How to Take Your Horse's Vital Signs
When evaluating a horses health status its vital signs should be taken assessed and recorded. Evaluation should occur both when the horse is healthy to establish baseline measurements and monitor overall health and when the horse appears to be sick to determine if there is a deviation. Regular practice taking vital signs can help you become comfortable with the tasks and desensitize your horse to it. Temperature pulse heart rate and respiration breathing rate also referred to as TPR are three key vital signs that should be assessed. In addition the horses gums a mucous membrane should be evaluated to assess dehydration and tissue blow flow.
Below is a table listing the vital signs typically taken the normal ranges of those signs when a horse is healthy and the items you will need in order to take measurements. The values listed are for adult horses at rest. Horses recently exercised would have higher values. Additionally rate may vary based on the horses size with larger horses often having lower rates and smaller horses often having higher rates. Always assess the individual horse establishing what that horses averages are before illness is suspected.
| Vital Sign Assessed | Normal Range for Healthy, Adult Horse | Items Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 99-101.5°F | Thermometer, lube, and timer (some thermometers may have one built in) |
| Pulse | 28-44 beats per minute | Timer, stethoscope (if preferred) |
| Respiration | 10-24 breaths per minute | Timer |
| Skin pliability | 1-3 seconds for skin to return | No items needed |
| Mucous membranes | Wet, pink, shiny gums | No items needed |
| Capillary Refill | 1-2 seconds for color to return | No items needed |
Temperature Pulse and Respiration
How to Measure a Horses Temperature
To take your horses temperature you will need either a digital or mercury thermometer and lube. The thermometer should be covered in lube inserted into the rectum and held there for an allotted time anywhere from fifteen seconds to three minutes depending on the thermometersee device instructions. When inserting the thermometer be sure you are in a safe position with the left side of your body directly besideagainst the horses hip. Be sure to gently lift and shift the horses tail for insertion Figure 1.
Hold the thermometer in place until the thermometer reading is complete then remove it to look at the displayed temperature. If using a mercuryglass thermometer you should clip it to the tail to prevent shattering if the thermometer were to fall to the ground from being pushed out. Using a digital thermometer is the safer and easier method.
How to Measure a Horses PulseHeart Rate
A horses pulse can be taken two ways by listening to the heartbeat with a stethoscope or by palpating feeling an artery. Most find it easier to use a stethoscope and listen to the heartbeat but palpation is also a viable option if a stethoscope is not available.
To use a stethoscope place the earpieces into your ears with the earpieces pointing forward. Then place the chest piece diaphragm behind the horses elbow on its left side Figure 2. Listen closely for a lubdub sound and count how many times you hear this sound for thirty seconds. Each lubdub counts as one. Multiply the number by two to identify how many beats per minute.
If you prefer to palpate an artery to check the horses heart rate you may feel one of three arteries the maxillary artery under the jawbone radial artery on the inside of the
knee or the digital artery just below the fetlock. You will need to place your middle finger and either the index or ring finger on one of these arteries ensuring you can feel the pulse of blood flow. Count how many times you feel this pulse over a period of thirty seconds. Multiply the number by two to determine how many beats per minute. If the horse wont stand still during the assessment you can shorten the measurement time to fifteen seconds and multiply by four instead. While this is not ideal it is a viable option if needed. Be
