The Henneke Horse Profile Rating | Articles Mesmerizing

Texas A&M College created a way to score a horse?s body condition in 1983, the Henneke System, which calibrates how much fat is spread over the animal?s body. The System concentrates usually on the neck, withers, shoulder, ribs, loins and the tailhead.

Fat on a horse is visible and easily palpated. You judge the horse by getting real close and probing the fat deposits. You use the chart to give the pony a score: you need to use half ranges while scoring.

The chart enables you to give a precise picture of the horse?s condition to a veterinarian or a prospective buyer, presuming that they are also familiar with the chart.

1. The Poor Rating

The animal is cadaverous. The ribs, tailhead, pelvic hooks and pins and the spinous processes (the prominent part of the spine vertebrae) are sharply defined, as are the bones of the withers, neck and shoulders. Fat isn?t to be seen anywhere in any way.

2. The Very Thin Rating

The horse is noticeably scrawny. There could be some fat to be seen at the spinous processes base. There?s a rounded feeling to the lumbar transverse (the parts of the vertebrae that stand out). You can make out the spinous processes, ribs, neck and shoulders structures.

3. The Thin Rating

There?s fat to be seen part of the way up the spinous processes. You cannot feel the transverse processes. The ribs are lightly layered over with fat. You can hardly make out the spinous processes and ribs. While the tailhead is conspicuous, individual vertebrae are not visible. You can easily make out the hook bones (the pelvic girdle bulge in the upper front hip); they seem to be rounded. You can?t make out the pin bones (the pelvic girdle bulge toward the middle rear of the hip). The withers, neck and shoulders are highlighted.

4. The Moderately Thin Rating

The spinous processes rise a bit over local tissue, and the ribs are visible in outline only. The tailhead is encircled by some fat. You can?t make out the hook bones; you can?t see any tangible thinness to the withers, shoulders, and neck.

5. The Moderate Rating

The pony has a level back, and while the ribs aren?t visible, they're present to touch. The tailhead looks to be set in spongy fat. The withers round out over the spinous processes. There?s a seamless shift of neck and shoulders into the body.

6. The Moderate to Fleshy Rating

You may see a small crease at the rear, spongy fat over the ribs and soft fat surrounding the tailhead. The sides of the withers, areas back of the shoulders and sides of the neck show fat deposits.

7. The Fleshy Rating

You will see a crease down the back. The ribs appear to be set in a layer of fat. The tailhead is set in soft fat, as are the withers and the areas back of the shoulders and along the neck.

8. The Fat Rating

You will find a crease down the back. The ribs cannot be felt easily, and the tailhead is set in soft fat, as are the withers. The neck leads seamlessly to the body, and is clearly thick. The inside buttocks show fat deposits.

9. The Highly Fat Rating

The back shows a prominent crease. The ribs are set in uneven fat. Protuberant fat is visible around the tailhead, withers, neck and shoulders. Inner buttocks could be set in fat that rubs together. The flank leads seamlessly to the remainder of the body.

Henneke developed their chart with these same 9 categories, and now this chart has become highly regarded with horse pros around the U. S.. This chart has the excellence of probably being the only horse measure that?s free from dispute and is accepted as a usable standard. While this chart is great for defining pony body condition, it may not work well with donkeys and mules, as these breeds have fat in unusual body areas.

Horses are Heather Tom?s passion and she
enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100?s of articles with other horse lovers like all things about horse rugs.

Source: http://articlesmesmerizing.com/recreation-sports/rodeo/the-henneke-horse-profile-rating

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