[KSquared]

I have a rescue (Lippit they say) Morgan and I have been tracking his weight since I got him.

He was not bad off, he was in fine condition actually. The circumstances around the seizure of the Morgans (12 in all) was the guy would put them in other peoples pastures without them knowing or steal hay. He didn't have adequate fencing to keep the horses safe and they were found on the road more times then the authorities can count. Several were hit and a few in his care have died.

When I picked him up I used a tape measure and a weight tape to measure his weight and to measure for a blanket.

Nov 13th - 821 Pounds with the weight tape
896 with the tape measure (62x62x70/300)


Nov 29th - 851 pounds with the weight tape
952 Pounds with the tape measure (67x67x70/300)


Dec 5th - 874 Pounds with the weight tape
1078 pounds with the tape measure (68x68x70/300)


I am not 100% sure that I trust the weight tape, but I guess it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things since he is gaining weight and the tape measure weight was my goal for him, at least 1000 pounds.

I make sure that I have both the tapes set properly, Just behind the wither and around the heart girth. He is standing level and square with his head at a relaxed stance. I pull it just so it is tight against him but not overly tight and I try to make sure I have the same pull every time.

I know it's all estimations anyways unless I can get him on an actual horse scale or get my truck and trailer weighed and then weighed with him in the trailer.

What do you guys use to weigh your horses and track their weight?

[Lauren12]

Weight tapes are only fairly accurate at estimating weight, but a WONDERFUL tool for tracking it! I think you're doing exactly what you should be!

The other (more accurate) method is to measure the heartgirth (What you're doing, but you have to measure all the way around the body using the highest point of the withers), and the horses body length from point of shoulder to point of buttock. You square the heartgirth measurement, multiply that by the body length, and divide that by 330.

((Heartgirth^2)x(Body Length))/330


It's really much easier to track weight progress with the weight tape, lol! I think your calculations may be a little off because you're using 300 instead of 330 and measuring from behind the withers instead of the highest point.

[KSquared]

Ok, So given the new information from you Lauren I remeasured for today from the highest point of his withers.

Dec 5th - 888 Pounds with the weight tape
1009 pounds with the tape measure (69x69x70/330)

So perhaps my goal should be to get him to 1000 pounds with the weight tape.

Here is the Myst meister.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...t/IMG_0938.jpg


And estimating the last two.

Nov 13th - 834 Pounds with the weight tape
841 Pounds with the tape measure (63x63x70/330)

Nov 29th - 874 pounds with the weight tape
980 Pounds with the tape measure (68x68x70/330)

[Lauren12]

How tall is he? I know one of mine (16h, very light boned TB) I assumed was about 900-1000lb actually weighed in at 1180 on the vet school scale. I haven't taped her, although I have 3 weight tapes sitting in my drawer, lol!

I'll tape and measure mine and see how close it is to her actual scale weight. Here is a study done on the measuring method (pretty accurate): (it'll pop up as a downloadable PDF btw)

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...CVj2TsSZ_gBziA

[ChocoMare]

OR Load your horse on a trailer and go to a Truck Stop with Scales. Have them take the weight of truck, trailer & horse all together.

Then have someone off load the horse to a safe area.

Re-weigh the truck & now-empty trailer.

Calculate the difference to know the true weight of said horse

[KSquared]

Myst is 14 hands dead even

That was a good read and I am glad to know I am doing it right. I was afraid with the varying weights I was doing something wrong, but thought I would record both just to be on the safe side. It seems that perhaps the tape measure method is the preferred method of weighing horses over a visual, feel and the weight tape.

Either way he is gaining weight which is what I wanted to see. I really want him nice and fluffy for winter, though I think our winter here is going to be pretty mild. Almost mid December and it is still 50-60 degrees. Usually by now it is 30 degrees with some snow.

Also, this may sound like I am a total moron, but I haven't a clue what color he is. I was told he is a chestnut, the livestock report calls him brown. In some lights he looks very red chestnut, in other lights he looks bay and he has some different coloring on his legs. My thoughts he is a mahogany chestnut. It doesn't matter what color he is though he is a total sweetheart. I can't weight for him to shed out in the summer. He will be glorious.

[SmartAlex]

OR Load your horse on a trailer and go to a Truck Stop with Scales. Have them take the weight of truck, trailer & horse all together.

