Medical Conditions
Taking Vital Signs on Your Horse
Having a horse is a tremendous responsibility. You address
their shelter and nutritional needs on a daily basis, their
exercise and hoof care schedules, and all their medical and
dental needs and issues. You also need to act quickly in an
emergency. This could include an injury, colic, or a trailer
accident.
When you do act, you may need to administer first aid and
call your veterinarian. The veterinarian may ask you
questions to help evaluate the situation. The questions will
help the veterinarian formulate a plan of action. For
example, if your horse is sick, you may be asked what they
have eaten and what their temperature and heart rate are.
Following are some tips on taking vital signs on your horse.
• First be aware of your horse’s general attitude and
stance. Will he walk out of the stall, is he lame, is he
sitting down, rolling or stretching? Is your horse too quiet
or unusually anxious? This kind of observation may provide
your veterinarian with clues about the source or severity of
the problem.
• Next take your horse’s temperature. This can be done with
a mercury or digital thermometer. The digital thermometer
may read lower than the mercury thermometer, so compare them
both when your horse is healthy, before a crisis! Insert the
thermometer (with a little lubricant like Vaseline) into the
rectum for 2 minutes. You may clip the thermometer to the
tail so it doesn’t get sucked inside or pushed out onto the
ground. Normal temperatures may range from 98-101 degrees
Fahrenheit.
• Next check the
heart rate and pulses. The easiest way to get the heart rate
is with a stethoscope on the near (left) side of your
horse’s ribs, just above and inside the elbow. It may work
best if your horse’s left front leg is forward. If there is
no stethoscope in the barn, use your ears against the
horse’s side. (This is a good way to practice!) There are
normally two distinct sounds “lub…dub”. This is usually much
slower than ours. Count the beats for 15 seconds and
multiply by 4. This gives you the beats per minute (BPM).
Normal should be 32-40 BPM however it may be higher in
foals. Pulses can be checked in the face, under the cheek,
at each fetlock and below the hocks on the outside (lateral
side). Practice all of these locations so you know what is
normal for each horse.
• To take the respiratory rate, watch your horse while he is
standing quietly without distractions by his face or muzzle.
Sniffing or movement makes it difficult to count breaths at
their nostrils. Watch their flanks move in and out. When the
flank moves in, the horse exhales. When the flank moves out,
the horse inhales. Count only one phase of each breath to
get the total number of breaths per minute or respiratory
rate. For example, each time the flank moves in, count one
breath. Do this for one minute exactly. The respiratory rate
should be between 8 and 12.
• Lastly check the horse’s mucous membranes. Lift the side
of the lip and observe the gums. Are they pink, pale,
yellow, gray or any related shade? Is it darker around the
front (incisor) teeth? Are they dry or moist? To check
capillary refill time, push hard with one finger on the gums
until they blanch or get white. Release the finger and
determine how long it takes for the color to come back. This
is usually 1-3 seconds. If there is any question, check the
gums again in a few seconds.
Practice doing all of this when your horse is quiet (not
before or during a meal). Practice a few times before a
crisis occurs. When unsure of a value, repeat it. Ask your
veterinarian to help you. Check for consistency. Every horse
is a little different and knowing what is normal for each
horse is critical for efficient decision making.
Select from the categories
below to learn more about common medical areas of concern
for trainers and owners.
