Kira Stoletova
How much does a horse weigh? This question interests every person who is going to make such a large purchase. Its main characteristics, as well as health indicators, depend on the horse’s weight. If a person has determined the average weight of a horse, he will then be able to properly control its growth, formation, and most importantly, its health.
Horses, like people, can gain a lot of weight or, conversely, lose weight from improper feeding and exercise. The horse's weight, health and physical condition depend on the diet. The amount of food a horse eats should be 2% of its weight.
Weight group and what it should be
The average weight of a horse, regardless of its age, is divided into groups:
- individuals weighing less than 400 kg are the lightest horses;
- 400-600 kg is the average weight of a pet;
- more than 600 kg - heavyweight horses;
- 200 kg and less - pony.
If you know exactly the weight of an adult horse, you can determine the acceptable load for it. An important factor is fatness. After some time, you will be able to find out what kind of work to use your pet for, and how much it can be loaded. Horses that have a beautiful breed and participate in various exhibitions are quite well-fed. They have beautiful shiny fur and round shapes. Animals with good sexual activity are classified in the breeding category. They are mainly used for breeding.
Horses, which have excellent shape, height and low weight, are used for various jobs and also become participants in sports competitions. A horse with poor condition is the result of poor management. This also applies to animals that have been sick often or are already very old.
How to correctly calculate the mass of large individuals
How much does an adult horse weigh? To determine how much a mature horse weighs, a formula invented by a German hippologist is used. Measuring animal weight is very simple; to do this, take the circumference of the individual’s chest and multiply it by a special coefficient, which has its own for each animal. What the coefficient should be is indicated in the table below.
The mass is calculated as follows: mass = 1.455 * (EG) 1.832 (CO) 2.315 (DF) - 580.4. Owners of large pets cannot do without this formula.
The weight of adult horses is determined using the formula of a Russian hippologist. The weight of a horse is determined by multiplying the chest girth number by 6 and subtracting the number 620 from the resulting result. Thoroughbred horses are calculated using a more complex formula.
Once the average weight of an adult horse is known, it is possible to determine how much work the animal can handle and how often it can be used for rural work. Many owners think that a horse can withstand any load. It's a myth: each breed can only support a certain amount of weight.
If the horse is athletic and intended for competition, the rider's weight should not exceed 20% of the horse's weight. When a person weighs more than 30%, the animal experiences severe stress and strain. For example, if the weight of the pet is 400 kg, then the weight of the rider should not exceed 80 kg.
What is the weight of foals at birth?
The horse carries the foal for 11 months. How much a newborn foal weighs depends on the breed of its mother. At birth, a horse should weigh on average 40 kg. Only at this weight can the baby stand on its feet immediately after birth. A few hours after birth, he begins to eat mother's milk.
In order for the foal to grow well and not get sick, it needs to be fed properly, control its weight and monitor its health. Children of heavyweights weigh 50-60 kg at birth. Very weak individuals, born weighing 30 kg, cannot immediately rise to their feet. Such foals are artificially fed so that they gain strength and reach the required weight.
The mass of a small stallion can also be calculated using the formula. The weight of an adult horse, that is, the mother, is divided by 10, the result is how much the baby weighs when born. The weight of a born horse will fluctuate plus or minus 5 kg. A pony weighs much less at birth. Scientists have recorded that the smallest mass of a pony is 2 kg, and the largest is 67 kg.
Important principles for measuring animal parameters
In order to find out how much a horse weighs on average, you need to measure everything correctly and carefully. This is done very simply if you use special formulas and meters for correct measurements. For example, to measure the volume of the chest, they use a tape on which kilograms are marked for a specific weight group of the animal. The result of chest volume can be determined by measuring the horse's belly at the most convex points. In order to find out the height of the pet, take the length starting from the withers to the ground.
After all the measurements taken, the resulting numbers are multiplied by a special indicator of body type. Each type of animal has its own number. You can find it out in a special table.
In order to determine how much weight a horse can bear, you will need the following coefficients:
- well-fed animal - 3.39;
- skinny pets - 3.06.
Such indicators make it possible to learn how to feed your pet correctly, as well as how to monitor its health and growth.
How many years do horses live?
How long an adult pet will live directly depends on what work it will be used for, as well as how much weight the horse will carry. These indicators include the following factors:
- pet breed;
- conditions during detention;
- purpose of an adult pet.
