Body condition scoring the senior horse

Yard owners, grooms and weekend volunteers responsible for daily checks.

• ◆Score a horse confidently using the Henneke system
• ◆Distinguish topline muscle loss from genuine weight loss
• ◆Build a monthly scoring log that informs feeding decisions
• ◆Spot trends early enough for vet intervention

1. 01.

   Why the senior horse is different

   Fat redistribution, sarcopenia and dental decline confound visual scoring.

   • ·How ageing changes fat deposition along the crest, withers and tail head
   • ·Sarcopenia: age-related muscle loss vs. weight loss from undernutrition
   • ·The dental cascade — molar wear, quidding and how it shows up on the topline
   • ·Why a 'thin' senior may score 5 and a 'plump' one may be a 4 with regional fat
2. 02.

   The Henneke scale in practice

   Six anatomical points, hands-on, with photographic reference.

   • ·Walk-through of all six palpation sites with reference photos
   • ·Standing position, lighting and clipping decisions that change a score
   • ·Calibration exercise: scoring twelve real seniors against a reference panel
   • ·Two-rater agreement — building consistency across your yard team
3. 03.

   Recording and trending

   Monthly logs, photo records, when to escalate.

   • ·A monthly scoring log template you can adopt unchanged
   • ·Photographing for trend: angle, distance, background, lighting
   • ·Trigger thresholds — when a 0.5-point drop becomes a vet call
   • ·Tying scoring data into your worming and dental review cycle

Take three photos of each resident horse from the near side, off side and behind, and bring last six months of weight or scoring records if you have them.

Score four photographed case horses at the end of the session; pass mark is agreement within 0.5 points of the reference scores on three of four.

• §Henneke et al., 'Relationship between condition score, physical measurements and body fat in mares' (Equine Vet J, 1983)
• §BHS Senior Horse Care Code of Practice (current edition)
• §RVC Equine Geriatric Health and Welfare Survey 2020 — summary report