Weight Estimation of Horses

Hi
I'm new to this, so hope i'm doing it right!!
I'm a Equine Management Student, doing a dissertation on Weight estimation in horses and ponies and the accuracy of different methods

I was hoping some people may be willing to spend a couple minutes to fill in Part 1 and 2 of my survey

Please feel free to send me any other comments you may have.
Many Thanks!!
C

Part 1:

Weight Estimation in Adult Horses and Ponies (Part 1) Survey

Part 2:

Visual Weight Estimation of Horses (Part 2) Survey

Okay, so, when are you going to post how much they weigh?

Or rather, do you plan to post the results of the survey?

Inquiring minds want to know.....

If you want folks in the US to take your survey, you might include approximate conversions from kg to lbs. I took my guesses based on an approx 2lb/kg conversion to get to approx where I thought each horse was. Not real accurate especially at higher weights, but I don't have a calculator handy to really do the math.

Visual estimations are just that, sorta like all the height measurements, by people that have never weighed or measured a horse.
I don't see how a tape measure can be accurate. So many variables in weight. That is like saying all 6 foot tall men are 180lbs. I wouldnt trust any weight guess unless I saw the horse on a scale.

I'd be interested in seeing results also. And posting in lbs would help a lot of people in the us. It was kind of a pain to go though and times the kgs by 2.2 to figure out what the ranges were in lbs. But I was bored so I did it. Some people may not want to take the time to do the math.

LOL, when I take my horses to the vet, I make a game of guessing how much they'll weigh when they get on the scale. I'm usually pretty close, within 20 lbs.

In your case, Id take your word. You have actually put a horse on a scale, most people I talk to make all kinds of claims, "Oh he's about 1200 lbs,"
Oh really ? Have you weighed him? "um no" have you ever weighed any horse ? "um no" have you ever even seen a horse weighed ? "um no" Sorta like all the "about" 16 hand horses I have went to look at that were barely 15.
Um you know this horse is only 14.2 hands, (me standing there with a tape measure)

When I was in college we weighed approx 20-30 horses on a weigh scale and people were estimating weight. Lets say not a single one reached the 1200 lb mark that everyone likes to say their horses are. My 14.2 Horse/pony was a whopping 775 lbs. Weigh tape had always put her at about 700 lbs. I think they are accurate within 200 lbs.

Yep Joe. Every horse that is for sale seems to be "about 16 hands". I guess that means that they are standing on blocks.........

LOL, sounds like the infamous Arabian measuring stick gets used by more than just Arabian folks....Can't tell you how many 15.3hh horses I've gone to look at that didn't come up to my chin.....I'm 5'3" in my cowboy boots, so 15.3 hh at the top of my head! Not under my chin.

I'm lucky, when I haul someone in to OSU, no matter what it's for, we use the scale and it's helped me really develop my eye, at least for my horses. Looking at those pics and guessing, will be the first time I've ever done it on horses I don't own and on something other than an Arab or Arab X, so it would be interesting to see the results and see if I was even in the ballpark.