Physical Exam

A physical exam of a horse is best left to certified veterinarians, but taking note of the a horse's pulse, temperature and respiration rate is a good way to determine if a horse is healthy. with helpful advice from a veterinarian in this video on caring for horses.

Hi! I'm Dr. Joanna Robson. I'm a doctor of veterinary medicine with Inspiritus Equine, Inc. I'd like to talk to you about the basics of a physical examination. Though the physical exam is usually best left up to your certified veterinarian, it's always a really good idea as a horse owner to know what the normals are for your horse, for temperature, pulse and respiration rate. Also, to be able to look at the color of your horse's gums and know what a normal pink color should look like. A horse's pulse can be taken in a number of locations. A basic heart rate or pulse rate can be up to 40 or 44 beats per minute. Anything in excess of that could indicate that your horse is in some kind of illness or distress, particularly in hot weather or under competitive stress. Horses that are in colic episodes can also have an elevated pulse or heart rate. The horse's normal temperature is typically somewhere between about 99.5 up to 101.5 with a lot of individual variance. Anything over 101.5, 102 and on up could indicate that your horse is running a fever. It's important to know that an elevated temperature or a fever could indicate inflammation, doesn't always indicate an infection. It's a really good idea to call your vet if you're not sure of what's going on with your horse's increase temperature. Respiratory rate is also very important, somewhere around 18 on up to 36 is the normal respiration rate for a horse and these values are all per minute. So again, very very important to know the normal rates for your horse's pulse, respiration rate and temperature as understanding the normals will be your first line in defense in recognizing whether your horse is experiencing illness or disease.