Then have someone off load the horse to a safe area.

Re-weigh the truck & now-empty trailer.

Calculate the difference to know the true weight of said horse

And compare to what the weight tape says as a starting point because you probably don't want to run to the scales every week/month

[islgrl]

, Also, this may sound like I am a total moron, but I haven't a clue what color he is. I was told he is a chestnut, the livestock report calls him brown. In some lights he looks very red chestnut, in other lights he looks bay and he has some different coloring on his legs. My thoughts he is a mahogany chestnut. It doesn't matter what color he is though he is a total sweetheart. I can't weight for him to shed out in the summer. He will be glorious.

He's a liver chestnut. Wait until you see him all shiny in the summer! One of my favorite horse colors I think. When I was in college the horse I rode was a liver morgan, quite similar to your guy.

[KSquared]

The closest truck stop is 2 hours away! But what I can do is next time we haul to the dump I will write down the weight of the truck and trailer when we exit the transfer station and keep it someplace and if I am ever around the scales with my horse in tow I will stop and get a weight.

I am just trying to find out which weight to go with as they vary SO much and I want him to be healthy, and I want to make sure I am feeding him enough!

Right now he gets 9 pounds of alfalfa in the am (3 flakes) and 10 pounds of Alfalfa/Oat cube and timothy pellets.

On the feeding topic.. what is the right body percentage? I hear 1%.. I hear 1.5 - 2% and someone told me 3%



If I go by the 1% he is getting fed for a 1,900 pound horse.
If I go by the 1.5% he is getting fed for a 1,200 pound horse
(I think the above two are about right as he is gaining weight at a steady pace)

If I go by the 2% he is getting fed for a 900 pound horse (And should be losing weight?)
If I go by 3% he is getting fed for a 600 pound horse (And really should be losing weight)

If I wanted to feed him at 3% of his body weight and maintain his current weight (lets say 1009 pounds) I would have to feed him 30 pounds of food a day! 15 pounds of hay (5 flakes there about) and 15 pounds of evening mash.

If I went with the same amount of weight he is at right now at 1% he gets 10 pounds (2 flakes am and 5 pounds pm) and 15 pounds at 1.5% (3 flakes am and 6 pounds pm)

I will need to scale back eventually, and I want to make sure I feed him the proper amount to maintain his weight.

[KSquared]

He's a liver chestnut. Wait until you see him all shiny in the summer! One of my favorite horse colors I think. When I was in college the horse I rode was a liver morgan, quite similar to your guy.

Thanks! Colors always fascinate me and the shades of the basic colors can be so fun. He is just a shade of chestnut I haven't really seen before outside of pictures of Arabians that are almost purple with the flaxen manes and tails.

I am making myself out to be a complete and total newbie here! However I would rather feel like a newbie than assume I know everything and get in trouble.

[quietann]

Keep in mind that Lippitts are super easy keepers most of the time, and prone to insulin resistance, so you may want to keep him a bit on the thin side, and watch for crestiness/fat pads... I have seen even thinnish Morgans get cresty and IR.

For comparison, my Morgan (not a Lippitt) weighs about 900 pounds and is a hair under 15 hands, but she's lightly built. She gets fed about 20-25 pounds of grass hay and about 2 pounds of Sentinel Performance Low Starch per day, works 5 days per week, and maintains fabulously.

In any case, he's very cute, and sure looks liver chestnut to me.

[KSquared]

Keep in mind that Lippitts are super easy keepers most of the time, and prone to insulin resistance, so you may want to keep him a bit on the thin side, and watch for crestiness/fat pads... I have seen even thinnish Morgans get cresty and IR.

For comparison, my Morgan (not a Lippitt) weighs about 900 pounds and is a hair under 15 hands, but she's lightly built. She gets fed about 20-25 pounds of grass hay and about 2 pounds of Sentinel Performance Low Starch per day, works 5 days per week, and maintains fabulously.

In any case, he's very cute, and sure looks liver chestnut to me.

He is getting way too much alfalfa for certain. He's getting a little on the ornery side. I am going to switch him to grass as soon as some of my stock of alfalfa dwindles. I am having a hard time finding any feed that I like and that I can get around here that won't cost me my oldest son and a couple limbs.

I REALLY want oat hay, but as of yet no one has oat hay and I can't really find a suitable substitute that I like as much in the hay dept.

