Horses – non-invasive measurement
Taking measurements from horses.
| Approved activities | Category |
|---|---|
| 1. Body weight | 2 |
| 2. Body condition – visual assessment | 2 |
| 3. Growth | 2 |
| 4. Body proportions | 2 |
| 5. Pulse or bloodflow | 2 |
| 6. Respiration | 2 |
| 7. Temperature | 2 |
All these procedures should be able to be carried out with the horse held or tied up with a headstall and lead rope. The use of a crush or nose twitch should not be necessary. Choose a horse that is accustomed to these procedures and has a quiet disposition. Measurement can be made before and after exercise.
In order to weigh horses they will need to be walked onto horse scales by a handler. Some vet clinics have scales combined with a horse crush to easily weigh horses. Routine weighing is generally done to:
- monitor growth rates
- calculate medication dosage
- accurately assess nutrition requirements
- provide data for analysis and planning.