What is a normal horse temperature, heart rate and breathing rate?

What is a normal temperature for a horse?

A normal horse body temperature is about 99 to 101 °F (37.2 to 38.3 °C) for an adult at rest, measured rectally; Texas A&M gives the average horse temperature as 100 °F. Sources agree within half a degree on the lower end and differ by about a degree at the top:

A textbook chapter on equine internal medicine adds that core temperature can differ by about 1 °C (2 °F) between individual horses, and that it is usually lowest in the morning and highest in the late afternoon. The Merck Veterinary Manual's reference table gives mares 99.1 to 100.8 °F and stallions 99.0 to 100.6 °F.

Is the textbook range too high?

Horses on one calm British yard ran cooler than the textbook range. Researchers took 652 rectal temperatures from 41 healthy horses on one yard and found a normal range of 36.0 to 38.0 °C (96.8 to 100.4 °F), lower than most published ranges, possibly because of the low-stress setting. The authors suggest that ranges may need reviewing. It is one yard, but it fits the advice of Redwings Horse Sanctuary: "get to know what is normal" for your own horse.

Normal temperature for foals and donkeys

Foals run slightly warmer than adults, and donkeys slightly cooler; a normal foal temperature in the first days is up to about 102 °F. The same internal medicine textbook gives newborn foals 100.0 to 102.0 °F (37.8 to 38.9 °C). Foals also have much faster heart and breathing rates, which change over the first days and months, so ask your vet what to expect at your foal's age. For donkeys, figures from The Donkey Sanctuary give an average of 37.1 °C (98.8 °F), with a range of 36.5 to 37.7 °C. Canada's code of practice for equines warns that donkeys and mules are stoic and less likely to show illness, so a lost appetite in a donkey is a significant concern.

Is 102 a fever for a horse?

Yes, for an adult horse 102 °F (38.9 °C) is above every normal range; Texas A&M, Redwings and the Royal Veterinary College class it as a fever, the University of Minnesota and Rutgers say to call the vet above 101 °F, and Texas A&M says to rest the horse, keep checking, and call at 103 °F. A reading such as 101.7 °F is already above the Minnesota and Rutgers limits. The thresholds differ by source:

Before you act on a high reading, Redwings advises to take the temperature again to make sure it is accurate, and to keep a horse with a fever away from others until infectious disease is ruled out. A temperature below the normal range is a reason to call too; Texas A&M notes that horses in shock may have a low temperature.

A normal reading does not rule out illness. The British Horse Society says that if your horse shows signs of discomfort or illness, you should get veterinary help straight away and not waste time measuring first.

Does bute reduce fever in horses?

Yes, bute (phenylbutazone) lowers fever: the US label for Butequine paste calls it a "non-hormonal anti-inflammatory, antipyretic compound", but it is a prescription drug, approved "for the relief of inflammatory conditions associated with the musculoskeletal system in horses." Don't give bute for a fever unless your vet says so. The label gives no separate dose for fever; its oral dose for those musculoskeletal conditions on the Butequine paste label is "1 to 2 g of phenylbutazone per 500 lb. (227 kg) of body weight daily. Do not exceed 4 g daily." The label adds to use a relatively high dose for the first 48 hours, then reduce gradually and "Maintain lowest dose capable of producing desired clinical response", and "If no significant clinical response is evident after 5 days, reevaluate diagnosis and therapeutic approach."

Bringing a fever down is not the same as treating its cause, and the same label says that "In the treatment of inflammatory conditions associated with infections, specific anti-infective therapy is required." The University of Minnesota also warns that phenylbutazone can hide signs your vet needs to assess the problem. Your vet decides whether your horse gets bute for a fever and how much. Our guide to bute and Banamine covers both drugs, and the dose goes by weight, which our horse weight guide helps you find.

How do you take a horse's temperature?

Use a digital rectal thermometer with some lubricant, stand beside the hindquarters rather than behind, insert it gently and hold it against the rectal wall until it beeps. The British Horse Society and Rutgers describe the same steps:

1. Turn a digital thermometer on and check that the display works. A digital rectal thermometer from a tack shop or drugstore is fine, according to UConn Extension.
2. Put a little lubricant, such as petroleum jelly, on the tip.
3. Ask a helper to hold the horse, and wear a hard hat.
4. Stand at the side of the horse near the hindquarters, out of kicking range, never directly behind.
5. Move the tail gently to one side and insert the thermometer slowly. Never force it. The BHS says only the narrow section, about 3 to 4 cm, needs to go in.
6. Angle it slightly so the tip rests against the wall of the rectum and not in a ball of manure, which reads colder.
7. Keep hold of the thermometer until it beeps, or for at least 30 seconds. Never let go.
8. Read it, then clean and disinfect the thermometer.

