Average Heart Rate for a Horse: What’s Normal and How to Check It
- Horse Education Online
- May 29, 2025
- 9 min read
Updated: Nov 11, 2025
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Is my horse’s heart rate normal?” — you’re already thinking like a responsible horse owner.
Just like in humans, average heart rate for a horse is one of the clearest windows into what’s happening internally. Whether your horse is resting in the stall or just finished a workout, their pulse can reveal signs of stress, pain, fitness, or something more serious.
In this post, we’ll break down what counts as a normal heart rate, what can influence it, and how to check it safely (even without a stethoscope).
TL;DR
A calm, healthy adult horse typically rests between 28 and 44 bpm. Yearlings are usually 40–60 bpm and foals 80–100 bpm. Know your own horse’s calm-day baseline so you can spot changes fast.
To measure: let the horse stand quietly for 10–15 minutes. Count beats for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Use a stethoscope just behind the left elbow or feel the facial or digital artery with two fingers (not your thumb). See normals and technique in The Horse’s Vital Signs.
During work, heart rate rises with speed, hills, and heat. A practical recovery target is below the mid-60s by 10 minutes after moderate exercise and trending back toward baseline by 20–30 minutes. If heat or dehydration is possible, run the quick checks here: How to Tell if a Horse Is Dehydrated.
Treat persistent resting readings above 60 bpm as a red flag—especially if paired with fast breathing, fever, gum color changes, colic behavior, or obvious pain. Know when to escalate: Fever—temperature chart and when to act.
Disclaimer: This guide is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment.
Why a Horse’s Heart Rate Is So Important
Your horse can’t tell you when something feels off — but their heart rate can.
That’s why knowing how to check it (and what’s normal) is one of the simplest and most powerful tools in your horse care toolkit. A change in heart rate is often the first sign of a deeper issue. It might mean your horse is overheated, fighting an infection, in pain, or stressed out — even if they seem okay on the surface.
Heart rate is also a great way to monitor fitness levels. If your horse is in training, tracking how quickly their heart rate returns to normal after a workout can show you how well they’re recovering and adapting.
When should you check heart rate?
During rest – This gives you a baseline for what’s normal.
After exercise – Helps assess fitness and recovery time.
When sick or injured – A fast pulse can point to internal distress.
In stressful situations – Trailering, events, or vet visits.
In short: the heart doesn’t lie. And learning to read it helps you catch small problems before they become big ones.
So, What’s the Average Heart Rate for a Horse?
Resting ranges by age (the numbers you’ll use most)
A calm, healthy adult typically rests between 28 and 44 beats per minute (bpm).
Yearlings usually rest 40–60 bpm.Foals commonly rest 80–100 bpm.
Those are population ranges. What matters in your barn is your horse’s own baseline when they are relaxed, not hot, and not anxious. Take two or three readings on quiet days and keep the best, most consistent number as your reference. For a refresher on normals beyond heart rate, see The Horse’s Vital Signs.
What “normal during work” looks like
During exercise, heart rate rises with speed, hills, temperature, and training level. These ballpark ranges help you sense-fit a session:
Walk: about 60–80 bpm
Trot: about 80–120 bpm
Canter: about 120–160 bpm
Gallop/strong sets: often 180–220 bpm in brief peaks
A very fit horse may run a little lower at a given gait; heat or stress can push numbers higher.
Recovery benchmarks that actually help
Recovery tells you more about fitness than a single peak number.
At 10 minutes post-work: many healthy horses are below ~60–64 bpm.
At 20–30 minutes: most should be near their own resting baseline.
If the heart rate stays high, pair that with other checks (breathing, temperature, hydration) before you decide what to do next. If heat or dehydration is in play, address those first; quick field checks are here: How to Tell if a Horse Is Dehydrated.
When a lower number is normal—and when it isn’t
Well-conditioned horses often rest toward the low end of the adult range, sometimes around 28–32 bpm. That can be fine if the horse is bright, eating, and moving comfortably.
A low heart rate is not reassuring if the horse looks dull, wobbly, or unresponsive. Combine the number with how the horse feels and other vitals before you relax.
