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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Factors Affecting Weigh Tape Reading in the Measurement of E...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 13(8); 1330; doi: 10.3390/ani13081330

Factors Affecting Weigh Tape Reading in the Measurement of Equine Body Weight.

Abstract: Accurate measurement of equine body weight is important for evaluating medication dosages and feed quantities. Different methods exist for measuring body weight, including weigh tapes (WT), though accuracy varies. Measurements could be affected by external variables, such as time of day, human error, or uneven surfaces, and also horse-based variables, such as height and body condition score (BCS). The aim of this study was to investigate how different horse-based variables affect WT reading. A retrospective analysis was performed using anonymised data from feed company nutrition consultations (Baileys Horse Feeds). Data included a range of horse-based variables, a WT reading, and true body weight measured on a weighbridge. All horses were over two years of age. Likelihood ratio tests were used to assess whether adding different horse-based variables significantly improved the fit of the quadratic regression model. The variables included were height, BCS, breed, muscle top-line score, and bone type. Exploratory analysis showed that the WT generally underestimated body weight, particularly for horses with higher body weight. Adding height and muscle top-line scores did not significantly improve the fit of the model, suggesting no influence on WT reading over and above actual body weight. Adding breed groupings, BCS, and bone density did improve the fit. Each 0.5 unit increase in BCS increased the WT estimate by 1.24 kg ( < 0.001). These results confirm that a WT does not provide accurate body weight measurements, and generally underestimates body weight, though more so for heavier horses, being more accurate in pony breeds.
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Publication Date: 2023-04-13 PubMed ID: 37106893PubMed Central: PMC10135119DOI: 10.3390/ani13081330Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research paper is studying the accuracy of using weigh tape to measure a horse’s weight, and how different variables from the horse might affect the readings.

Understanding the Objective

  • The main objective of the research was to investigate how different horse-based variables influence the accuracy of weigh tape (WT) readings in measuring a horse’s weight.
  • Accurate horse weight measurements are crucial in determining the correct medication dosages and feed quantities for the animal.

Research Design and Methods

  • The researchers performed a retrospective analysis using already existing anonymous data from feed company nutrition consultations (Baileys Horse Feeds).
  • All the horses in the study were more than 2 years old.
  • The data included a range of horse-based variables alongside a WT reading and true body weight, measured on a more accurate weighbridge.
  • Horse-based variables taken into account were height, body condition score (BCS) — a numerical score rating the fat coverage of the horse, breed, muscle top-line score, and bone type.
  • Statistical methodology used included the Likelihood ratio tests for assessing whether including different horse-based variables significantly improved the accuracy of the quadratic regression model.

Research Findings

  • The results of the analysis showed that the weigh tapes generally underestimate the body weight of horses, especially for those which are heavier.
  • Adding heights and muscle top-line score as variables didn’t significantly improve the accuracy of the model, suggesting that these factors don’t influence WT readings beyond the actual body weight.
  • However, including breed groupings, BCS, and bone density as variables did improve the accuracy of the regression model.
  • The research found that every 0.5 unit increase in BCS increased the estimated weight by weigh tape by 1.24 kg.

Conclusion

  • The research concludes that weigh tapes do not provide accurate body weight measurements for horses, mostly underestimating the weight, particularly with heavier horses.
  • The accuracy of the weigh tapes was found to be somewhat better for ponies.

Cite This Article

APA
Grimwood K, Lancaster B, Handel I. (2023). Factors Affecting Weigh Tape Reading in the Measurement of Equine Body Weight. Animals (Basel), 13(8), 1330. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13081330

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 8
PII: 1330

Researcher Affiliations

Grimwood, Katie
  • Baileys Horse Feeds, Four Elms Mills, Braintree, Essex CM7 5EJ, UK.
Lancaster, Bryony
  • The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
  • The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
Handel, Ian
  • The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
  • The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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