The best way to determine the ideal weight of a horse is to evaluate the Body Condition Score (BCS). Weight tapes are good for measuring trends or estimating weight for a drug dosage, but not for telling how much a horse should weigh. We grade BCS from 1-9, 1 being emaciated, 9 being extremely fat. Ideally, pleasure or show horses should fall around 5 – 6.5 ("racing fit" horses are generally in the 4-5 range). This means the ribs will not be visible, but will be felt easily by pressing through a thin padding of fat. There should be a bit of fat around the tailhead which is a little spongy but not soft or bulging. The withers should appear rounded; a small amount of fat deposited on either side is acceptable. The back should be flat (no ridge), but a slight crease down the middle is acceptable.