I am new to this game so will readily admit to not having as much first-hand experience as some of the horse owners on the site but I was wondering......

Do physical signs such as a horse's blood count and weight have any research-based evidence to support their use. For example, in humans an abnormal cell count certainly suggests that something is probably wrong but a normal one doesn't mean that something isn't wrong. I hope that makes sense..

The weight issue seems to make a bit more sense to me however but I still find it a bit confusing if a trainer in an interview says..."such and such has gained X kilograms"...does this mean the horse is "buffed" and ready to rumble or is it a bit on the porky side.

I would love to hear the owner's/vets/trainers/old-hands views on this

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