The average age of an adult is 35 years. When an animal lives in the wild, it rarely lives to that age. The average age of individuals used for selection is 30 years. Animals participating in sports live up to 25, but it is worth considering that a pet’s life expectancy depends on the injuries received and the diseases suffered.
HOW TO MEASURE A HORSE'S WEIGHT | A game
Horse weighing a ton
Summarize
In order to accurately calculate the weight of a horse, the main thing is to correctly measure all the parameters: height, weight and chest circumference. The weight of a horse directly determines its future life and where it will be used. The capabilities of such large animals know no bounds: pets are able to bring joy to their owners both through physical beauty and as excellent assistants in various transportation and when planting crops.
Weight is one of the main characteristics of a horse, along with breed or color. Experienced horse breeders must monitor the growth dynamics of their thoroughbred pets. Knowing how much a horse weighs is necessary for successful breeding, treatment, calculation of optimal sports and work loads, and for selling the animal.
The mass of any horse is not constant and changes throughout the life of the animal. Weight is influenced by many factors, such as age, diet, living conditions and intended purpose.
A horse's weight is not constant
Weight categories and degrees of fatness
The weight of the animal is an important criterion for the classification of horses. Depending on body weight, all horses can be divided into several categories:
- Light - a category that only has an upper limit of 400 kg. This includes horses weighing up to 200 kg, and small ponies weighing no more than 20 kg.
- Animals of the middle category gain from 400 to 600 kg.
- Heavy horses reach 600 kg or more.
Another important characteristic of a horse is fatness. With its help, an experienced specialist will immediately determine in what conditions the animal is kept and what its intended use is. The following categories of fatness are distinguished:
- Unsatisfactory. In such an animal, upon visual inspection, you can see more than three ribs, protruding shoulder blades and croup bones. There is no subcutaneous fat and insufficient muscle mass. This condition of the horse is usually the result of poor maintenance, insufficient nutrition, too hard work or illness. Often such exhaustion is characteristic of an old animal.
- Sports (training). This is a normal condition for horses that participate in sporting competitions or races at the racetrack. They are characterized by fit shapes and clearly visible sculpted muscles; the animals are in excellent health.
- Working. The main purpose of a horse is high performance. The animals are moderately fattened, but do not have fat deposits. This degree of fatness is observed in working, rental and agricultural horses.
- Factory. The main task of horses is procreation. They have rounded shapes, a complete diet and enhanced nutrition. This type of housing helps mares bear foals.
- Exhibition. Horses intended for exhibitions or various shows. The animals are well-fed, look great, are well-nourished and do not have pronounced muscles. The shape and smooth shiny coat favorably emphasize the stature and beauty of such a horse at an event.
Average weight by breed
How much an adult horse will weigh primarily depends on its breed. There are a huge number of different breeds bred in the world, but any of them can be classified into one of three weight categories.
| Breed | Height at withers, weight |
|---|---|
| Arden heavy trucks | A stallion of this breed can weigh 700-900 kg, height is approximately 152-163 cm at the withers. |
| Vladimir heavy trucks | The average weight of a horse of this breed is about 900 kg, the height at the withers is 170 cm. |
| Clydesdales | 163-183 cm, 800-900 kg. |
| Percherons | The height at the withers can reach 175 cm, weight - up to 1000 kg. |
| Brabançons | The horse reaches 160-170 cm, but there are individuals even 180 cm, and such a horse will have a decent weight: 800-1100 kg. |
| Shires | Height - from 173 cm and above, weight - from 900 kg. |
Determination of mass
There are eight main ways to determine how much a horse weighs.
Farm animal scales
You can determine how much any horse weighs quite accurately; on average, the weighing error is no more than 1 kg. The design is a platform with a fence mounted on sensors.
Car weights
Such scales are found in car repair shops or large warehouses. The error is much larger than that of specialized scales, but, as a rule, such a mass measurement is quite sufficient.
Special measuring tapes
In European countries, special tapes of three types are produced: for ponies, riding horses and draft horses. They are marked with a scale in kilograms. To determine the weight of a horse, you need to measure the chest volume with the right type of tape and select the appropriate division.
Sewing measuring tape
You can roughly measure the weight of a horse using a regular measuring tape. It is necessary to take 2 measurements: torso length and chest volume. The mass is calculated using the formula:
M = V2 × L, where V is chest volume, L is horse length.
