Video: How To Take Your Horse’s Vital Signs

This is a great video on how to take your horse’s temperature, pulse, respiration rate, and check his hydration status and mucous membranes with Dr. Roberta Dwyer of the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center.

Here is a quick list of the rates according to this video:

Normal Adult Horse Resting Temperature: 99-101*F

Normal Foal Resting Temperature:  99.5-102*F

Normal Adult Horse Resting Heart Rate:  28-44 beats per minute

Normal Foal Resting Heart Rate:  90-120 beats per minute

Newborn foals (less than 36 hours old) resting heart rate:  70-150 beats per minute

Normal Adult Horse Resting Respiratory Rate:  12-15 breaths per minute

Normal Foal Resting Respiratory Rate:  30-40 breaths per minute

Normal Newborn (less than 36 hours old) foal Resting Respiratory Rate: 60-80 breaths per minute

Source:  www.thehorse.com