How much does an average horse weigh?
The average horse weight is about 1,000 pounds, or 450kg.
Individual horses can weigh as little as 150lbs (miniature horses), or as much as 2,500lbs (Shire Horse).
What factors impact a horse’s weight?
Breed
A horse’s weight has a lot to do with its breed, since different breeds are different sizes and shapes. Draft horses are the heaviest horse breeds. They are usually very tall and have very heavy bone structure. The Arabian horse, on the other hand, is usually much shorter with very fine legs and head, and weighs much less.
Height
A horse’s height is an important factor in their weight, as a taller horse has proportionally more body than a shorter one.
Sex
Male horses usually weigh more than mares, everything else being equal. Stallions weigh the most, mares the least. Geldings usually fall somewhere in between.
Age
Baby horses grow fast and usually reach their adult weight by age 4-7, depending on the breed.
Older horses can start to lose muscle mass as they age, and also have trouble keeping the right amount of body fat due to dental or digestive issues related to aging. This can mean that an older horse might weigh less than a younger horse of the same breed and height.
Diet
A big factor in a horse’s weight is diet. It’s very important that your horse gets the right amount of food for his breed, height, and workload. Too much feed means he’ll be too fat, too little means he’ll be too thin.
Sometimes a horse’s oral health can affect his weight. If his teeth are causing problems, he may lose weight even if he’s being fed a good diet.
Why is a horse’s weight important?
It’s important to know a horse’s weight for a few different reasons.
One is, if you have an accurate weight for your horse you can accurately dose dewormer and other medications. You can also plan exactly how much to feed them. Horses need to eat between 1.5% and 3% of their bodyweight (mostly in forage) every day, depending on their caloric needs.
Additionally, a horse’s weight is a pretty good indicator of how much weight he can comfortably carry. A good rule of thumb is to only ask a horse to carry up to 20% of his own body weight (that includes the rider and weight of the tack). However, research is being done in this area, and I have heard of at least one (unpublished) study showing that 15% of a horse’s own body weight may be a better maximum. If you want to read more about what horses can carry the most weight, check out this article.
Another reason it’s important to know the weight of your horse is to track changes over time, which could be related to their health. You can catch potential health problems which may be making them lose weight early by measuring how much they weigh on a regular basis. You can also catch any weight gain early. Weight gain can lead to other health issues like insulin resistance and joint problems.
A fourth reason it might be important to know the weight of your horse is to make sure you can be safe while towing your horse trailer. Safety on the road is dependent on making sure you don’t exceed the safe towing capacity of your vehicle with the combined weight of the trailer and its contents (horses, tack, feed).
How to find out how much your horse weighs
There are many different ways to measure or estimate a horse’s weight. They range from highly accurate to very inaccurate.
Livestock scale
A livestock scale is just what it sounds like. It’s a bathroom scale for large animals. You walk your horse onto the platform and the scale provides a readout of their weight. This is the most accurate way to weigh a horse, since it’s a direct measurement of weight. It’s also the least common way, since most horse farms don’t have a livestock scale.
Weighbridge or truck scale
A weighbridge, or truck scale, is another way of measuring a horse’s weight. If you know the weight of your horse trailer (or you’ve weighed it before), you can load up your horse and drive onto one of these to get the total weight of horse and trailer. Then subtract the weight of the trailer and you’re left with the horse’s weight.
In the US, most truck scales are associated with weigh stations along the highway. It’s not a good idea to drive into a weigh station unless you are required to, but some states have a rule that vehicles and trailers over 10,000lbs are required to stop at weigh stations.
Healthy Horse App
The University of Minnesota Extension has developed an app to estimate horse body weight. The app uses new equations based on research on body weights of different breed types. The following breed types are included in the app:
- Adult Arabians
- Draft horses
- Adult and juvenile miniature horses
- Stock horses
- Saddle-type horses
- Ponies
- Warmbloods
- Thoroughbreds
The app gives an estimate of actual and ideal body weights based on measurements of the horse’s height, body length, neck, and girth circumference.
Calculation equation
An equation using 2 measurements can be used to estimate the weight of an adult horse. The equation is: (heartgirth x heartgirth) x body length ÷ by 330 = weight of horse in lbs.
To get the heart girth measurement, use a measuring tape to measure the horse’s girth all the way around from the highest point of the withers going just behind the elbow.
To get the body length measurement, measure from the point of shoulder in a straight line to the point of buttock on one side.
This method is slightly more accurate than using a weight tape.
Weight tape
This is the simplest way of measuring for an estimate of body weight. A weight tape is a special measuring tape with weights marked on it instead of lengths. To use it, you measure all the way around the horse at or slightly behind the girth and read the weight on the tape. Make sure to read the directions for where it should be placed on the tape you use. Some tapes are meant to be used over the highest point of the withers and others slightly behind.
Weight tapes can generally be expected to be accurate to within a hundred pounds or so, with some being more accurate than others.
