BarnlyNormal horse vital signs
Knowing your horse's resting numbers helps you notice a problem early and gives your vet useful facts on the phone. Take them when the horse is calm and rested.
| Adult horse | Foal | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 37.2 to 38.3 °C (99.0 to 100.9 °F) | 37.5 to 38.9 °C (99.5 to 102.0 °F) |
| Pulse | 28 to 44 per minute | 60 to 100 per minute |
| Breathing | 8 to 16 per minute | 20 to 40 per minute |
How to take them
- Temperature: a digital thermometer in the rectum for about a minute, standing to the side of the horse.
- Pulse: press two fingers on the artery under the jaw and count for 30 seconds, then double.
- Breathing: watch the flank rise and fall for 30 seconds and double it (one rise and fall is one breath).
Call the vet
A temperature of 38.6 °C (101.5 °F) or more, a horse that will not eat, signs of colic (pawing, rolling, looking at the flank, sweating), lameness, a pulse that stays high at rest, or fast, laboured breathing. When in doubt, call: these numbers are a guide, not a diagnosis.
Barnly's vital signs tool checks the numbers you enter against these ranges and saves them with the vet visit in the horse's history.
Coming soon to the App Store