Body Condition Score in Danish Horses Related to Type, Use, and Training Level: Patterns, Risk, and Protective Factors
Abstract
:Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Material & Methods
2.1. Study Design
- If the ribs are clearly protruding, the category is <5;
- If the ribs are not visible, the score is ≥5;
- Fat in the neck or shoulder region is often seen with BCS >6;
- If the vertebrae and pelvic bones are visible, the score is ≤4;
- If the vertebral spine is level with the musculature, the score is 5–6;
- If the vertebrae are recessed into a hollow between fat deposits on either side of the midline, the score is 7–9.
2.2. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Distribution of BCS in the Population
3.2. Data Collectors and Site of Collection/Type of Consent
3.3. Sex
3.4. Type of Horse
3.5. Age of Horse
3.6. Discipline/Intended Use
3.7. Training Level
4. Discussion
4.1. Data Collectors: Patterns within Professions
4.2. Body Condition Score Recorded for Horses in Competition vs. Those in Horse Yards
4.3. Distribution of BCS, including Patterns for Ideal, below Ideal, and above Ideal BCS
4.3.1. Above Ideal BCS
4.3.2. Below Ideal BCS
4.4. Direct Objective Evaluation of Body Fat Storage vs. the Use of Subjective Scales for Body Condition Score: Strengths and Limitations
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
Appendix B
References
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Category | Level or Intensity of Training | Description (Tick the Most Compatible Category) |
---|---|---|
1 | No work | Maximum 1–2 times walked in hand/ridden per week |
2 | Low | Pleasure riding/hacking, rehabilitation, competes on rare occasions, low level, exercises 2–3 times per week for 30–60 min |
3 | Moderate | Riding lessons arena/outdoor/terrain, competes sometimes, exercises 3–5 times per week for 30–60 min |
4 | High | Training of high intensity, where the horse becomes hot/sweaty, competes regularly, exercises 4–6 times per week for 30–60 min |
5 | Very High | Training of very high intensity, sprinting, long duration, competing at elite level, exercises 5–7 times per week for 45–90 min |
Kruskal–Wallis Ordinal Scale, p-Value | Chi-Square Nominal Scale, p-Value | |
---|---|---|
Site of collection * | <0.0001 | <0.0001 |
Sex | 0.0188 | 0.0696 |
Age | <0.0001 | <0.0001 |
Type | <0.0001 | <0.0001 |
Discipline | <0.0001 | <0.0001 |
Training level | <0.0001 | <0.0001 |
Data collector’s profession | <0.0001 | <0.0001 0.69 ** |
Data collector *** | <0.0001 | <0.0001 |
Parameter | Odds Ratio Multinominal Logistic Regression Ordinal Scale | |
---|---|---|
Site of collection | Private Yard | 3.26 (p = 0.0003) |
Competition | 1.00 | |
Sex | Gelding | 1.28 a |
Mare | 1.47 a | |
Stallion | 1.00 a | |
Age | 1.06 (p < 0.0001) | |
Type | Cold-blood types | 10.37 a |
Icelandic horse | 0.79 c | |
Race horse | 0.20 c | |
Sport pony | 1.18 c | |
Traditional pony | 1.26 b | |
Mixed riding horses | 1.00 c | |
Discipline | None | 1.31 a |
Mixed | 2.29 a | |
Hacking | 2.49 a | |
Breeding | 0.72 a | |
Riding school | 1.98 a | |
Icelandic competition | 3.18 a | |
Dressage | 1.53 a | |
Showjumping | 1.00 a | |
Training level | +1 level | 0.66 (p < 0.0001) |
Parameter | Odds Ratio Multinominal Logistic Regression Ordinal Scale | |
Site of collection | Private Yard | 3.26 (p = 0.0003) |
Competition | 1.00 | |
Sex | Gelding | 1.28 a |
Mare | 1.47 a | |
Stallion | 1.00 a | |
Age | 1.06 (p < 0.0001) | |
Type | Cold-blood types | 10.37 a |
Icelandic horse | 0.79 c | |
Race horse | 0.20 c | |
Sport pony | 1.18 c | |
Traditional pony | 1.26 b | |
Mixed riding horses | 1.00 c |
Parameter | Odds Ratio Multinominal Logistic Regression Nominal Scale | |
