The weight of a horse is a very important indicator of its health and efficiency, because with both low and high numbers it is very difficult to talk about the animal’s well-being and the normal activity of all its organs and systems. Let's find out which numbers should be oriented, and what the concept of "norm" means in this case.
Average weight of an adult horse
Depending on the breed and conditions of detention, the weight of adult horses can vary within very wide limits. 
In general, there are several main groups:
- light animals - up to 400 kg;
- representatives of the middle category - 400-600 kg;
- heavy horses - over 600 kg;
- less than 200 kg - pony.
Did you know? The shortest definition of a horse is "yk", which the nomads of Inner Mongolia use to refer to this animal.
The degree of fatness of the animal, depending on the destination
The moderately low fatness of a horse does not always indicate problems in its maintenance. The degree of fatness of the animal depends largely on the purpose for which it is kept, therefore, it is possible to assess the state of the horse only with its account.
Learn how to breed horses at home.
Unsatisfactory fatness
Unsatisfactory fatness is usually characteristic of animals that are kept by unscrupulous owners and are constantly limited in food. Their condition can be exacerbated by hard physical work and poor treatment, with frequent use of a whip or stick. 
At the same time, a decrease in the roundness of individual parts of a horse’s body can be explained by an illness or old age, but in both cases the owner can improve the condition of his ward.
Sports or training
Animals used for sporting purposes always look more slender, but this does not mean that they should be less well-fed. Their body should look proportional, with moderate roundness in the chest and thighs. 
Working
Representatives of this group are rather well-fed, but without excessive accumulation of body fat. Excessive fat will only prevent them from moving, and they will not be able to fully cope with the functions assigned to them. 
Factory
Not bad feed and horses in the factory. However, their parameters should not prevent them from easily breeding and bearing offspring, for which they, in fact, are contained. 
Exhibition
In comparison with representatives of the previous groups, these animals are distinguished by high fatness and rounded shapes, in addition to which a beautiful and shiny wool is attached. 
Weight of the horse on the table
Breed characteristics of any animal should be the basis for assessing its parameters. It is not surprising that when calculating the normal weight of a horse, it is necessary to take into account its standard breed indicators. The weight of the most popular breeds is presented in the table by category:
| Weight category | Breeds |
| Light (100-400 kg) | Welsh Flabella Icelandic Scottish |
| Medium (400-600 kg) | Mezenskaya Oryol trotter German trotter Thoroughbred horse French trotter |
| Heavy (600-800 kg) | Friesian Tinker Vladimir heavy truck Arden Draft Suffolk |
| Very heavy (800-1200 kg) | Shire Percheron Brabancon Clydesdal |
How to know the weight of the horse, if there are no weights
In the presence of weights, indicators of a particular horse can be recognized with an accuracy of a gram, but the problem is that it is not always possible to use such large weights (mainly automobile ones). It is for such cases that the following methods of approximate calculation of the horse's weight characteristics are provided.
Did you know? Negros of the Masai tribe believed that a person killed by a horse (or any other hoofed animal) should automatically go to heaven.
Special tape
Such a device is in many ways reminiscent of the usual centimeter tape, only it is applied gradation in kilograms, through which you can immediately find out the weight of the animal. There are tapes designed specifically for individual breeds, young individuals, ponies, as well as for mares and stallions, so when buying such a device you should know exactly who you are going to measure. 
If you believe the manufacturers, the correct measurement using quality tape allows you to find out more or less accurate figures, with an accuracy of up to 10-20 kg in any direction.
Important! For exhausted or too large horses, this method of measurement is not suitable.In addition, the external environment will also affect the correct calculation of live weight. It is advisable to perform measurements on a flat platform, with good lighting and always with an assistant. Do not forget about the animal's woolen coat, because thick wool will significantly distort the results in a big way.
According to the formula Motorina
This world-famous formula provides for the calculation of the weight of absolutely any horse through finding the value of a six-time chest girth and a further deduction of 620:
Y = 6 * V - 620
In this case, Y is the weight of the horse in kg, and V is the girth of its chest, expressed in centimeters. This formula is used both by the owners of small stables and by representatives of whole equestrian enterprises, therefore it is possible to assume a high level of informativeness of the Motorin method. 
According to the formula Dyurst
Another widely used formula that allows you to determine the weight indicators of workhorses and thoroughbred horses. In this variant, the chest girth is also a variable, and the multiplier is the coefficient of a particular breed. Thus, the weight index for representatives of light-stressed rocks can be found by multiplying the obtained chest circumference by a numerical factor of 2.7. At the same time, for moderately heavy horses, the multiplier will be a coefficient of 3.1, and for heavyweights - 3.5.
Important! The accuracy of both methods often does not exceed the value of 5-10 kg, therefore absolutely correct figures, with an accuracy of 1 kg, will be able to provide only correctly adjusted scales.
Durst formula looks like this:
P = V * K,
Where P is the horse mass in kg, V is the chest girth, and K is the required coefficient depending on the breed.
Maximum weight: champion horses
Each weight group has its own champion representatives, who went down in history as the heaviest horses. The largest horses of the Shire breed were always considered the largest, weighing 1,400 kg on average, so it is not surprising that until recently the world record belonged to the representative of this particular breed. It was established in the last century, when it turned out that a horse named Samson exceeded the one-and-a-half-mile line, and its height was more than two meters. 
However, not so long ago, this record was broken by a Belgian horse named Big Jack, whose weight exceeded as much as 2600 kg. A not less famous Australian horse named Nobby, which, although it weighs about 1,300 kg, can hardly boast of less, it attracts attention with its height - 2.05 meters.
Read more about how to find out the weight without weights.
As you can see, the weight of horses is an important criterion for their evaluation and directly affects the fatness of the animal. To make horses feel good, they must be well-fed and well-groomed, which is externally manifested in rounded shapes and shiny wool.