According to Kentucky Equine Research, a weight tape will probably be more accurate on some breeds than others. For example, tapes tend to give weights for Thoroughbreds that are 50-100lbs light, and they may underestimate the weight of a Warmblood by even more – as much as 200lbs. Tapes tend to work best on Quarter Horses and other breeds that are heavier-bodied and shorter-legged compared to Thoroughbreds.
Eyeballing
Eyeballing is the least accurate way of estimating a horse’s weight, and requires a large amount of experience with the actual weights of different horses. However, eyeballing can be very useful on a day-to-day basis to monitor changes in your horse’s weight.
A quick rule of thumb to target a healthy weight for an individual horse is, you should be able to see the outline of their ribs when they turn and bend away from you.
Body condition score
The Body Condition Score (BCS) is a number that has even greater significance for a horse’s health than their weight.
The Henneke Body Condition Scoring System is a numerical scale that goes from 1 to 9 and describes a horse’s body condition. Body condition is the amount of fat covering the muscles and bones. The BCS of your horse will tell you if they are too thin, too fat, or just right for their size.
The BCS is assessed by palpating, or feeling, 6 different areas of the horse:
- the neck
- the withers
- the middle part of the ribs
- behind the shoulder
- along the topline
- and the tailhead
Each of these areas is scored individually, and the scores are averaged together to get the BCS of the horse.
A BCS of 1-3 is considered underweight, with a score of 1 being an underweight case needing urgent care.
A BCS of 4-6 is considered moderate, or appropriate for most horses.
A BCS of 7-9 is considered overweight, with a score of 9 being a case of obesity needing urgent care.
Feeding for proper body condition
Forage (hay and/or grass) should always be the main portion of the equine diet, and all feed and forage should be fed by weight, not volume.
If your horse tends toward a higher BCS or needs to lose condition, they may need to consume as little as 1.5% of their bodyweight in forage per day, with no added feed concentrates.
On the other hand, if your horse tends toward a lower BCS or needs to gain condition (*ahem* Thoroughbreds), they may need to consume as much as 3% of their body weight in forage with substantial additional concentrates and fat.
Feed concentrates could be grains, grain mixes, or pelleted feeds. Only choose feed concentrates formulated specifically for horses. After choosing a concentrate, following the instructions on the feed bag pertaining to your horse’s weight and workload is always a good place to start with a feeding regimen.
Many feed companies have PhD equine nutritionists that you can talk to for free. They will help you figure out what feed is best for your horse, in what quantities.
Feeding for proper body condition takes thoughtfulness, and sometimes trial and error. Remember that each horse is an individual, and should be fed as such.
Case studies from my farm, Pino Ventoso
The Bay is a 16hh Thoroughbred with a body condition score of 5. She weighs about 1250lbs according to the weight tape I have, which means she is probably a solid 1300+lbs.
Another horse that lives at Pino Ventoso, Misty, has a body condition score of about 6. She weighs 1,020lbs. She has a much different build than The Bay. Misty is a 15.1hh Hackney/Morgan cross. She is much rounder than The Bay, but that doesn’t always mean she is too fat. However, she does gain condition easily, so I work with Misty’s owner to make sure she stays a healthy weight.
Shannopin is a 14.1hh Appaloosa pony that recently moved here to the farm. He has a body condition score of about 2-3. At 26 years old, he’s pretty advanced in age.
He weighs about 825lbs according to the weight tape, which is probably reasonably accurate for his breed. However, he lacks a lot of muscle along his topline, due to both age and poor condition. While his ideal weight may be around 850-900lbs, he probably weighs around 775-800lbs at the moment.
FAQ
Can a horse weigh a ton?
Yes. The Shire Horse breed is the biggest breed in the world. Many of these horses weigh 2,000lbs (one ton) or more. Other draft breeds could also weigh this much.
How much do foals weigh?
Foals typically weigh about 10% of their mother’s weight at birth. So a draft mare may have a 200lb foal and a Quarter Horse may have a 100lb foal.
How much do miniature horses weigh?
150lbs-350lbs is the average weight of a miniature horse.
Why would a horse have a big round stomach?
Pregnant mares can have a very large round stomach as they get further into their pregnancy.
Some horses naturally have a rounder conformation than others.
Some horses can have a round stomach that to the untrained eye makes them look fat, when in fact they do not have a good body condition. This can be from “hay belly”. “Hay belly” is when a horse is not getting the proper amount of vitamins and minerals and their condition suffers, but their belly gets round from gas accumulation in the gut.
How much weight can a horse carry?
The generally accepted rule of thumb is that a horse can carry about 20% of its own weight. However, research is being done in this area. At least one study has found that 15% of a horse’s body weight is a better limit for the weight of rider plus tack a horse should be asked to carry.
What was the heaviest horse ever?
The heaviest horse on record was Sampson, the Shire horse foaled in England in 1846. He grew to weigh 3,360lb (1,524kg).
Like this article? Jump into these too:
