Skip to main content
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs An Roinn Talmhaíochta, Comhshaoil agus Gnóthaí Tuaithe Depairtment o' Fairmin, Environment an' Kintra Matthers

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Topics
  • Publications
  • Consultations
  • Contact

Translation help

Translate this page

Select a language

  • Arabic — عربي
  • Chinese (Simplified) — 中文简体
  • Chinese (Traditional) — 中文繁體
  • Dutch — Nederlands
  • Filipino — Filipino
  • French — Français
  • German — Deutsch
  • Hungarian — Magyar
  • Irish — Gaeilge
  • Italian — Italiano
  • Latvian — Latviešu
  • Lithuanian — Lietuvių kalba
  • Polish — Polski
  • Portuguese — Português
  • Romanian — Română
  • Russian — Русский
  • Slovak — Slovenčina
  • Spanish — Español
  • Ukrainian — Українська
  • Equine weight tapes demonstration at Balmoral Show

    Date published: 13 May 2024

    College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) equine staff will be focusing on effectively managing horse weights at this year’s Balmoral Show.

    Visit the CAFRE exhibit in the Government Departments area of the Eikon Centre and learn how to use an equine weight tape to monitor the weight of your horse.

    Do you, or someone you know own a horse or pony? Do you want to learn about the benefits of using a weight tape? Look no further, come and visit the CAFRE equine stand at Balmoral Show for all your weight tape education needs.

    Maintaining horses at a healthy body weight optimises their health, promotes good welfare and can improve competition and breeding performance. Improvement of performance can have positive economic implications due to increased animal value and improved breeding output. Sustaining your horse at a healthy fat score can be difficult, and we understand the challenges many owners face.

    Worryingly, across the UK there is a high percentage of horses that are reported to be overweight or obese. Most yards won’t have access to a weighbridge, but monitoring horse weight can also be done using a weight tape.

    At CAFRE, we understand how important it is to stay on top of weight management goals. That’s why we are demonstrating how to use and discussing the benefits of weight tapes. Regular use of a weight tape is a simple yet powerful tool that can help track your horses’ body weight fluctuations and make informed decisions about their health and welfare.

    Our team will be on hand to guide you through the process of using a weight tape effectively. We’ll show you how to accurately assess a horse’s body weight and provide you with a weight tape to take home. If you need a reminder of how to carry out a weight assessment here’s a short video to watch on the news section of the CAFRE website.

    Visit us at Balmoral Show from Wednesday 14 – Saturday 18 May at the Northern Ireland Government Departments Exhibition, located at the back of the Eikon Shopping Village.

    CAFRE at Enniskillen Campus offers full-time courses at Level 2 through to BSc (Hons) Degree level, alongside a suite of industry training part-time and short courses, some of which are offered online. For more information visit the CAFRE website.

    Notes to editors:

    1. Follow DAERA on X formerly called Twitter and Facebook.
    2. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office: pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk or telephone: 028 9016 3460.

    Latest news

    • DAERA publishes disease control framework for Bluetongue virus

      20 June 2025

    • Muir: Climate Action Plan consultation is milestone step to tackle climate change in Northern Ireland

      19 June 2025

    • Muir issues statement on Veterinary Medicine agreement for NI

      19 June 2025

    • Suckler Cow Fertility Themed Groups open for applications

      18 June 2025

    More news …
    Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on X (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

    Department footer links

    • Crown copyright
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy
    • Cookies
    • Accessibility
    • The Northern Ireland Executive
    • The Executive Office
    • Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
    • Department for Communities
    • Department for Education
    • Department for the Economy
    • Department of Finance
    • Department for Infrastructure
    • Department for Health
    • Department of Justice
    • nidirect.gov.uk — the official government website for Northern Ireland citizens