How to Check Your Horse’s Vital Signs

Using the flat side of your fingertips (not your thumb or you’ll feel your own pulse), press inward and upward against the inner edge of the lower jaw until you detect your horse’s pulse. Count the number of beats you feel for 15 seconds and multiply this number by four to obtain heart rate per minute.

Respiration Rate: Respiration rate, or breathing rate, should be determined by observing the horse’s ribcage rise and fall with each breath. Stand beside your horse’s shoulder and watch the curve of the belly in front of the stifle, counting the number of breaths for one minute. Remember to count each inhalation and exhalation as one breath, not two.

Capillary Refill Time: To perform the capillary refill time test, which is an indicator of blood circulation, lift your horse’s upper lip and press your thumb firmly against the gum above a corner incisor for two seconds. This should create a white mark on the gum as blood is squeezed out of the area by your thumb. Remove your thumb and time how long it takes the gum to return to its original pink colour. If the blood takes longer than two seconds to return to the area, your horse may be experiencing shock or dehydration.

Gut Sounds: You can check your horse’s gut sounds by pressing your ear against his barrel behind the ribs, in front of the stifle. Normal gut sounds vary widely, but should always be present. Faint, infrequent, or absent gut sounds usually indicate colic and your veterinarian should be called.

It is strongly recommended that you check your horse’s vital signs when he is healthy to know what is normal for him. Be aware that taking vital signs on a horse that is nervous or excited can result in an inaccurate representation of his baseline vital signs.