First aid and vital signs

Horse First Aid and Vitals

Know your horse's normal vital signs so pain, colic, dehydration or fever is easier to spot early. Check the readings your vet will ask for, see the red flags and get a clear summary to read out on the phone.

1. Check The eight readings your vet will ask for.
2. Record Write each one down with the exact time.
3. Call Read your vet a clear, timed summary.

Emergency? Call your vet first. Use this page while you wait.

Normal ranges

Normal horse temperature, heart rate and breathing

Values for a calm horse at rest. Your own horse's baseline is the best comparison, so record it when it is healthy.

Temperature

37.2–38.3 °C

99–101 °F

Call your vet at 38.6 °C (101.5 °F) or above.

Heart rate

28–44

beats per minute

Fit horses can sit in the high 20s.

Breathing rate

8–16

breaths per minute

Up to about 20 is common in heat or after work.

Gums and refill

Pink, moist

refill under 2 seconds

Pale, dark or purple gums need a vet now.

Gut sounds

Gurgles

on both sides, every minute

Quiet or silent with pain means colic call.

Manure

Your horse's usual

count piles per day

None in 12 hours is a warning sign.

Full vital signs guide Heart rate explained Fever temperature chart

Free tool

Horse vitals checker

Enter what you can measure. Each reading is compared with normal ranges, and you get a call-or-monitor result plus a summary for your vet.

Fill in at least one reading. Leave anything you have not checked blank.

Step by step

How to take each check

Practise these on a calm, healthy day so you are quick and confident when it counts.

01

Temperature

1. Lubricate a digital thermometer and stand beside the hindquarters, not behind.
2. Lift the tail and insert gently, angled slightly toward the rectal wall.
3. Keep hold of it until it beeps. Write down the reading and the time.

Tip: Take it at the same time of day when building a baseline. Readings run higher in the afternoon, in heat and after work.

02

Heart rate

1. Place a stethoscope just behind the left elbow, under the girth line.
2. Each lub-dub counts as one beat. Count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.
3. No stethoscope? Feel the artery under the inside edge of the jawbone.

Tip: Wait at least 10 minutes after exercise or excitement before you count.

03

Breathing rate

1. Stand back and watch the flank or the nostrils.
2. One in and out counts as one breath. Count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2.
3. Note any effort: flared nostrils, a heave line or noise.

Tip: Do not count while the horse is sniffing. In cold weather, watching the breath vapour is easiest.

04

Gums and capillary refill

1. Lift the upper lip and look at the gum above the front teeth.
2. Press with your thumb for 2 seconds until the spot goes pale.
3. Release and count the seconds until the colour returns.

Tip: Pale, white, bright red, dark red, purple or a dark line along the teeth needs a vet call.

05

Hydration (skin pinch)

1. Pinch a fold of skin on the point of the shoulder.
2. Release and count how long it takes to flatten.
3. Check that the gums feel moist, not tacky or dry.

Tip: Less reliable in older and thin horses. Use it with gum moisture, manure and urine.

06

Gut sounds

1. Listen at four spots: high and low on each flank, just behind the ribs.
2. Give each spot a full minute with your ear or a stethoscope.
3. Note quiet, normal or very loud sounds for each side.

Tip: Reduced or absent gut sounds with any sign of pain is a colic call.

07

Digital pulse

1. Run your fingers down the back of the fetlock to the sides, just above the heel bulbs.
2. Press lightly over the vessel you feel there.
3. Compare all four feet and note any that feel stronger or warm.

Tip: Strong, bounding pulses can point to laminitis or an abscess.

08

Manure, urine and appetite

1. Count manure piles and note consistency against what is normal for your horse.
2. Note when the horse last ate and drank normally.
3. Watch the urine colour: brown or coffee-coloured is urgent.

Tip: Know your horse's usual number of piles per day. Fewer than usual is an early colic clue.

Red flags

When to call the vet

Do not wait overnight for anything in the first column. When in doubt, call.

Call your vet now

• Colic with heart rate over 60 or pain that does not stop, rolling, no gut sounds
• Pale, bright red, dark or purple gums or capillary refill over 3 seconds
• Trouble breathing at rest flared nostrils, heaving flanks, noisy breathing
• Temperature 39.5 °C (103 °F) or higher or any fever in a foal
• Neurologic signs stumbling, head pressing, falling, trouble swallowing
• Bleeding that will not stop or any wound near a joint or tendon sheath
• A nail or puncture in the hoof especially in the frog
• Laminitis signs rocking back, bounding digital pulses, warm feet
• Choke feed or saliva coming from the nostrils
• Brown or coffee-coloured urine often after exercise (tying-up)
• Foal misses a 1-2-3 milestone or stops nursing
• Sudden severe lameness will not put the foot down

Call your vet today

• Fever of 38.6 °C (101.5 °F) or more in an adult horse
• Heart rate 53 to 60 at rest after 15 minutes of quiet
• Diarrhea urgent if the horse also has a fever or is dull
• Not drinking for 12 hours or skin pinch over 3 seconds
• Eye that is squinting, tearing or cloudy ulcers worsen within hours
• Mild colic signs even if they seem to settle
• No manure for 12 hours or far fewer piles than usual
• Any reading that keeps getting worse on two rechecks in a row

All symptom guides Colic in horses Diarrhea guide Neuro screen tool

First hour

What to do while you wait for the vet

Pick the situation. Each guide covers what to do now, what not to do and when it becomes an emergency.