Factors that nudge the number up or down
Small swings happen. Expect modest increases with heat and humidity, travel or show stress, pain (hoof abscess, colic), or illness. If you see a resting rate above 60 bpm, and especially if it pairs with fast breathing, gum color changes, sweating, or restlessness, treat that as urgent and call your veterinarian. Use this as your safety anchor: Fever: Temperature Chart and When to Act.
How to get a true resting reading (quick setup)
Let the horse stand quietly 10–15 minutes in a familiar place. Check before feeding or riding, and not right after turnout or a trailer ride. Count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4, or use a monitor and confirm odd readings by hand. A few calm repeats beat one hurried measurement.
Barn card you can print
Age / Situation | Typical heart rate |
Foal (under 1 year) | 80–100 bpm |
Yearling (1–2 years) | 40–60 bpm |
Adult resting (calm) | 28–44 bpm |
Walk work | ~60–80 bpm |
Trot work | ~80–120 bpm |
Canter work | ~120–160 bpm |
Gallop peaks | ~180–220 bpm |
Red-flag adult rest | >60 bpm with concerning signs → call your vet |
Educational only; not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment.
What Affects a Horse’s Heart Rate?
Even if you know your horse’s normal resting heart rate, it’s important to remember that it’s not static. Like ours, a horse’s heart rate changes based on what’s happening in their body or environment. So before you assume something’s wrong, think about what could be influencing the number.
Here are the most common factors:
1. Physical exertion
This one’s obvious. A workout, ride, or even a spirited trot around the pasture will naturally raise your horse’s heart rate. That’s a good thing. It means their cardiovascular system is working. What you want to watch for is how fast it comes back down after the activity. A fit horse should recover within 15 to 30 minutes.
2. Stress or fear
Traveling, loud noises, unfamiliar environments, or separation from a buddy can spike a horse’s pulse. If you’re checking their heart rate at a show or while trailering, it might be higher than usual, not because they’re unwell, but because they’re mentally on edge.
3. Illness or fever
Infections, viruses, and other health issues often trigger a faster heart rate, even before other symptoms show up. This is why checking heart rate is such a useful early warning sign — it can point you toward something brewing internally.
4. Pain or discomfort
Colic, lameness, hoof abscesses — any kind of pain can elevate your horse’s heart rate. If you see a spike and can’t explain it with exertion or stress, look closely for other subtle signs: changes in appetite, sweating, shifting weight, or reluctance to move.
5. Weather and environment
Hot and humid weather puts added strain on your horse’s body. To cool off, their heart has to work harder, even when they’re resting. Always factor in the temperature and humidity when you check their pulse.
Bottom line: heart rate doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Context matters, and knowing these triggers will help you make better decisions.
How to Check Your Horse’s Heart Rate
Measuring heart rate sounds technical — but it’s actually one of the easiest vital signs to check, once you know how. Here are two simple methods, no vet degree required:
Method 1: Using a Stethoscope
If you have a stethoscope (they’re inexpensive and handy to keep around), this method gives the most direct reading.
Steps:
Stand on your horse’s left side.
Place the stethoscope just behind their left elbow, against the chest wall. You’re listening for the “lub-dub” of the heartbeat.
Set a timer and count the beats for 15 seconds.
Multiply that number by 4 to get their beats per minute (bpm).
If you count 10 beats in 15 seconds, their heart rate is 40 bpm.
It helps to do this when your horse is calm, in a quiet area.
Method 2: Feeling the Pulse
No stethoscope? No problem. You can feel the pulse in one of two places:
Facial artery (under the jaw):
Run your fingers along the underside of the jawbone, near where it curves up toward the cheek. You’ll feel a soft, rhythmic “thump.”
Digital artery (by the fetlock):
Feel the inside of the fetlock joint, just above the hoof. The pulse here is usually stronger — especially if there’s inflammation or injury.
Use your index and middle fingers, never your thumb (it has its own pulse).
Count the beats for 15 seconds, then multiply by 4. Same method.
Optional: Use a Horse Heart Rate Monitor
For performance horses or anyone tracking long-term health, there are heart rate monitors you can place under the girth. These tools give real-time readings and are great for spotting patterns during training or recovery.
Whether you use your hands, a stethoscope, or a monitor, the key is practice. The more often you check, the better you’ll get at spotting when something’s off.
