Okay I did I deep dive in horses and specifically OTTBs on this forum as they aren’t as common in the UK as here.
You are a hunter rider correct? Beowulf from my readings actually worked on the track at some point. If I’m wrong correct me. But I’d take their word over yours. Sorry but your hunters look like our heavy weights and no TB should be that lumbering around a course.
Yes TBs racing can hit a six. Y’all just like fat horses so your three is normal and not actually a three.
Just want to add that, as for #1, an important fact to note is how long the horse has been in your (the receiver’s) possession. In the original post, I assumed, as I suspect others had, that the horse had arrived a day or two before this thread was created. But it now sounds like the poster had the horse for about 2 weeks. Bottom line: if you want to take action on the condition of a horse you received, you must act immediately. Because there is no way to verify that a BCS of 3 assessed 2 weeks later shows the condition of the horse when it walked on the van, walked off the van 12 hours later, or is due in whole or part to the care the horse received over the last 2 weeks.
Not quite, unfortunately given my recent experiences I have become rather intimately familiar with BCS. Here is, for example, a statement from Dr Henneke himself, where he clarifies that it “provides an estimate of stored body fat, period” - so in your example of a very fit, well muscled horse, the BCS doesn’t reflect anything really to do with the muscles, and a 6/9 would be having an excess of fat stores not consistent with high level athletic performance: Henneke statement about misuse of BCS (birdcompanions.com)
Certainly retired race horses at stud can have more fat on them, but I think you would be hard pressed to find a horse in racing fit condition to have enough body fat on them that they have a divot down their back like a short stirrup pony. Looks like this bloodhorse article suggests most race horses are between a 4-5 but I don’t know where that data is coming from: Feed for Speed - BloodHorse
Regardless, sounds like OP leased what was represented to be a show horse and whether or not it happened on the trailer or being on the back burner for weeks/months prior to shipping, the horse who arrived was not as represented, condition wise. I did see him in person and would probably say if he were mine, I’d be less concerned about the fat stores/BCS and more about the lack of muscle. A show horse who loses enough condition on a trailer ride that they can’t perform at their prior level within a couple weeks of arriving somewhere is an issue in and of itself. I would be leaving it up to the trainer to deal with communication, though, if they’re willing. I feel like you’d get a better response from a conversation between pros.
This is what a BCS of 3 looks like - “underweight”, “malnourished” and “thin” are the descriptors. Are you routinely getting horses that need soft landings versus horses from quality connections?
I’m sure you’ve picked up skinny TBs. It happens. Race horses are at risk of poor management same as any other industry. But it’s really not my experience to routinely be seeing 3s or even 4s in actively racing horses, especially not from quality connections. A thin horse just does not perform as well as a healthy horse and owners/trainers have every reason to want their horses sleek, fit, and healthy. But don’t confuse a “skinny outline” with actually being thin and malnourished. They are fit, and there is a difference.
Here’s Justify, a racehorse for comparison:
@beowolf the horse was not a 3! Op riding it and all. There was a lot to comment on in the pictures but the horse’s condition wasn’t one of them.
This is in line with what I said in my post above - my experience is most are a 4-6. I have picked up some fat race horses. 
One part of my post was cherry-picked to assume I was saying “all race horses are a 6” - what I actually said in that post is that you could have a race-fit horse that was a 6 and the peanut gallery would say it was a 3. I was using that invented scenario as an example to detail the disconnect I’ve observed in people who have zero racehorse experience.
I think you also keep in mind most H/J people are not getting a horse directly racing fit from a high end program, when we see a “racehorse” it is likely already not looking/doing so great which is why someone had the thought to “sell it to a jumper person” so what arrives to us directly from the track is likely not the same condition as one who is racing fit at a higher end track like you may be used to
That is why I was clear I was speaking specifically of a race fit horse, and not an OTTB/horse that had to find a second career due to injury, loss of competitiveness, or loss of (race) conditions.
A lot happens between when a trainer/owner sells a race horse to a flipper. The subsequent loss of body condition is on the flipper/rescue/reseller and not on the racing connections. It’s disingenuous to say thats the fault of racing if you are regularly sourcing OTTBs from flippers versus directly from the track.
Mine come directly from the track and from good connections that I know, thanks. I’m not some bumbling moron just because I disagree with you. I’m not saying they’re skeleton horses, but like @Railbird says, trying to insinuate that every racehorse in America looks like Justify is a reach.