Important! This measurement method is not suitable for foals, very fat or thin animals, or pregnant mares.
When measuring, make sure the horse is standing straight. The thickness of the animal's fur may influence the result, so the calculated weight before and after shearing varies significantly.
Matorin method
This formula is suitable for calculating the mass of any horse:
M = 6 × V - 620, where V is the chest circumference in centimeters.
Durst method
For this method, special coefficients are derived that are calculated for each type of horse.
The calculation is made using the formula:
M = V × K, where V is the chest circumference in centimeters, and K is the coefficient.
Calculating a horse's weight through its height
You can determine a horse's weight through its height.
The horse's height is taken in centimeters and measured as the distance from the ground to the highest point of the withers. To calculate, you need to multiply the height and the coefficient, which depends on the weight category of the horse.
- thick - 2.58;
- average - 2.3;
- thin -2.10.
- thick - 3.39;
- thin - 3.06.
Formula of Platonov and Dzeverin
The method was developed in 2004 and provides an accuracy of up to 96%. This is comparable to weighing a horse on specialized scales.
Formula: M = 37.82 × W + 53.01 × B + 3.74 × L + 3.95 × T – 867.47, where:
- W - value equal to 0 for horses of racing breeds and trotters, 1 - for heavyweights;
- T - chest circumference;
- B - takes the value 0 for horses under 5 years old, the value 1 for older ones.
World record holders for weight
One of the largest horses in the world
The largest horse breed is considered to be the Shire; the weight of this animal is about 1100 kg. Even among the shires there are outstanding horses whose weight is included in the Guinness Book of Records. There are also giants among horses of other breeds.
Sampson
The absolute world record was set in the middle of the 18th century in the city of Bedfordshire in the UK. The largest horse in the world is a stallion named Sampson, who by the age of 6 reached 220 centimeters and weighed 1520 kg. Until our time, not a single horse in the world has broken this record.
Big Jake
The current world height record was recorded in 2010 and belongs to a horse named Big Jake from the Brabançon breed from Belgium. His height at the withers is truly gigantic and is 217 cm, weight - 2600 pounds (1180 kg). These parameters make him the tallest horse in the world. Currently, Big Jake's owner is collaborating with the Ronald McDonald House Foundation, and the horse participates in charity performances.
Interesting! The largest horse in the world, Big Jake, is the exact opposite of Einstein. This is the smallest foal in the history of horse breeding. His height is 36 cm, weight - 28 kg.
Until 2010, the tallest horse was the Shire stallion Remington (210 cm).
Nordram Lascombe
The Shire stallion Noddy from Australia has today grown to 205 cm. But in terms of weight, he is currently the world leader with a live body weight of 1300 kg.
Dr. Le Ger
This stallion lived in France at the beginning of the 20th century. This representative of the Percheron breed was recognized as the largest horse in the world in 1910. His height at this time was 213 centimeters, weight - 1372 kg. Until today, French horse breeders have not been able to raise a single horse of similar dimensions.
Brooklyn Supreme
This representative of the Brabançon breed was also one of the largest horses. His height at the withers was 198 cm, while his weight was close to the record - 1451 kg.
Duke
The horse lives in the UK and has an impressive stature. According to the latest data, Duke has grown to 207 cm. His owner claims that the stallion continues to grow at a good pace and can overtake Big Jake in the near future. The secret of Duke's size is his unique diet. It includes special varieties of apples and special herbal infusions. Every day Duke eats almost 8 kg of grain and drinks about 100 liters of water.
On a note! The stallion loves tea and drinks about 2 liters of this drink per day.
Morocco
One of the largest representatives of the Percheron breed. The height of this giant is 215 cm, weight is 1285 kg.
Cracker
This horse is the heaviest and most powerful representative of the Shire breed. His height is 198 cm, which is not very much compared to other record holders, but Kreker’s body weight is impressive - it exceeded 1200 kg when the stallion turned 16 years old.
Digger
This stallion is a member of the Royal Horse Guards. With a height of 196 cm, he weighs 1200 kg. This horse received an entry in the Guinness Book of Records because it continues to grow even at the age of 12 years. Digger's diet consists of 75 liters of water and about 30 kg of hay daily.
