By: Matthew M. Brendal
HEART RATE (You will need a stethoscope & wristwatch)
The heart rate or pulse rate can be taken anywhere a large artery comes close to a bone. The common place a pulse is taken on a horse is just to the inside of the cheek and slightly above and behind the fetlock. I like using a stethoscope and placing the instrument a few inches above and just behind the elbow right over the heart. You should be able to move the diaphragm piece around until you get the loudest and best sound. Please read the instructions for any equipment or tools that are new to you.
To accomplish the exam, find the heart rate count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2. Below I have listed an outline by age and corresponding heart rate or possible condition for above or below normal heart rate. Again these are guidelines, by doing these checks on a monthly basis you will begin to know immediately when there is a problem.
Normal Heart Rate Range Guide
Newborn Foal------------------------ 100 beats per minute
One Month Old Foal------------------- 80 beats per minute
Weanling----------------------------- 60-80 beats per minute
Yearling----------------------------- 40-60 beats per minute
2 Year old--------------------------- 40-50 beats per minute
Mature Horse------------------------- 30-45 beats per minute
Walking------------------------------ 80 beats per minute
Trotting/Cantering------------------- 150 beats per minute
Galloping---------------------------- 200+ beats per minute
Abnormal Heart Rate Range Guide
Shock or Hypothermia----------------- 30 beats per minute or less
Fever, Shock, Pain, Heat Exhaustion-- 46 beats per minute or more
Usually the higher a heart rate the greater the horse’s pain.
A normal heart rate to respiration rate is about 3:1. If the heart rate to respiration rate is very close or the same you have an emergency.
Mares may have a slightly higher heart rate. A horse in excellent athletic condition may have a slightly lower than normal heart rate.
Another rule of thumb; For each increase of eight heart beats it will cause one degree Fahrenheit increase in body temperature.
A “resting heart rate” is commonly considered that the horse has been at rest for at least 30 minutes. The heart rate scale above is for a horse at rest unless indicated otherwise.
