Measuring Your Horse’s Vitals

The Last Ride Arizona discusses the way to Measure Your Horse’s Vitals

As a horse owner, it is important to know how to take measurements of some of your horse’s vitals. In this way, you can more effectively monitor its health and know when to contact the veterinarian. Some of the vitals you should know about include:

Measuring Your Horse’s Vitals

• Pulse: Should be between 28 and 42 beats per minute. Can be measured by using your fingers to feel for a pulse in an artery, with the help of a heart rate monitor or with a stethoscope. Good places to check for pulse include inside the jaw, outside of the hind leg, inside the front leg above the knee and underneath the tail.
• Temperature: Should be between 99.5 and 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Can be measured with either a digital or a glass rectal thermometer. Both require lubrication before insertion.
• Respiration: Should be between 8 and 12 breaths per minute. Can be measured by watching the flank rising and falling, watching the nostrils flare or listening to the trachea with a stethoscope.

In some cases, these “normal” ranges may not be what is normal for your horse, so it is important to get a baseline when your horse is healthy so you can more effectively monitor issues as they arise.

Even with the greatest of care, there will come a time when your horse has to be put down. When that time comes, you can trust The Last Ride to handle your companion with the dignity and respect he or she deserves, we are experts in large animal removal.