Early detection of fever, respiratory abnormalities or a too low/too high pulse can save your horse’s life. The following will elaborate on how to take your horse’s temperature, pulse and respiration correctly.
To take your horse’s temperature correctly, make sure your horse is standing still first. Now you can move the tail to the side and insert a thermometer into the anus. Make sure you do this carefully and attach a string to the thermometer so that it does not get “lost” in the horse.
The average temperature of a horse is 37.5 to 38.5°C (99.5 – 101.3°F).
The optimal temperature of a foal is between 37.2 and 38.9°C (98.96 – 102.02°F).
Place two of your fingers on the jaw, the inside of the carpal joint or the fetlock until you feel your horse’s pulse. Now count the number of beats for 30 seconds. Multiply this number by two.
Alternatively, you can measure the pulse with a stethoscope on the girth. Here you also count for 30 seconds and multiply this number by two.
Horses have an average pulse of 28 to 44 bpm (beats per minute).
A foal’s pulse should be between 60 to 80 bpm.
Observe your horse’s flank or nostrils. Count the breaths for 30 seconds (inhaling and exhaling count as one breath). Multiply the counted breaths by two. This is how you determine your horse’s breaths per minute.
The breathing rate of a healthy horse is 8 – 16 bpm (breaths per minute).
A foal breathes in and out 20 to 40 times in one minute.
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