Body Condition Scoring with the Henneke Scale

A scale tells you how much a horse weighs. Body condition scoring tells you whether that weight is fat, muscle or frame. This guide teaches the nine-point Henneke system and what to do with the result.

What the scale measures

The Henneke body condition scoring system was developed by Dr. Don Henneke at Texas A&M University in the early 1980s. It rates the fat cover of a horse from 1 (poor) to 9 (extremely fat) by looking at and feeling six areas of the body. Because it checks fat cover directly, it is more useful than weight when horses vary in size and build, and it picks up changes early, before they are obvious to the eye.

The six areas

Neck: a thin, tapering neck suggests a low score; a thick, cresty neck suggests a high one.
Withers: how well the bony points are covered.
Shoulder: whether the blade shows, or blends smoothly into the body, or is padded with fat.
Ribs: whether they can be seen, felt easily, felt with light pressure or not felt at all.
Loin: the back behind the saddle, which can be hollow, flat or have a crease along the spine.
Tailhead: whether the pelvic bones and tailhead protrude or are buried in fat.

The scale in plain words

Score	Description
1	Poor. Emaciated; bones of spine, ribs, tailhead and hips stand out; no fat can be felt.
2	Very thin. Bones prominent, slight fat cover over the base of the spine and ribs.
3	Thin. Ribs easily visible, spine outlined, tailhead prominent; the neck is narrow.
4	Moderately thin. Faint outline of ribs, tailhead is prominent only at the start, and withers, shoulder and neck do not look thin.
5	Moderate. Ribs can be felt but not seen, back is level, fat around the tailhead starts to feel spongy. This is ideal for most horses.
6	Moderately fleshy. A slight crease down the back, fat over the ribs is spongy and fat around the tailhead is soft.
7	Fleshy. Crease down the back, individual ribs can be felt with pressure, fat in the withers, neck and behind the shoulder.
8	Fat. Crease down the back, ribs difficult to feel, fat around the tailhead is very soft, the neck is noticeably thick.
9	Extremely fat. Obvious crease, patchy fat over the ribs, bulging fat around the tailhead, neck, withers and flank.

How to score a horse

Stand the horse square on level ground in good light, and look from both sides and behind.
Run your hands over each of the six areas. Feel for the amount of fat over the bone; do not just look, since a winter coat hides a lot.
Give each area a score from 1 to 9.
Average the six scores to get the overall score. The Body Condition Score Calculator averages the six areas and explains the result.

Horses carry fat unevenly. A horse can have a cresty neck and a thin back, or a lean body with a fat tailhead. Averaging the six scores gives a better picture than any one spot.

What score to aim for

Most adult horses are healthiest at 5, with 4 to 6 considered acceptable depending on use. Racehorses and endurance horses are often kept near 4 to 5, show horses and broodmares near 5 to 6, and pregnant mares do best at 5 to 6 going into foaling. A score of 7 or above raises the risk of laminitis, insulin resistance and joint strain, and a score of 3 or below calls for a veterinary check for teeth, parasites, ulcers or disease.

If your horse is too thin

Ask a vet to check teeth, parasites and general health first.
Increase good-quality forage, and increase concentrates gradually.
Consider adding calories as fat, beet pulp or a senior or weight-gain feed. See Feeding Horses.
Check for competition at feeding time, and give a thin horse its own space.
Rug in cold weather, since keeping warm burns calories. See Blankets and Winter Care.

If your horse is too heavy

Cut calories gradually, not forage below 1 percent of body weight, and use slow feeders.
Restrict pasture access with a grazing muzzle or a dry lot.
Switch to lower-sugar hay and a ration balancer.
Increase exercise.
Ask a vet to test for insulin resistance or Cushing's disease if the horse has a cresty neck or gets fat on little feed.

Track changes

Score your horse monthly and note the date, the score and the weight; see How to Estimate Your Horse's Weight. A change of one point in a month is a signal to look at the diet, the workload and the horse's health. Taking photos from the same angles each month makes changes easier to see.

Common mistakes

Judging condition by sight alone through a thick coat.
Scoring only the ribs.
Aiming for a show-ring look on a horse that is naturally lean.
Feeding a thin horse large amounts of grain at once.

Frequently asked questions

What is an ideal body condition score for a horse?

A score of 5 on the Henneke scale is ideal for most adult horses. Scores of 4 to 6 are acceptable depending on the horse's use, and broodmares and show horses are often kept a little fleshier.

Is body condition score the same as weight?

No. Weight is the total mass. Condition describes fat cover. Two horses with the same weight can have very different condition scores depending on their frame size and muscle.

How often should I score my horse?

Once a month for most horses, and more often when a horse is gaining or losing weight, ill, pregnant or in changing work.

Tools used in this guide

More guides

Figures in this guide are general guidance for planning. Every horse is different, so work with your veterinarian, farrier or trainer on health, hoof and training decisions, and read our disclaimer.