Horse Vital Signs and First Aid: Normal Ranges, When to Call the Vet, and What to Keep in Your Kit

Normal vital signs for an adult horse

Foals have higher normal temperatures, pulse and breathing rates. Exercise, heat and excitement raise all three temporarily in adults.

Take a baseline now. On two or three calm days, at the same time of day, take your horse's vitals and write them down. Some horses run a little high or low, and that baseline will help you and your vet.

How to take each vital sign

Temperature

1. Use a digital horse thermometer, lubricated with petroleum jelly.
2. Stand beside the horse's hindquarters, not directly behind, and lift the tail.
3. Insert the thermometer gently into the rectum and angle it slightly so the tip touches the wall.
4. Wait for the beep. Some thermometers have a string and clip so you can attach them to the tail hair.
5. Clean it afterward with alcohol.

Pulse

• Under the jaw: run your fingers along the inside of the lower jawbone, about where the cheek muscle ends. You'll feel an artery roll under your fingers. Press gently.
• Behind the elbow: with a stethoscope pressed just behind the left elbow, you'll hear a "lub-dub." Count each pair as one beat.

Count for 15 seconds and multiply by four.

Breathing

Watch the flank or the nostrils and count each in-and-out as one breath, for 30 seconds, then multiply by two. In cold weather you can watch the breath. Note whether breathing looks easy or labored.

Gums and capillary refill

Lift the upper lip and look at the gums above the front teeth. Press firmly with a fingertip until the spot goes white, then let go and count how long the pink color takes to return.

Gut sounds

Press your ear or a stethoscope against the flank, high and low on both sides. You should hear gurgling and occasional rumbling. Listen for at least a minute on each side.

Digital pulse

Feel either side of the back of the fetlock, where the artery runs down toward the hoof. Normally it's faint. A strong, bounding pulse can mean inflammation in the foot, such as an abscess or laminitis.

When to call the vet right away

Call immediately for:

• Signs of colic: pawing, rolling, looking at the belly, not eating, no manure. See colic in horses.
• Any eye injury, including a swollen, squinting or tearing eye. Eye problems get worse fast.
• Cuts near a joint, tendon or the hoof, even small ones. Joint infections are an emergency.
• Puncture wounds, especially in the foot. They look small and go deep.
• Heavy bleeding that doesn't slow with firm pressure.
• Severe lameness, where the horse won't put weight on a leg.
• Choke: feed and saliva coming from the nostrils, coughing, stretching the neck. Remove all feed and water and call.
• Fever over about 102°F, or any fever with other signs.
• Trouble breathing, collapse, or seizures.
• A horse that won't eat or drink.
• Foaling problems, or a mare that hasn't passed her placenta within three hours.

When in doubt, call. Vets would rather talk you through a minor problem than see a major one too late.

Basic wound care

For a minor cut, scrape or abrasion that isn't on the list above:

1. Stop the bleeding with firm, steady pressure from a clean pad or gauze for several minutes.
2. Clean the wound gently with lots of clean water or saline. A hose on a gentle setting works for leg wounds. Avoid harsh products such as undiluted hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which damage healing tissue.
3. Remove dirt and debris you can see, without digging.
4. Apply a thin layer of a wound ointment your vet recommends.
5. Bandage if needed, especially on the lower legs, to keep the wound clean. Use proper padding under any wrap.
6. Check the horse's tetanus vaccination. Horses are very susceptible to tetanus. If it's been more than a year, call your vet about a booster.

Watch the wound daily for heat, swelling, discharge or a bad smell, which can mean infection.

Hoof abscesses

A hoof abscess is a pocket of infection inside the hoof. It often causes sudden, severe lameness that looks like a broken leg, with a strong digital pulse and heat in one foot. Your vet or farrier finds it with hoof testers, opens a drainage hole, and has you soak and wrap the foot with a poultice or Epsom salts for a few days. Most horses improve quickly once the abscess drains.

What to keep in a horse first aid kit

A ready-made horse first aid kit is a good start. Add to it so it covers your situation.

Tools

• Digital thermometer
• Stethoscope
• Bandage scissors and a sharp knife
• Tweezers or hemostats
• Flashlight or headlamp
• Hoof pick and hoof knife
• Clean towels and a bucket used only for first aid
• Disposable gloves
• Notepad, pen, and a card with your vet's numbers

Wound care

• Saline solution or a large bottle of sterile wash
• Gauze pads and rolled gauze
• Non-stick wound pads
• Wound ointment or spray recommended by your vet
• Roll cotton or sheet cotton

Bandaging

• Self-adhesive bandage wrap (several rolls)
• Standing wraps and pillow wraps (see leg protection)
• Elastic adhesive tape
• Duct tape, for hoof wraps
• Diapers or a poultice pad, for hoof wraps

Other

• Epsom salts and a soaking boot or bucket
• Poultice
• Cold packs, or ice boots
• Electrolytes
• A spare halter and lead rope

Medications such as pain relievers and sedatives should only be kept and used as directed by your vet. Ask whether they recommend any for your kit and how to use them.

Check your kit every few months. Replace what you've used and anything past its date. Keep a smaller version in your trailer for trips. See hauling horses long distance.

Sources

• University of Minnesota Extension: Basic First Aid for Your Horse and Preparing for Emergencies
• AAEP: Be Prepared for an Equine Health Emergency
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Horse Owners