Horses are beautiful and amazing animals, amazing in their diversity. The smallest representatives reach only 40 cm in height, while real giants grow above 2 meters and can weigh more than a ton.
10.06.2015
A horse is a beautiful and majestic animal. She is not the kind of pet that is kept at home. Nevertheless, there are people who keep and breed horses.
One of the interesting questions is how much does a horse weigh? Everyone understands perfectly well that such a large animal cannot weigh little, but at the same time, grace and greatness do not allow the thought of huge numbers.
The only exception is heavy trucks. The name alone is heavy and ponderous. The average weight of a horse, regardless of breed, depends on the age of the individual.
The weight of a horse on average and very roughly can be considered close to 500 kilograms.
Now let’s take a closer look at how much a horse weighs on average by breed, age and other parameters.
Horse weight calculation
The weight of a horse can be approximately determined using two different formulas.
The first of them is applicable for half-blooded breeds:
Weight = chest circumference * 6 - 620.
Weight is measured in kilograms, chest circumference in centimeters.
The second formula looks like:
Weight = chest circumference * K,
where for light riding horses K=2.7; for medium K=3.1; for heavy vehicles K=3.5.
Average weight of an adult horse
Horses are divided not only by breed, but also by size. One of the main size parameters is the height at the withers. According to this criterion, they distinguish:
- ponies – horses up to 100 cm high;
- very small and small whose height is up to 149 cm;
- medium and large, each of which is 10 cm higher than the previous one;
- as well as very large horses with a withers height of over 170 cm.
The weight of an adult horse depends on these dimensions.
Ponies are small and light horses, so their weight ranges from 100 to 200 kg.
Larger horses, for example, local breeds, weigh from 200 to 400 kg.
Saddle and light draft horses, which are somewhat larger and more durable, weigh about 500 kg.
The horse, weighing between 700 and 900 kg, is an adult draft horse.
Heavy trucks
Separately, it is worth noting the handsome heavy trucks. This type of horse cannot be confused with anyone else. Massive animals of unprecedented beauty. Heavy trucks were bred specifically for heavy work, as is clearly evident from their name.
There are even standards for height and weight of this breed, which set the norm for the ratio of age, size and weight. From this standard you can determine the average weight of a horse depending on age. So, for example, a horse at the age of 6 months should weigh 375-250 kg, and a mare 365-245 kg. A one and a half year old horse weighs 650-435 kg, a mare 615-420. A horse at the age of 3 years has a mass of 770-555 kg, a mare - 720-530 kg. From these figures, you can easily guess how much an adult heavy draft horse weighs, knowing that the horse grows up to 6 years.
The standard for heavy trucks was created so that deviations from the norms could be noticed in time and appropriate measures taken. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that minimum values are indicated. This means that the horse may weigh more, but never less. Such attention is paid to the weight of heavy trucks due to the direct dependence of endurance and strength on the weight parameter. By the way, this dependence is important not only for heavy trucks.
Weight supported by the horse
A horse is a living creature. She has her own abilities, capabilities, and also chapels. Few people immediately ask the question: “How much weight can a horse bear?”
The most comfortable and optimal weight for any horse is a weight that is no more than 20% of the horse’s weight.
If we talk about the maximum values, they reach up to 30% of the horse’s weight, but in such conditions the animal experiences not only severe stress, but also excessive physical exertion with possible fatal consequences.
To put it simply: you don’t need to put a guy who weighs 90-100 kg on a horse weighing 400 kg. This will not lead to anything good for both the uncle and the horse.
The weight of a horse is an important parameter of the breed; the horse’s endurance and “carrying” abilities depend on it. In any case, it is worth remembering that each breed of horse or even individual has its own purpose and purpose in life.
Today it is impossible to say definitively how much a horse weighs. This is due to the fact that these animals are not only a natural heritage, but also a creation of human selection. More than three hundred breeds have already been bred, which are intended for various purposes, and there are horses that are completely different from each other. There are miniature and powerful heavy trucks, which are not only due to their dimensions, but also to their carrying capacity and traction force.
It is worth noting that the weight of a horse is never stable; it changes depending on age, intended purpose, living conditions, breed and working conditions.
Horse weight: classification of categories
Newborn foals have a body weight that is only 10% of the mother's total weight. The average figure can vary in both directions within 5 kilograms.
