How To Take Horse Vital Signs and What They Mean
Vital signs are important indicators of horse health. Use this guide and its how-to videos to learn how to take your horse’s vitals.
Horse Vital Signs: How To Check for Dehydration
A quick way to check a horse’s hydration status is to perform a skin pinch test. Dr. Christine Johnson shows us how.
Equine Vital Signs: Taking a Horse’s Respiratory Rate
Knowing your horse’s respiratory rate is useful for monitoring his recovery when exercising in hot conditions and picking up on signs of pain or discomfort.
Equine Vital Signs: Taking a Horse’s Pulse
It’s important to know your horse’s baseline heart rate—with or without a stethoscope—so you can detect any elevations that might indicate discomfort.
Equine Vital Signs: Taking a Horse’s Temperature
A horse’s temperature is a sign of its overall health, so you’ll want to learn the steps for taking a horse’s rectal temp safely and effectively.
How To Examine Your Horse’s Mouth
Checking your horse’s mouth to assess the mucous membranes, look for foreign objects, or evaluate the teeth can help you pinpoint problems.
Horse Vital Signs: Checking Capillary Refill Time
Learn how to safely check your horse’s capillary refill time, an important indicator of health that in healthy horses should be less than 2 seconds.
Everything You Need to Know About Impaction Colic in Horses
The more you know about colic in horses, the better you can recognize, prevent, and treat this source of abdominal pain if it occurs.
Horse Vital Signs: Interpreting Gut Sounds
Gut sounds should be present in all healthy horses, with approximately one to three gut sounds per minute indicating good digestive health.