If you don't feel comfortable doing this, the BHS suggests asking someone more experienced or your vet. Some owners clip a string from the thermometer to the tail; the AAEP's emergency kit list includes a rectal thermometer with string and clip attached.

What is a normal heart rate for a horse?

A normal horse heart rate at rest is about 28 to 44 beats per minute for an adult, with larger horses at the lower end. That is the range Penn State gives from AAEP values, and the British Horse Society and UC Davis give the same. Rutgers allows up to 48 beats per minute and notes that smaller horses tend to sit higher in the range. The University of Minnesota says to call the vet above 50 beats per minute at rest.

Where to feel a horse's pulse

The easiest place is the facial artery, which runs under the lower jawbone. The Merck Veterinary Manual names it as the easiest place to feel the pulse. Press gently with your fingers, not your thumb, because you may feel your own pulse in your thumb. Penn State lists two other places: the inside of the knee and just below the fetlock. With a stethoscope, listen on the left side of the chest just behind the elbow, and count each "lub-dub" as one beat. Count for 15 seconds and multiply by four, or for 30 seconds and multiply by two.

Is 60 beats per minute too high?

Yes, for a horse at rest 60 beats per minute is above every normal range and above the University of Minnesota's threshold of 50, so call your vet. After exercise the heart rate is higher and should come down; UConn says a fit horse recovers within about five minutes, while Texas A&M allows 15 minutes to an hour. In hot weather, the University of Minnesota lists a pulse above 60 together with a high temperature as signs of heatstroke, which is an emergency.

What is a normal respiratory rate for a horse?

A normal horse respiratory rate, or breathing rate, is about 8 to 16 breaths per minute for an adult at rest, though sources range from 8 to 12 up to 10 to 24. Rutgers gives 8 to 14, the British Horse Society and UConn give 8 to 16, and the University of Minnesota gives 8 to 12 and says to call the vet above 30. Rutgers adds a useful check: a horse normally takes about one breath for every four heartbeats, and if that ratio is altered or reversed, veterinary attention is sometimes needed.

How to count a horse's breaths

Watch the flank rise and fall while the horse stands quietly, and count one breath in and out as one. Penn State advises watching the flank rather than the nostrils, because sniffing is easily mistaken for breathing. Count for 15 or 30 seconds and multiply to get breaths per minute.

Gums, capillary refill, gut sounds and the skin pinch test

Healthy gums are pink and moist, the pink returns within 1 to 2 seconds after you press, and gut sounds can be heard in all four quadrants of the belly. The University of Minnesota explains what gum color can mean: pale or white may mean blood loss, bright red can point to a toxin, and gray, purple or blue means a lack of oxygen and possibly shock. To check capillary refill, press your thumb on the gum above the upper teeth, release, and count how long the pink takes to return; Minnesota says to call the vet if it takes more than 3 seconds. UC Davis lists gut sounds in all four quadrants as normal, and the BHS lists reduced or absent gut sounds as a sign of illness. For hydration, pinch a fold of skin on the neck or shoulder: Penn State says it should flatten within about 1.5 seconds, and that longer than four seconds means the horse is dehydrated and you should call your vet.

What raises a horse's temperature, pulse and breathing?

Exercise, hot weather, excitement, pain and illness all raise the vital signs, so measure a horse at rest and at the same time of day. UConn lists excitement, hot weather, pain and fever as causes. A horse's temperature after exercise is higher; Kentucky Equine Research says it should be back to normal within 90 minutes. The University of Minnesota notes that a horse's temperature is typically about a degree higher in the afternoon than in the morning. That is why a reading only means something next to your horse's own normal, taken under the same conditions.

Why your horse's own normal matters more than the chart

Every horse has its own normal, and a change from it can warn you before other signs appear. Penn State advises measuring when the horse is healthy to establish baseline measurements, and to keep a record for each horse. World Horse Welfare suggests recording each vital sign every day for a week while the horse stands calmly at rest, then taking the average. UConn adds that changes in vital signs often appear before other signs of illness. And Redwings points out that a temperature of 37.8 °C may be typical for one horse but not for a horse that usually sits around 36.9 °C.