Re: RC: Determining horse's weight

["G. Ecker" <caspian_uph@hotmail.com>]

Hi Deanna,
You can try two different methods for the weight calculations.

Method One:  Measure around the girth in cm and measure the length from the 
point of the shoulder to the point of the hip in cm

GIRTH(cm) x GIRTH(cm) x LENGTH(cm)hip
__________________
8,700
for weight in kg (divide by 2.2 for pounds)

Method Two:  Measure the girth in inches and the length from the point of 
the shoulder to the roundest curve of the buttocks.

GIRTH(in) x GIRTH(in) x LENGTH(in) buttock
_________________
330
for weight in pounds

Both of these methods may be completely inaccurate on some types of horses.  
They do not work well on a very leggy horse, a high-withered horse, or 
pregnant mares. They also don't track weight changes too well, and not at 
all for weight changes due to dehydration.  I have used these methods to 
compare with actual weight on a scale.  We have been doing research on the 
use of bioelectrical impedance measurements as a weight predictor, so I have 
been comparing it to other methods as well.  The two methods above using 
calculations (and the weight tapes) can be out more than 200 pounds on some 
horses, although for most horses I was finding that a range of about 70 to 
100 pounds over to about 40 or 50 pounds under was the difference for many 
of them, while there were some that were only out about 20-50 pounds.  You 
really have to be consistent on the measurements and things like a thick 
haircoat will change your measurements on the girth enough to impact greatly 
on the calculated result. When different people were doing the measurements, 
we ended up with very different weights depending on how they did the 
measurements.
Have fun comparing methods on your horse!
Gayle

>From: Lynette Helgeson <helgeson@lansford.ndak.net>

>I can help, I do it all the time. It is the horses's
>length x heartgirth x heartgirth divided by 330.
>Works every time.
>Lynette
>
>Deanna German wrote:
> >
> > Hey all.
> >
> > Does anyone know of a more accurate way to estimate a horse's weight
> > other than those weight tapes?

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