I am thinking some timothy pellets and either horse chow 100 or Omolene #200 for the evening mash. (Not that they need mash, it just makes me feel good giving them something warm and making sure they get a good water intake in the winter, plus I love to add a packet of apple, cinnamon oatmeal for a treat)

[Guilherme]

A "weight tape" of any type is going to give you a "close enough for government work" answer. If you're dealing with sophisticated medications then maybe you need something more accurate. But if that's the case then go to the local vet hosp./clinic and get the horse weighed on a proper scale. Consider the cost (transport, etc.) to be part of the vet bill.

Weight, also, is but one consideration in assessing a horse's health (and not even the most important one). The BCS is much more important that the weight is deciding whether or not a horse is healthy and that can be done without any devices whatsoever.

G.

[LauraKY]

The Hapgood Formula is the most accurate, but I'm a bit of a nerd.

http://oas.uco.edu/01/papers/hapgood01.htm


Try Triple Crown Sr. for the mash. It smells all molassesy and yummy, but it's low in NSC. It's a complete feed too.

[rabicon]

IMO he looks pretty good. Keep in mind that alfalfa in big bulks and smaller horses can sometimes cause foundering issues(yep, I know personally) and Morgans are usually easy keepers. At this point I'd take him off high calories and on a all around type feed and watch him. 1000lbs for a 14h pony is a little meaty and you don't want to really get him meaty and then go to regular feed where he continues to blow up and big to fat. Just for comparision this is my daughters 13.3 1/2 h pony, little shorter but breathes and gets fat. Here he is about 950 and has the fat pockets and the indention down his back and over his rump because he is to fat.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...0260134&type=3

Here is my 15.3 almost h Morgan, he weighed in at the vets at 1150 and was a little pudgy but a 6 overall and he is 15.3h

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater

[KSquared]

Using the Hapgood formula.. He weighs 887 pounds.

Using the Huntington formula... he weighs 986 pounds

Using the Esminger formula...he weighs 882 pounds

I am having troubles with the Jones, et al and Marcena formulas


The Conclusion I came too is the Hapgood is one pound off from what the weight tape weighed him at and the Esminger Formula weighed him 6 pounds off from the weight tape.

The Huntington formula and traditional formula weighed him close to the same as the tape measure.

If I can figure out how to get the jones, et al to work for me I can have a tie breaker as far as which one will be more accurate and which one I will use exclusively since both methods are tied are accuracy.

[KSquared]

Thanks Rabicon, I thought he looked pretty good to me too but I am biased, so the thoughts and opinions of others who see him are also very valuable. I am OCD a little bit so I'd like to see a nice round number

He's not doing any kind of work right now, some lunging and ground driving as I evaluate his level of training. Dec 20th we are heading to the trainer for a lesson, hopefully our first ride together. I think he is ready with a little bit of smoothing around the edges in the ground driving dept. (Read: I'd like a better response and smoother direct rein direction changes)

So perhaps the feed he is getting will end up being a good maintenance dosing for when he does start to work.

He has been fully tacked up in both my old english saddle and the heavier Aussie saddle and he really couldn't have cared less in either. I did the jumping next to him, not even an ear flicker. Put weight in the stirrup with my hands, he cocked a back leg.


Thanks guys for all your thoughts.. now to get that darned Jones formula to work.

[KSquared]

My Hubby and I made sense of the Jones.. and the Jones says he is 1207 pounds.
We are going to go with the Hapgood formula on this and call that the most accurate weight as it was the one that was pretty right on the nose with the weight tape.

Thank you Lauraky for your link on that it was very helpful. Your suggestion for the TC Senior is something I acn get very easily here and I don't think it costs all that much either.

Thanks guys for indulging me in my math lesson for the day. It was Helpful

[rabicon]

Tc senior is a great feed but alot of calories so careful with it. I have a feeling he is going to be an easy easy keeper once he is getting regular feed like most Morgans.

[KSquared]

Now that I can weigh him accurately I can get his food rations just right for him. I think I will scale back to 6 pounds on the mash for the evening and keep with the 9 pounds of hay but split it into 2 in the am, 1 for a mid afternoon snack and his mash for the evening.

Thanks for all the great input. I will keep a close eye on him and make sure I get the right amount for him.