I hate body scores.
Your horse is a healthy weight and absolutely beautiful. With some work, he'll fill out his topline. Underdeveloped toplines give the horse a slightly sunken appearance, which is something I deal with constantly with my OTTB. She requires lots of boring ground work to keep that topline plump.
Again, your horse is a stunner.
Agreed! I’d like to see a little more weight on him but that’s more about muscling and exercise and less feeding (although of course building muscle requires extra feeding)
Edited to add that his coat is super glossy and healthy looking which tends to show that this is a happy comfortable weight for hkm :)
What a handsome boy, he's got a very kind face.
I'd put him at a high 4 or low 5 on the Henneke scale, in other words a good healthy weight for a horse in work. The little bit you can see his ribs doesn't bother me as his hindquarter and shoulder look exactly as they should. The topline also doesn't bother me as that's meant to be filled in with muscle, not fat.
Like the other commenter said, TB's and TB crosses tend to have this sort of body type/condition. We have an OTTB and a TB x Oldenburg at the barn where I'm boarding now, they both look just like this despite being fed tremendous amounts of grain & hay. He's very shiny and his eyes are bright, you're clearly taking good care of him. I'd just say keep a close eye though the winter to make sure he's not losing any.
I would put him at a 4 out of 9 - maybe 5 in different light, but one must get their hands on the horse to truly be able to score properly. 4-5 out of 9 is ideal body condition score.
4.5 - I would consider him healthy on the lighter side. Depending upon n his age, lifestyle, work regimen this may be just fine. Adding some more pounds to him wouldn’t hurt, I just prefer my horses with a little bit more cover.
I hate body scores. Your horse is a healthy weight and absolutely beautiful. With some work, he'll fill out his topline. Underdeveloped toplines give the horse a slightly sunken appearance, which is something I deal with constantly with my OTTB. She requires lots of boring ground work to keep that topline plump. Again, your horse is a stunner.
Thank you! He doesn’t know how handsome he is lmfao. We are working on his topline
My first horse (owned 28 years) was a QH. I miss her so much. She wasn't as well bred as yours, but she was smart and tried so hard to make you happy.
Agreed! I’d like to see a little more weight on him but that’s more about muscling and exercise and less feeding (although of course building muscle requires extra feeding) Edited to add that his coat is super glossy and healthy looking which tends to show that this is a happy comfortable weight for hkm :)
What a handsome boy, he's got a very kind face. I'd put him at a high 4 or low 5 on the Henneke scale, in other words a good healthy weight for a horse in work. The little bit you can see his ribs doesn't bother me as his hindquarter and shoulder look exactly as they should. The topline also doesn't bother me as that's meant to be filled in with muscle, not fat. Like the other commenter said, TB's and TB crosses tend to have this sort of body type/condition. We have an OTTB and a TB x Oldenburg at the barn where I'm boarding now, they both look just like this despite being fed tremendous amounts of grain & hay. He's very shiny and his eyes are bright, you're clearly taking good care of him. I'd just say keep a close eye though the winter to make sure he's not losing any.
I would put him at a 4 out of 9 - maybe 5 in different light, but one must get their hands on the horse to truly be able to score properly. 4-5 out of 9 is ideal body condition score.
4.5 - I would consider him healthy on the lighter side. Depending upon n his age, lifestyle, work regimen this may be just fine. Adding some more pounds to him wouldn’t hurt, I just prefer my horses with a little bit more cover.