Perform a Physical Exam

Knowing how to perform a basic physical examination is a skill every horse owner should know. By performing a brief physical examination on your horse, you can provide important information to your veterinarian before they are able to reach the farm, and give some direction as to whether there are any treatments that can be initiated immediately. It is also important to know your horses' normal vital signs. Horse’s have a wide range of normal values for physical exam parameters, and it is useful to compare values in an emergency to your horses' known normal values. Follow this head-to-hoof approach to a basic physical exam.

Mucous Membranes (Gums)

To look at a horse’s mucous membranes, gently flip their upper lip and look at their gums. Normally their gums should be light pink and moist. If your finger sticks to the gums, they are too dry, which can indicate dehydration. Very pale gums, a dark pink line, or a muddy/purple color are all abnormal. You also can check a capillary refill time (CRT), which is an indicator of systemic perfusion. To do this, press your thumb into their gum until the tissue underneath it blanches white. Then release the pressure and count how many seconds it takes for the pink color to return to the area. Normal CRT is less than 2 seconds.

Heart Rate

To take your horse's heart rate, place a stethoscope just behind their elbow on the left side of their chest. You will hear a "lub-dub", which constitutes one heart beat. Count the beats for 15 seconds, and multiply by 4 for a per-minute count. You can also use their pulse to estimate their heart rate. Feel under the round aspect of the back of the jaw and you will feel a round artery and vein. Place light pressure with your fingertips until you can feel a pulse. As a general rule, the equine heart rate ranges from 32-44 beats per min (bpm).

Respiratory Rate and Lung Sounds

To take your horse's respiratory rate, you can watch the rise and fall of their chest or abdominal wall with their breaths. In normal horses it may be a subtle movement. You can also place your hand just in front of the horse’s nostril and feel for the breath on your palm, though some horses may increase their respiratory rate due to something in front of their face. A normal respiratory rate is between 8-16 breaths per minute.

You can also listen to your horse’s lungs using a stethoscope - listen on both sides in the area marked out in tape in this picture. You should hear soft “breath” sounds, like your own breathing sounds. You should NOT hear sounds like “rice-crispies” (crackles) or high-pitched squeaky sounds (wheezes).

Gastrointestinal (Gut) Sounds

Gastrointestinal sounds (Gut sounds) can vary between horses and depending on time of day and what they are being fed.  The best way to learn what your horse’s normal gut sounds are is to listen to them at least once a season (green grass gurgles, normal pasture noises, grain gas bubbles, etc). Using a stethoscope, place the bell on the horse’s flank high and low on both sides, as well as all the way on the bottom of the belly. You should hear rumbling sounds periodically (every 5 seconds or so), which may be very loud or slightly quiet. If no sounds are heard, or if they are very quiet/hard to hear, that is not normal. If you hear a sound like “waves on the beach” on the bottom of the belly, this can indicate sand inside the large colon - call your vet for additional evaluation.

Temperature

To take your horse's temperature, stand behind them and to the side. Gently lift their tail, and insert a lubed thermometer into their rectum. If you have a non digital thermometer, be sure to hold it in place or tie a string from the thermometer to their tail and leave in place for a full 2 minutes. Make sure you stand in a safe position, as some horses will kick during this procedure. A horse’s normal temperature is between 99.5°-101.5°F.

Digital Pulses

On either side of the back of the pastern, there are two arteries that carry blood into the foot. The pulse pressure can indicate hoof inflammation or laminitis.

To find the vessel, place two fingers on the skin of this area, press down and “roll” the tissues between the skin and the bone beneath. You will come across a “rubber-band” like structure. This is the vessel. Apply very light pressure with these two fingers to this vessel, and wait for several seconds to feel a pulse. Palpate gently over this area to see whether you feel a pulse.

It is common to not feel digital pulses in normal horses, but very strong pulses to their hooves can indicate a problem. The pulse feels “bounding” (pulsing very hard), also feel the feet for warmth (they should be cool, or very barely warm).