I don’t think anyone said it was the fault of racing, @Tha_Ridge just said the horses she receives from the track are routinely a BCS 3-4 and she routinely gets them into work without major damage to them. Which kind of circles back on my point, you can have a healthy horse with a BCS of 3 with good body function and solid muscle but not much fat on them, perhaps one letting down a little from racing fitness, and you can have a very unhealthy horse with a BCS 3 like the ones you posted, where in addition to low body fat they also are showing muscle wasting and other issues. In that way I absolutely agree with you that it’s rather misunderstood though I am of course dealing with the opposite end of the issue with it but I don’t want to make the whole thread diverge any worse than it has.
I don’t creep threads, but I looked at the “what color is this” thread because I always like to look at pretty pictures. In fact I didn’t post because I thought he was brown but a lot of posters who I know to be waaaaay more experienced than me said he was a body-clipped bay. I remember the pictures. He was lean. I don’t think I am creeping for remembering the pictures and then raising an eyebrow when other posters connected the two threads.
Same. I mean, if he was roany or rabicano or maybe some dilute something, I could see asking. But I don’t really get bent around what flavor of brown horse I might have, which lead me to believe the poster was inexperienced or just super excited about her new horse.
No. What is a reach is you misreading a simple example I gave in my post, and replying with hyperbolic wording including “keel over and die”, “insane”, and “dramatic”.
I gave a very simple example of my observations of the disconnect between reality and non-racing connections, and you ran with it thinking I said “every race horse in America looks like Justify”. Another thing I didn’t say.
Do me a favor and go back and reread my first post. You’ll realize that part you are focusing on was a scenario. How can I better phrase it so it is clear and avoids confusion in the future?
Can’t be liked enough. Sorry @Tha_Ridge but your US Hunter thing is showing your ass. Maybe you didn’t see the pictures of the horse. I wouldn’t throw that horse out of my barn.
I’m actually not primarily a hunter rider these days, but go on… 
You seem like a real peach! And I actually know the horse in question here, too. Photos don’t tell all.
Like I said if I’m wrong correct me. But horses in the US are way fatter than the UK
You’re wrong. 
I saw the photos (and to me he looked almost liver chestnut, so it’s like “the white/blue dress thing” all over again). Honestly, some well-conditioned horses (of all breeds) are always going to look a little thin to the eye and others (unfortunately) even if they’re underweight, are going to look stocky, because of their build in photos.
According to the OP, the vet was concerned and gave a BCS of 3. I’m not saying all vets are always right, but I’m going to assume the vet did more than look at the horse in a photo, and probably that has more significance than our impressions from a still image.
To me, he looked very under-muscled and weak in the neck and a little weedy (not racehorse-lean), so it would make sense if he was underworked and a little too thin before 12 hours in the trailer he looked less-great after that. But that’s just from the photo, so who knows if I’m right?
Again, I don’t see any harm saying to the owner what the vet said, in case he drops more weight, despite quality feed. I certainly wouldn’t send him right back (even for humane reasons) or expect a discount based on what I personally saw, because stuff can happen during trailering, but if the OP buys, and the horse is still not putting on weight as he should, then it’s something I would bring up with the purchase price, and make it clear what the OP started out with.
Hopefully, a few weeks of very light work and lots of food and TLC will make a big difference.
This whole being a jerk and swearing all over the BB thing is not cute. You could probably get your point across better by having actual conversations with people.
What? To my knowledge the worst thing I’ve said was “pish”
And the most offensive thing to get a post flagged was asking someone to ignore me.
I think there is a bit of splitting hairs over Beowulf and ThaRidge. Both are right, in their own perspective and experiences. It’s true, MOST fresh OTTBs that end up for sport (from admittedly lesser/cheaper connections) are in the BCS 3-5 range. But Beowulf is also correct that there are lots of healthy, fit racehorses in the BCS 4-6 range. I know…I’ve ridden them, LOL.
Do you think all racehorses start out with BCS of 4, and stay there forever? Of course not. The young 2yos, 3yos, or older coming off a turnout break start out a bit chubby. BCS of at least 6. Many of them will end up in the 4-5 range when they are race-ready fit. But some will be at the “husky” end of the spectrum near 6: no visible ribs, round covered topline, and a muscular crease down the loin and spine of the hindquarters. Other horses can’t maintain that much body condition (ulcers, digestive inefficiency, stress, body type, distance performed, etc) and will naturally look more lean. But IMO, a healthy racehorse should have a blooming coat, a strong topline, good muscle tone, and look like a fit athlete (not starved).
Photos of a 3yo filly I galloped. BCS solid 5.
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