Relationship between body condition and neck crest score systems and subcutaneous fat, tissue and muscle ultrasonic measurements in horses

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between real time ultrasonography (RTU) fat, muscle and thoracic wall tissue thickness measurements and both body condition score (BCS) and cresty neck score (CNS). The subcutaneous fat depth at lumbar (SFL) and rump, the tissue depth over (TDoR) and between the 12th and 13th ribs and longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle depth were measured by RTU in forty two horses. The relationship between BCS, CNS and RTU measurements shows that the best correlation with BCS was achieved with TDoR (r = 0.70; P < 0.01) and for CNS was obtained with SFL (r = 0.50; P < 0.01). Also it was observed that best regression of BCS on RTU measurements was achieved with a polynomial model with TDoR (R2 = 0.599; P < 0.01). Further research is needed to improve RTU image capture and analysis for application in horse body fat reserves management.