Young individuals grow and develop quite rapidly and become similar to adult horses. Having reached 6 months, their mass reaches about 50%, and by the year it is already 90%.
Further , the rate of weight gain slows down. Under favorable conditions and excellent health, the animal’s weight reaches its maximum by 3–4 years. But how much does a horse weigh on average?
Horse breeders have adopted the following conventional division of animals into weight categories:
- Light riding horses, whose weight is about 400 kg, for example - ponies;
- The average weight of a medium-sized horse can range from 400 to 600 kg;
- A draft horse reaches a mass of over 600 kg;
- Shire horse whose average weight is 1400 kg.
Heavy trucks represent massive and incredibly beautiful horses that are designed for hard physical labor. When calculating averages indicators take into account the standard norms of years lived, size and weight, which grows over six years. The adopted standards allow timely attention to deviations and take all necessary measures. If the horse exceeds the standard weight, then this is considered normal, since endurance and strength directly depend on this parameter.
It is worth noting that today this animal is widely used in many branches of the agricultural industry, for transporting goods over long distances, as well as cultivating land. Horseback riding is in great demand among tourists and city residents. Opening riding schools attract the attention of not only children, but also adults.
Differences in the degree of fatness and conditions of detention
Subject to conditions content and intended purpose, horses are conventionally divided:
Relationship between weight, breed and ability
The world of horses is quite diverse . Significant difference in weight can be seen in the example of various breeds. The lightest weight category usually includes ponies - animals whose height varies from 0.8 to 1.4 meters at the withers, as well as miniature horses of local selection.
Graceful animals differ from each other in size: there are both lightweight and heavyweight breeds. The more a horse weighs, the higher its pulling power and carrying capacity. This indicator affects not only the animal’s performance, but also its health.
Weight by breed
- pony - 100-200 kg;
- riding and light harness: trotters, Mezen - 400-600 kg;
- heavy trucks - up to 900 kg.
It is easy to find out how much an adult horse weighs, on average - 400 kg. There are shires weighing more than 1 ton. Animals used in sports competitions seem slimmer and fit, but this does not make them less well-fed. Factory horses are well-fed and look larger than their relatives. Working horses have a lot of muscle mass, but fat deposits can prevent them from moving normally. To maintain a normal weight for a draft horse, you should carefully select its nutrition.
The Przewalski's horse is considered a small animal. Its weight is only 250 kg, and its height is 130 cm. Vyatka harness horses weigh 350 kg. The body weight of Budenovsky horses reaches 500 kg. Representatives of the Pinto class are recognized as the smallest.
How can you calculate weight
- special scales for weighing farm animals or cars;
- measuring tapes.
The weight of an adult horse is determined by calculating the volume of its chest at the girth using a measuring tape containing special marks. A special technical “decimeter” allows you to measure the length of the pet’s torso and chest volume. Using these parameters, you can easily find out how much a horse weighs. The weight of the horse is determined by the following formula: double chest volume (cm) x body length (cm) / 11900.
- for heavyweights and obese breeds - 2.58;
- for animals of average build - 2.33;
- for exquisite and miniature breeds - 2.1.
Based on this formula, it is easy to determine how much a horse weighs on average. You can determine the severity of an animal according to Motorin by multiplying the chest circumference by 6 and subtracting 620 from the resulting value. This will allow you to find out the pet’s live body weight.
How do weight categories differ?
The weight of a horse also depends on the age of the animal. A newborn foal weighs more than 30 kg, and a small pony cub weighs only 20. After six months, the figure increases to 300-375 kg. By age you can find out how much the foal weighs. As you grow older and develop internal organs, this figure increases. If a foal's brain weighs very little, then the weight of a horse's brain reaches 400 g. The total weight of a one-year-old animal is 500 kg, at 2 years it exceeds 700 kg. It has been established that mares are lighter than stallions.
There are 5 categories of horses based on fatness:- an emaciated animal in unsatisfactory condition, receiving insufficient food;
- muscular individual of satisfactory fatness;
- a frisky horse of normal build, ready for intense training;
- well-fed factory mares and stallions without fat deposits;
- representatives of show breeds with well-developed prominent muscles and pronounced rounded shapes.
The pet's nutritional status decreases due to poor feeding, hard, exhausting work and illness. Provided proper nutrition, the animal will remain healthy, strong and resilient.
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