When Is a Heart Rate Too High?
Quick thresholds to know
An adult at rest should be 28–44 bpm. Treat persistent readings above 60 bpm at rest as a red flag—especially if the horse looks uncomfortable or unwell. Re-check after one minute to confirm.
Context matters, but these are stop-and-act numbers
Resting adult >60 bpm, or >80 bpm that doesn’t drop after you remove obvious stressors (heat, separation, fresh turnout).
10 minutes after moderate work and still >64 bpm, or 30 minutes post-work and not trending toward the horse’s normal baseline.
Foals resting >100 bpm or yearlings >70 bpm, particularly with other abnormal signs.
Pair the number with signs
High heart rate is more concerning when you also see:
Fast breathing (resting >40/min), temperature ≥103 °F / 39.5 °C, gum color changes (pale, red, or tacky), colic behavior (pawing, looking at flank), lameness/pain, or dehydration checks that fail (skin tent or capillary refill >2 seconds).If two or more are present, call your veterinarian.
What to do while you call
Move to shade and airflow. Stop work immediately. Hose large muscle groups with cool water and scrape between passes. Offer plain water in small, frequent sips. Walk quietly if the horse is agitated, otherwise let them stand. Do not medicate without veterinary direction.
Tiny barn card (print this)
Situation | Adult HR (bpm) | Action |
Calm, resting | 28–44 | Normal—log as baseline |
Resting and anxious/heat | 45–60 | Remove stress/heat, re-check in 1–2 min |
Resting, persistent | >60 | Red flag—assess other vitals, call your vet |
10 min post-work | >64 | Cool, monitor, consider vet if not falling |
Temp ≥103 °F, RR >40, dull/pain | Any high HR | Emergency call |
For a refresher on normal ranges and how to measure correctly, see The Horse’s Vital Signs (how to take heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature).
Quick Heart Rate Chart
Age Group | Normal Heart Rate (bpm) |
Foal | 80–100 |
Yearling | 40–60 |
Adult | 28–44 |
Print this out. Stick it in your barn. Use it when something feels off.
Keep Learning: Related Guides
A Compend of the Veterinary Art: A classic reference covering foundational veterinary practices and equine care.
A Textbook of the Practice of Equine Medicine: A comprehensive look at diagnosing and treating equine diseases, rooted in historical veterinary medicine.
The Horse’s Vital Signs: Learn how to accurately assess heart rate, respiration, and temperature — and what these vitals reveal about your horse’s health.
Want to Go Deeper?
If you're ready to take the guesswork out of equine health, check out our Equine Anatomy Certification. It's built to help horse owners and students build real confidence in understanding the systems behind vital signs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a horse’s heart rate predict colic or illness?
Yes, a consistently elevated heart rate can be an early indicator of colic, infection, or internal pain. If the rate goes above 60 beats per minute at rest, especially when paired with symptoms like sweating, restlessness, or reduced gut sounds, you should contact a veterinarian. Monitoring heart rate alongside other signs helps detect serious conditions before they worsen.
Is a lower heart rate always a good thing in horses?
Not necessarily. While well-conditioned horses often have lower resting heart rates, an unusually low rate in a horse that seems lethargic or unresponsive could signal a heart problem or metabolic issue. It is important to know your horse’s normal baseline and assess changes in context with other vital signs.
How do age and breed affect heart rate in horses?
Foals have higher heart rates than adult horses, often reaching 80 to 100 beats per minute. Yearlings average between 40 and 60 bpm, while healthy adults typically fall between 28 and 44 bpm. Lighter breeds may trend slightly higher, while larger or draft horses can be on the lower end of the range.
Are wearable heart rate monitors for horses accurate?
When used correctly, wearable monitors like girth straps or halter sensors can provide accurate readings, especially during training or rehabilitation. They help you track changes over time but should not replace manual checks during health assessments or emergencies. Always verify unusual readings manually.
Can environmental stress cause temporary heart rate spikes in horses?
Yes. Loud environments, new settings, or trailering can raise a horse’s heart rate temporarily due to the body’s natural stress response. These spikes usually return to normal within 20 to 30 minutes if the horse is left to rest. If the elevated rate persists, it may be a sign of a deeper issue.
