Obtaining your horse's vital signs can provide valuable information about your horse’s overall health. Vital signs are helpful to pass onto your veterinarian in case of an emergency. Practicing how to take your horses vital signs and knowing what is normal for your horse can help you be more efficient and determine what is abnormal.
Temperature, pulse, and respiration, also known as TPR, are three critical components of conducting an exam on your horse. Evaluating your horses’ vital signs can easily be done by horse owners with a few simple steps.
Heart Rate/Pulse: A horse’s heart rate can be taken two ways: by listening to the heartbeat using a stethoscope, or feeling the pulse. To find the heartrate, use a stethoscope to listen to the heart. Stand on the left side of the horse, place the stethoscope behind the elbow along the girth line. Listen for a “lub-dub” sound. Each “lub-dub” sound counts as one beat. Count the number of beats per minute. To find the pulse place your index finger on the maxillary artery under the jawbone. Count the pulse for one minute. You may also count the heartrate for 30 seconds and multiply the number by two. Normal range for an adult horse is 28-44 beats per minute.
Temperature: The most accurate way to take a horse’s temperature is rectally, using a digital thermometer. Stand close to the horse on the left side. Cover the end of the digital thermometer with lubricant and insert the thermometer into the rectum 2-3 inches. Hold the thermometer in place until the reading is complete. Normal temperature range for an adult horse is 99-101.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Respiration: Count the number of breaths the horse takes in one minute. This can be done by watching the horses flank rise and fall. One rise and fall is one breath. You can also count the number of breaths in 30 seconds and multiply the number by two. Normal range for an adult horse is 12-24 breaths per minute.
Capillary Refill Time: A horse’s gums, also known as mucous membrane, should be moist and a healthy pink color. Looking at the gums and conducting a capillary refill test can help evaluate the horse’s hydration and blood flow. Lift your horse's top lip and press your finger against the horse's gums, the color will disappear from the point pressure and should return to the color pink within 1-2 seconds.
Hydration: To check if your horse is hydrated you can pinch, or tent, the skin on the horse’s neck. Once you release the pinched skin, the skin should flatten back against the horse’s neck within two seconds.
For more information, contact Brittany Justesen, UF/IFAS Extension Osceola County at 321-697-3000 or visit http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/osceola.
