SPECIAL REPORT BCS A USEFUL TOOL Don Henneke’s nine-point scale takes the guesswork out of evaluating equine body fat levels. he body condition score (BCS) Score: 1 (Poor) Score: 2 (Very thin) system offers an objective • Extreme emaciation. • Emaciated. method of estimating a horse’s • Spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, and • Thin layer of fat over base of spinous body fat levels. hooks and pins are prominent. processes. TDeveloped 25 years ago by Don • Bone structure of withers, shoulder and • Transverse processes of lumbar Henneke, PhD, as part of his doctoral neck is easily noticeable. vertebrae feel rounded. research, the BCS scale ranges from 1 • No fatty tissue can be felt. • Spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, and (poor) to 9 (obese). Horses are scored hooks and pins are prominent. based on visual and hands-on appraisal • Withers, shoulders and neck structures of six body areas where fat tends to are faintly discernable. accumulate in a predictable pattern (see diagram below). At right is an illustrated guide to the BCS system. Each score is accompa- nied by the notable physical attributes GETTING FAT: Horses develop body fat in described in Henneke’s original BCS a predictable pattern, starting behind the research. The key terms used include: shoulder, moving back over the ribs, up over • crease---a “gutter” over the spine the rump and finally along the back forward created by fat buildup on either side of to the neck and head. A horse’s BCS is the bone. based on an appraisal of fat accumulation • hooks---the pel- in these areas. vic (hip) bones that along the neck jut out to the side of a along the crease withers down back horse’s rump. tailhead • pins---pelvic bones near the tail that poke out the back of a horse’s ribs rump. Score: 6 • spinous pro- (Moderate to fleshy) cesses---bony protrusions at the top of • May have slight crease down back. the vertebrae of the torso. • Fat over ribs feels soft and spongy. behind the • tailhead---the root of the tail where shoulder • Fat around tailhead feels soft. it blends in with the body; highest • Fat beginning to be deposited along sides movable point on the tail. of the withers, behind the shoulders • transverse processes---bony pro- and along the sides of the neck. PHOTOS COURTESY, DON HENNEKE, PHD; ILLUSTRATION BY CELIA STRAIN PHD; ILLUSTRATION DON HENNEKE, PHOTOS COURTESY, trusions on each side of the vertebrae. 32 EQUUS 377 February 2009 Score: 3 (Thin) Score: 4 Score: 5 • Fat about halfway up spinous processes; (Moderately thin) (Moderate) transverse processes cannot be felt. • Ridge along back. • Back is level. • Thin fat layer over ribs. • Faint outline of ribs discernable. • Ribs cannot be visually distinguished • Spinous processes and ribs are easily • Tailhead prominence depends on but can be easily felt. discernable. conformation; fat can be felt around it. • Fat around tailhead beginning • Tailhead prominent, but individual • Hook bones not discernable. to feel spongy. vertebrae cannot be visually identified. • Withers, shoulders and neck are • Withers appear rounded over • Hook bones appear rounded but not not obviously thin. spinous processes. easily discernable. • Shoulders and neck blend • Pin bones not distinguishable. smoothly into body. • Withers, shoulders and neck are accentuated. Score: 7 (Fleshy) Score: 8 (Fat) Score: 9 • May have crease down back. • Crease down back. (Extremely fat) • Individual ribs can be felt, with noticeable • Difficult to feel ribs. • Obvious crease down back. filling between ribs with fat. • Fat around tailhead very soft. • Patchy fat appearing over ribs. • Fat around tailhead is soft. • Area along withers filled with fat. • Bulging fat around tailhead, along withers, • Fat deposited along withers, behind • Area behind shoulder filled in flush. behind shoulders and along neck. shoulders and along neck. • Noticeable thickening of neck. • Fat along inner buttocks may rub together. • Fat deposited along inner buttocks. • Flank filled in flush. February 2009 EQUUS 377 33.