Colic

Signs: Pawing, looking at the flank, lying down and getting up, rolling, sweating, curling the lip, no manure, reduced gut sounds.

Do now

1. Call your vet for any colic. Have heart rate, gum colour, gut sounds and time of last manure ready.
2. Remove all hay and feed. Ask your vet whether to leave water.
3. Move the horse to a safe space: a well-bedded stall or small paddock with no fences to get cast against.
4. If the horse is trying to throw itself down and it is safe for you, walk it calmly. Do not walk it to exhaustion.
5. Recheck and write down vitals every 15 to 30 minutes until the vet arrives.

Do not

• Do not give bute, banamine, oil or home remedies unless your vet tells you to. They can hide signs the vet needs to see.
• Do not stand where the horse could go down on you.

Emergency if

Heart rate over 60, pain that does not stop, no gut sounds, pale, dark or purple gums, or fluid from the nostrils.

Colic first-hour actions → Colic in horses →

On the phone

What to tell your veterinarian

Clear, timed facts help your vet decide how fast to come and what to bring. Have this ready before you dial.

• What changed, described rather than diagnosed
• When you first noticed it and how it has changed
• Vitals with the exact time of each reading
• Last normal meal, drink and manure

Describe what you see, not a diagnosis. Specific beats 'he seems off'.

The time you first noticed it and whether it is getting better or worse.

Temperature, heart rate, breathing and gums, each with the time taken.

When the horse last ate and drank normally, and how much.

Time of the last normal pile, and any change in amount, colour or smell.

Has the horse left the property or met new horses in the last 3 weeks?

Product, dose and date. Vaccine reactions can cause fever within a day.

What, how much, how and exactly when. Never leave this out.

A short clip of the gait, posture or behaviour helps a lot.

Are other horses on the property showing similar signs?

Be ready

Horse first aid kit checklist

Tick off what you already have. Your list is saved in this browser so you can come back to it.

Check vitals

Wound care

Hoof

Handling and plan

Keep learning

Guides and tools that go deeper

Free guides and calculators for the situations owners search for most.

Free course

Horse Ownership Foundations

Daily care, vital signs, warning signs and emergencies, at your own pace.

Know your horse's normal before an emergency

Horse Tracker keeps baseline vitals, symptoms, medications, vet visits and vaccines for every horse in one place. Start free with one horse.

Explore Horse Tracker Start Horse Tracker Free

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What are normal vital signs for a horse?

A healthy adult horse at rest has a rectal temperature of 37.2 to 38.3 °C (99 to 101 °F), a heart rate of 28 to 44 beats per minute and a breathing rate of 8 to 16 breaths per minute. Gums should be pink and moist, with capillary refill under 2 seconds. Foals run faster heart and breathing rates.

What temperature is a fever in a horse?

Above 38.3 °C (101 °F) suggests a fever in an adult horse. At or above 38.6 °C (101.5 °F), call your vet. Any fever in a foal is urgent. Always use a rectal thermometer and write down the time with the reading.

What heart rate is concerning in a horse?

A resting heart rate above 44 is worth rechecking after 15 minutes of rest. Above 52 calls for a vet call, and above 60 at rest is an emergency, especially in a horse showing colic signs.

What should I check before calling the vet?

Temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, gum colour, capillary refill, hydration, gut sounds and digital pulses. Note when the problem started, when the horse last ate, drank and passed manure, and any medication already given. Write every reading with its time.

Should I give medication before calling the vet?

Generally no. Bute and banamine can mask pain and lower a fever, which makes the vet's assessment harder. Call first and follow your vet's instructions. If your vet has given you a plan for your horse, follow that plan.

How do I check a horse's digital pulse?

Run your fingers down the back of the fetlock to the sides, just above the heel bulbs, and press lightly over the vessel. In a healthy foot the pulse is faint or hard to feel. A strong, bounding pulse can signal laminitis or an abscess. Compare all four feet.

What is the 1-2-3 rule for newborn foals?

A newborn foal should stand within 1 hour and nurse within 2 hours, and the mare should pass the placenta within 3 hours. If any milestone is missed, call your vet.

What should be in a horse first aid kit?

A digital thermometer and lubricant, a stethoscope, a watch or timer, a headlamp, saline, gauze, non-stick dressings, sheet cotton, cohesive bandage, blunt bandage scissors, gloves, a hoof boot, a spare halter and lead, and your vet's and emergency clinic's numbers. Only keep medications your vet has prescribed, with the doses written down.

How often should I record my horse's vitals?

Take a baseline when your horse is healthy, ideally monthly and at the same time of day. During illness, record vitals every 15 to 30 minutes for active symptoms, or as your vet directs.

These guides support, but do not replace, veterinary care. Always contact a licensed veterinarian for diagnosis, treatment and emergencies.