← Horse vet checklist: free printable PDF

Before you call the vet

In an emergency call first; do not wait to fill this in

Halster

This horse

Name

Born

Vet

Number

Out-of-hours number

Owner, number

Normal values at rest, measured on a healthy day

What	Book value	Normal for this horse	Measured on
Temperature	99–101 °F / 37.2–38.3 °C
Pulse	28–48 per minute
Breathing	about 8–14 per minute

Reference: Rutgers, Measuring TPR. Ranges vary by source. A normal value does not rule out illness; call with signs or concerns.

Call at once for

Rolling, pawing, looking at the flank, sweating without work
Temperature above 38.5 °C (101.5 °F)
No droppings, or not eating and drinking
Unwilling to stand or walk, severely lame
A deep wound, a wound near a joint, a closed eye
Feed from the nose, retching, laboured breathing
Suddenly quiet and sweaty after violent restlessness
In doubt

What I check today

Date and time

Temperature

Eating? Drinking?

Droppings: how many, what like

Posture and behaviour

What changed (feed, field, work, rug, farrier, vaccination)

Pulse

Breathing

What I tell the vet, in this order

Who I am, which horse, where he is
What I see and since when
Temperature (and his normal), eating and drinking, droppings
Pulse and breathing if I have them
What changed, and what medication he gets
What I have already done