Here, you will learn all that you need to know about horses, what their weights are on average, and what factors contribute to their overall weight. Every horse is different, so knowing their weight, as well as what kind of life they live, will help you decide what to feed them. As a horse owner, it is essential to be able to measure your horses height and weight because that information will help you in many areas, like monitoring their feeding needs, getting sized up to fit a proper saddle, knowing how much exercise they require, and choosing the correct size horse for you.
Weight checks may also help you to assess the proper dosage for any medications that your horse requires, and ensure their feeding schedule is balanced to meet their needs. A vet will be able to weigh your horses with greater accuracy, to make sure any calculations are done correctly. Knowing the horses weight is also crucial when calculating the amount of dewormer to use, a veterinarian will also use the horses weight to figure out how much medication to give or prescribe. If you have calculated your horses size, and he seems to have an unhealthy weight, it is important to speak with your vet about the problem.
Keep in mind, knowing the horses average weight may help you detect any potential health problems they are suffering from. However, it is best to be aware of what an average, healthy weight is for your horse, and to ensure you are keeping him or her within this target weight. Horses generally range in weight from about 900-2,000 pounds, but your horses average weight will vary depending on his or her breed, age, and several other factors.
While the average is between 900 to 2,000 pounds (408-907kg), this is mostly dependent on your horses breed, age, and height. Each of these breeds has their average weight assigned to them, too, meaning that some horses can weigh over or under 1,100 pounds, and that will be considered perfectly normal. The average weight for a horse will vary between breeds and from horse to horse, and it may vary from around 900 pounds all the way up to 2,000 pounds. Larger draft horses may measure 62-68 inches (157-172 cm) in height, and may weigh as much as 1,100 pounds (500 kg).
They are designed to fit medium-sized, adult horses that are about 1,000 pounds and 16 hands high. Heavy-duty horses may be between 64-72 inches (162-182 cm) high, and may weigh about 1,500-2,200 pounds (700-1,000 kg). Miniature horses can only carry 20% of their body weight, that is 30-70 lb (13-31 kg), anything over that will make them tired and tear up their muscles. This type of quarterhorse is heavier and can need more feeding than horses of a similar size in order to build up the muscle mass needed for the jobs for which they were bred.
Quarter horses are about 15 hands tall, and quarter horses generally have a much denser bone structure when compared to other horses. As mentioned, younger horses in all breeds are expected to start out at about 10% the weight of their dam, so you will want to keep an eye on them as they grow. Light horses are the largest horses that are most commonly used to drive, race, drive, herd livestock, etc. At the lighter end of the spectrum are the Arabians, which will weigh between 900 to 1,100 pounds, and an average Warmblood will be somewhere between 1,200 to 1,300 pounds.
A 16-hand horse may weigh between 1,036 to 1,653 pounds, depending on his breed and height. On average, with a 16-hand, you can expect the horse to weigh in the range of 10-1543 pounds, while with 16.2 hands, that is between 1080-1653 pounds. The horse may weigh on average between 900 pounds to 2000 pounds, depending on breed and the horses form.
The weighing tape is not always accurate, and there may be a considerable variance depending on the shape of the horses body. Weighing tapes are best suited to horses of average size , and they can be less accurate on smaller, larger, growing horses. The major drawback to this method is that weight tapes are mostly useful for horses who are typical of the body type of their breed. All you need to do to use a weight tape is to loop the tape around the horse like a conventional measuring tape, and then check the markings, which are listed in pounds instead of inches or centimeters.
If you do not have weight tape or access to a weighing bridge, do not worry, you can still figure out how much your horse weighs, all you need is a cloth or rubber tape measure (or a little string, like string, and a tape) and a calculator. Taking your horse on one of these scales is the easiest and most accurate way to figure out his weight, although not everyone will have access to a weighbridge. These methods will not be as precise as the scale, but will get you pretty close to gauge whether or not your horse is at a healthy weight.
If you know of a vet who has a equestrian weighing scale, call him or her and ask if you can use a scale to weigh your horse. If you have a vet who has a larger scale, you can bring your horse in there and they can take the measurements. Both measuring sticks and weight scales will provide an approximate measurement of the horses overall body weight, but are not as accurate as a real scale.