Jordan Parker

Weight Measurement Comparisons

Question: How accurately do 3 methods of non-scale weighing compare to the actual weight of a
thoroughbred weanling?
Methods:
1. Weight tape
a. Humane Society weight tape
b. Purina weight tape
2. Formula Method: (Heartgirth x heartgirth x body length) / constant = Weight (lbs)
a. Constant = 280 for weanling
b. Measured in inches
3. Formula method as above, with a different definition of heartgirth.
Protocol:
 All horses should stand on a flat even surface during measurements.
 All horses should be weighed on the same scale.
 All horses should be healthy, off medication for two weeks, and be free of skeletal
deformities.
 All numerical data should be recorded and cataloged.
o Age
o Gender
o Scale weight of every foal
o Date weighed
 Horses will be photographed from the left side with a length indicator and tape indicators
for point of shoulder and point of hip.
 Horses used in this protocol should be of weanling age.
 Researchers measuring weights using weight estimation techniques should have no
knowledge of the weanling’s scale weight.
 Ideally 10 weanlings will be measured.
Method 1:
1. Using the Purina weight tape, hold the zero end of the weight tape and pass the other end
over the horse’s back. It should fall in the natural dip behind his withers. Wrap the tape
around his barrel behind the elbow. The weight tape should lay flat against the horse’s
skin without creating an indent.
2. Overlay the “zero” end onto the extended end of the weight tape. Again, this should lay
flat against the horse’s skin. Where the “zero” end marker falls on the weight tape is the
weight of the horse. Record the weight.
 3. Repeat steps one and two using the Humane Society weight tape.
Method 2:
1. Using the same weanling, measure the heartgirth in hands using the Humane Society tape
measure. The tape measure should lay in the natural dip behind the withers, around the
barrel behind the elbow, and where the “zero” end overlaps the tape measure is the heart
girth of the horse.
2. Next, take the body length of the horse in hands by measuring from the point of the
shoulder to the point of the hip. Plug that into the formula using the appropriate constant
for the weight in pounds. Record.
Method 3:
1. Repeat the steps for method 2, but this time measuring the heartgirth from the highest
point of the withers and wrapping around the barrel behind the elbow.
2. Plug the measurements into the formula using appropriate constant to get the weight in
pounds. Record.
Using the Scale:
1. A person uninvolved in the procedures above should weigh each weanling on a scale in
pounds. This should be done the day before or the morning prior to the experiment. Each
weight should be recorded and delivered to the researchers at the conclusion of the
experiment’s procedure.
2. Turn the scale on and zero the scale.
3. Ask the weanling to stand with all four legs on the scale. No contact or pressure should
be placed on the foal during weighing.
4. Wait for the weight on the scale to stop fluctuating. The weight should remain constant
for 10 seconds before being recorded.
5. Record the weight with the foal’s identification.
6. Take the weanling off and zero the scale before the next weight is taken. Repeat steps 3
through 6 for each subject.
Using excel, the data will be recorded and compared to understand the efficacy of each method.
We will calculate the differences, standard error, and range between weight estimations and
actual weight of each foal. The data will be represented in both table and graphical forms.