Body Condition Scoring of Horses

The Body Condition Scoring (BCS) system is a method to assess a horse's body weight and level of fat present on its body. The most effective way to evaluate body condition is by individually assessing six locations: withers, shoulder, ribs, back, tailhead and neck. This method involves both visually assessing as well as palpating the areas to determine degree of fatness. The optimal BCS for horses are 4-6.