors Associated With Survival Outcomes in Starved Equids: A Retrospective Case Series. Each year in the United States, unwanted horses may become neglected, starved, or abandoned. Recovery therapies include refeeding and veterinary care, often requiring substantial time and financial investments. To better understand the likelihood for starved horses to successfully survive the first 100 days after initial evaluation, a retrospective case series was performed using hospital records of starved horses at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. A body condition score (BCS) of 3 or less and a malnourished diagnosis were utilized to select case records from an 11...