THE Henneke Scoring System is a scientific method of evaluating a horse’s body condition regardless of breed, body type, sex or age.

Six parts of a horse are checked in this system — the neck, withers, shoulder, ribs, loin, and tail head. When using the Henneke system, you should always make physical contact with these parts, and the kind of touch you use is important.

Simply stroking the animal lightly won’t provide an accurate idea of the horse’s condition; you have to apply pressure to each part in turn.

The pressure you apply should be much like that of a massage; if you press a horse’s side with your hand, you’ll be able to feel the fat covering his ribs, and get an idea of how much fat is present. Likewise, when checking the withers, feel all around the area, as if you were squeezing firm clay. It is possible to be firm and gentle at the same time, and both traits are necessary to properly score a horse.

Scoring

After pressing each part of the horse with your hands to feel for body fat. You then assign each area of the body the numerical score that corresponds with the horse’s condition. When a horse has a long coat it is important that you use your hands to feel the horse. The horse’s long coat will hide the protrusion of bones, all except in the most extreme cases. The scores from each area are then totalled and divided by six. The resulting number is the horse’s rating on the Henneke Body Scoring Condition Chart.

Conformational differences between horses may make certain criteria within each score difficult to apply to every animal. In these instances, those areas influenced by conformation should be discounted, but not ignored when determining the condition score.

Conformation also changes in pregnant mares as they approach birth. Since the weight of the conceptus tends to pull the skin and musculature tighter over the back and ribs, emphasis is placed upon fat deposition behind the shoulder, around the tail head and along the neck and withers in these cases.

The chart rates the horses on a scale of one to nine. A score of one is considered poor or emaciated with no body fat. A nine is extremely fat or obese. Horse veterinarians consider a body score of between four and seven as acceptable. A score of five is considered ideal.

If your scores from one to three or seven to nine, it is important to seek professional advice from your vet and equine nutritionist to put the best possible plan in place to allow your horse to gain or lose weight accordingly.

1. Poor

Bone structure on the neck withers and shoulders is easily noticeable. Ribs are protruding prominently. Spinous processes (loin) projecting prominently. Tail head, pin bones, and hook bones are projecting prominently.

2. Very thin

Bone structure on the neck, withers and shoulders is faintly discernible. Ribs are prominent. Slight fat covering over base of spinous processes (loin). Transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae feel rounded. Spinous processes are prominent. Tail head is prominent.

3. Thin

Neck withers and shoulder are accentuated. Slight fat over ribs but they are still easily discernible. Fat build up halfway on spinous processes, but easily discernible. Traverse processes cannot be felt. Tail head is prominent but individual vertebrae cannot be visually identified. Hook bones appear rounded, but are still easily discernible. Pin bones not distinguishable.

4. Moderately thin

Neck, withers and shoulder are not obviously thin. Faint outline of ribs discernible. Negative crease (peaked appearance) along back. Prominence of the tail head depends on conformation. Fat can be felt. Hook bones are not discernible.

5. Moderate (ideal weight)

Neck and shoulder blends smoothly into body. Withers are rounded over spinous processes. Ribs cannot be visually distinguished, but can be easily felt. Back is level. Fat around tail head beginning to feel soft.

6. Moderately fleshy

Fat beginning to be deposited along neck, withers and shoulders. Fat over ribs feels spongy. May have a slight positive crease (a groove) down back. Fat around tail head feels soft.

7. Fleshy

Fat deposited along neck, withers and behind shoulder. Individual ribs can be felt with pressure, but there is noticeable fat filling between ribs. The animal may have a positive crease down the back. Fat around tail head is soft.

8. Fat

Noticeable thickening of neck. The area along withers is filled with fat. The area behind the shoulder is filled in flush with body. Difficult to feel ribs. Positive crease down the back. Fat around tail head very soft.

9. Extremely fat

Bulging fat along neck, shoulder and withers. Patchy fat appearing over ribs. Obvious crease down the back. Bulging fat around tail head.