What is the average adult horse weight?

One of the most important zootechnical indicators for animals is the average weight. Horses in many countries of the world are used not only in equestrian sports or as working taxes. They serve as an additional source of food. Horse meat is used in its pure form, and as an additional component in the production of sausages.

Why know the weight?

There are several reasons for answering this question.

1. Tribal horse breeding. The live weight of the animal is directly related to its physical capabilities. This is especially true when breeding heavy vehicles, where it is important how much the horse weighs. The average weight calculated for a particular breed of each sex and age group of animals helps to control the development of young animals. Below average values ​​indicate a possibly inadequate feeding or disease of the foals. Live weight (by breed) may be correlated. In addition, with the help of body weight, the body indices of animals are calculated: density, mass, metacarpal load.
2. Treatment. The veterinarian, prescribing the use of medicines to treat the animal, is repelled by its live weight. An overdose is fraught with serious complications, and an insufficient number of drugs will not give the expected effect.
3. Sport, work. Excessive sports or workloads can lead to weight loss. Excessive body weight will cause the body to overstrain when performing physical exercises. Monitoring the condition of the animal will avoid undesirable consequences for its health.
4. Feeding, fattening. Raising horses for meat during fattening or feeding is economically beneficial if the animals gain weight quickly. Horses are handed over for meat, when they achieve fatness above average.
5. Sale. Horses in a private farm are getting old, it happens that young and bred young animals are also not needed on the farm. The question arises of the sale, and the main unit for measuring the value of a horse becomes its weight.

Determination of body weight

There are several methods for determining the live weight of an animal.

The first is weighting. Reliable and accurate, but expensive due to the high cost of equipment. Not all private farms have scales at their disposal. There are specials for weighing animals. They most accurately determine the weight of the horse. The average deviation is not more than one kilogram. Automobiles are also suitable, but the error in determining live weight can be up to 10 kg.

Secondly, according to the formulas. It assumes the measurement of the animal, followed by calculation according to the formulas:

1. Y = X * 6-620, where Y is the desired weight of the animal, and X is the circumference of the chest behind the shoulder blades. Suitable for all types of horses.
2. Y = X * K, where Y is the desired weight of the animal, X is the girth of the chest behind the shoulder blades, K is the coefficient for horses of different types:

• light horses - 2.7;
• medium - 3.1;
• heavy - 3.5.

It should be borne in mind that this formula is suitable for animals of average fatness.

You can measure a horse with a special tape. Graduation in kilograms is applied to it, allowing you to immediately determine the weight of the horse. Moreover, the tape is designed for different breeds of horses, ponies, young animals, separately for mares and stallions.

Measurement with subsequent calculation does not give an absolutely accurate figure. Actual weight may vary from calculated to 20 kg in one direction or another. Not suitable for determining body weight by measurement for foals, mares, emaciated or overweight animals.

Horse Measurement Recommendations

The correct calculation of the animal’s live weight is affected by the quality of its measurement. It is advisable to conduct it on a flat area with good lighting and always with an assistant. The result may be affected by the coat of the animal. A few additional centimeters of thick and dense wool add a dozen kilograms.

A construction tape measure of at least three meters in length is suitable for measurement. But the metallic sound can scare the animal. The easiest way is to measure the horse with an ordinary baled rope, and then measure the length of the rope with a tape measure. Do not use a sewing meter, it stretches and does not give an accurate result.

Standards

The developed standards of live weight to control the development of young animals significantly facilitate the work of breeding farms. Foals are born with a weight of about 35 kg. From the first month of life, a good set of live weight indicates health and proper development.

The average weight of horses 2 years, 1.5, 1 year and 6 months is shown in the table:

It is at such an age that animals are weighed in check , which allows them to determine deviations in the development of young animals in time, and eliminate possible deficiencies in keeping and feeding. Such tables are designed for all breeds, including local indigenous, with economic value. At three years old, the animal goes into the "adults" group. The average horse weight of 5 years of trotting or riding can be considered unchanged. Representatives of heavy breeds grow up to 7 years, they can significantly add both in growth and in live weight.

Condition of Fatness

The average weight of an adult horse, depending on height, is shown in the table:

Abroad, the gradation of fatness is estimated on a scale of 1 to 10 points. The following conditions are defined in the post-Soviet space:

• exhibition , well-fed animals with sculptured muscles and rounded shapes;
• factory , good fatness without excess fat;
• working , satisfactory fatness, fit, muscular;
• training , optimal fatness, in which the horse is able to show maximum effort when tested for traction, agility, endurance, load capacity;
• unsatisfactory , depleted animals.

Weight loss

On average, a horse’s weight should be appropriate for her age. Its decline may be due to several reasons.

1. Disease of the oral cavity, including teeth. This is indicated by a complete refusal of feed, frequent loss of fodder from the oral cavity during feeding, an unpleasant odor.
2. Helminthic diseases. With good nutrition, the animal does not gain, and sometimes loses live weight, especially in the spring, when entering the pasture.
3. Inadequate or unbalanced feeding. The amount of forage is not always a positive indicator if its quality does not meet zootechnical requirements. You can stuff a horse’s stomach with bare straw, it’s not hungry, but there are almost no nutrients. Weight gain with such a diet is physically impossible.
4. Physical activity exceeds the capabilities of the animal. Overload in agricultural work or sports training leads to weight loss. The amount of energy received from the feed is less than that which the horse spends during the day. It is important to consider that energy consumption goes in two directions: to maintain one's own body and to perform physical activity. In foals and young horses, growth energy replaces work.

Weight gain

The weight of the animal depends on several factors:

• conditions of detention;
• workload;
• breeds;
• age
• target destination.

All animals are conditionally divided into the following weight categories:

• light - within 400 kg;
• average - 400-600 kg;
• heavy - more than 600 kg.

If for some reason 50% of the average horse weight is lost, then recovery is almost impossible. There is a chance to feed the animal with a loss of up to 30% of live weight. The process is long and very costly. First of all, the animal is exempt from any work. Check the physical condition for diseases, and if necessary, carry out appropriate treatment. For a complete picture, it is advisable to do a detailed blood test.

The next step is the selection of feed and the calculation of the diet. Norms increase gradually. A sharp increase in volume can lead to overeating and colic. The total weight of the feed, together with food additives and mineral fertilizing should correspond to 1.8% - 2% of the weight of the animal. To improve the digestion and assimilation of forage, it is recommended to introduce oil (vegetable) into the diet, starting from 50 mm per day. Within a week, the norm is increased to 150 mm.

Record values

Indicators of the average weight of the horse can be significantly higher or lower in representatives of different breeds. The heaviest are the shires, a record of 1524 kg is kept behind them. This record of the XIX century has not been surpassed so far. The horse was nicknamed Samson, later it was renamed Mammoth, it is justified, its height was 219 cm at the withers. Currently, the championship holds the Australian stallion Nordrem Laskombe with a live weight of 1300 kg.

An incredibly large horse looks like a monster against the background of a small representative of the farabel breed. This Argentine breed is the smallest in the world. The record for the Little Pumpkin stallion - weight 9 kg, height at the withers 35.5 cm. In 1975, this figure was listed in the Guinness Book of Records.