---|---|---|
Site of collection | Private Yard above ideal BCS | 1.00 b |
Private Yard below ideal BCS | 1.00 b | |
Competition above ideal BCS | 0.13 (p < 0.01) | |
Competition below ideal BCS | 3.02 b | |
Age | Age above ideal BCS | 1.05 b |
Age below ideal BCS | 1.06 b | |
Type | Cold-blood type above ideal BCS | 16.78 a |
Cold-blood type below ideal BCS | 0.02 b | |
Icelandic horse above ideal BCS | 0.83 b | |
Icelandic horse below ideal BCS | 0.45 b | |
Racehorse above ideal BCS | 0.38 b | |
Racehorse below ideal BCS | 13.66 b | |
Sport pony above ideal BCS | 1.48 b | |
Sport pony below ideal BCS | 0.82 b | |
Trad. pony above ideal BCS | 3.27 b | |
Trad. pony below ideal BCS | 0.48 b | |
Mixed riding horse above ideal BCS | 1.00 b | |
Mixed riding horse below ideal BCS | 1.00 b | |
Discipline | None above ideal BCS | 1.07 b |
None below ideal BCS | 6.40 b | |
Mixed above ideal BCS | 2.31 b | |
Mixed below ideal BCS | 0.00 b | |
Hacking above ideal BCS | 2.85 b | |
Hacking below ideal BCS | 3.94 b | |
Breeding above ideal BCS | 0.62 b | |
Breeding below ideal BCS | 3.69 b | |
Riding school above ideal BCS | 1.24 b | |
Riding school below ideal BCS | 0.02 b | |
Icelandic comp. above ideal BCS | 4.66 b | |
Icelandic comp. below ideal BCS | 14.12 b | |
Dressage above ideal BCS | 2.57 b | |
Dressage below ideal BCS | 0.35 b | |
Showjumping above ideal BCS | 1.00 b | |
Showjumping below ideal BCS | 1.00 b | |
Training level | +1 level increase in BCS | 0.46 (p = 0.02) |
+1 level decrease in BCS | 0.94 b |
Parameter | Multinominal Logistic Regression Ordinal Scale, p-Value | Multinominal Logistic Regression Nominal Scale, p-Value |
---|---|---|
Site of collection * | 0.0056 | 0.0118 |
Sex ** | 0.4554 | - |
Age | 0.0030 | 0.0858 |
Type | 0.0643 | 0.0504 |
Discipline | 0.3093 | 0.4938 |
Training level | 0.0093 | 0.0460 |
Type of Horse | <5 BCS % below Ideal | 5–6 BCS % Ideal | >6 BCS % above Ideal | N (1118) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cold-blooded | 0.00 | 20.7 | 79.3 | 29 |
Icelandic | 3.4 | 63.0 | 33.6 | 146 |
Race | 28.6 | 57.1 | 14.3 | 7 |
Sport pony | 5.0 | 83.0 | 12.0 | 300 |
Traditional pony | 3.6 | 50.0 | 46.4 | 28 |
Riding horse | 5.1 | 84.7 | 10.2 | 608 |
Age/Year | <5 BCS % below Ideal | 5–6 BCS % Ideal | >6 BCS % above Ideal | N (1118) |
---|---|---|---|---|
≤5 | 5.2 | 85.2 | 9.6 | 135 |
6–10 | 3.3 | 85.4 | 11.3 | 460 |
11–15 | 6.1 | 74.9 | 19.0 | 326 |
16–20 | 3.9 | 70.0 | 26.2 | 130 |
21–25 | 7.1 | 58.9 | 33.9 | 56 |
26–30 | 27.3 | 36.4 | 36.4 | 11 |
Training Level | <5 BCS % below Ideal | 5–6 BCS % Ideal | >6 BCS % above Ideal | N (1118) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. No training | 6.9 | 54.6 | 38.5 | 130 |
2. Low | 4.8 | 51.2 | 44.0 | 166 |
3. Moderate | 4.2 | 86.9 | 8.9 | 595 |
4. High | 5.0 | 91.4 | 3.6 | 222 |
5. Very High | 20.0 | 80.0 | 0.0 | 5 |
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Uldahl, M.; Dahl, J.; Clayton, H.M. Body Condition Score in Danish Horses Related to Type, Use, and Training Level: Patterns, Risk, and Protective Factors. Animals 2023, 13, 1219. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13071219
Uldahl M, Dahl J, Clayton HM. Body Condition Score in Danish Horses Related to Type, Use, and Training Level: Patterns, Risk, and Protective Factors. Animals. 2023; 13(7):1219. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13071219
Chicago/Turabian StyleUldahl, Mette, Jan Dahl, and Hilary Mary Clayton. 2023. "Body Condition Score in Danish Horses Related to Type, Use, and Training Level: Patterns, Risk, and Protective Factors" Animals 13, no. 7: 1219. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13071219