Garden & Water Utilities
Horse weight from a tape.
Measure your horse’s heart girth and body length with a soft tape. Get an estimated weight in pounds and kilograms using a university extension formula, plus the hay range for that weight. Runs in your browser.
Tape measurements
Estimated weight
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Worked example
Heart girth 70 in and body length 69 in: 70 × 70 × 69 ÷ 330 = 1,024.5 lb (464.7 kg). The NebGuide rounds this example down to 1,024 lb.
How it works
Weight in pounds = heart girth² × body length ÷ 330, with both measurements in inches (centimetres are converted to inches first). This is the body-weight equation given in G1781 Basics of Feeding Horses: Feeding Management (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Kathy P. Anderson). It is an estimate: a weigh tape or scale is more exact, and the formula is least reliable for foals, ponies, very fat or thin horses and draft breeds.
Sources (opened 2026-10-08): G1781 Basics of Feeding Horses: Feeding Management (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Kathy P. Anderson).
FAQ
How do I measure heart girth?
Extension guidance is to run the tape around the horse at the highest point of the withers. Body length runs from the point of the shoulder, along the side, to the point of the buttocks.
What is the horse weight formula?
Weight in pounds = heart girth in inches squared, times body length in inches, divided by 330.
How accurate is it?
It is an estimate. Use the same method each time to track change, and use a scale for dosing medication.
Can I use it to size a dewormer dose?
No. Ask your vet; dosing needs a measured weight.
Disclaimer
Estimate only. Do not use this to dose medication or dewormer. Ask your vet to weigh the horse or confirm a dose.