The Heart Rate of the Horse

HORSE HEART RATE

              An adult horse at rest will have a pulse rate ranging from 30 to 40 beats per minute. Foals will have a pulse rate ranging from 70 to 120, yearlings from 45 to 60 and two-year-olds from 40 to 50.

          If you are using a stethoscope, place it on the horse’s girth area just behind the left elbow.   You will hear the heart beat—it makes two sounds, lub then dub, to count as a single heart beat.   If you don’t have a stethoscope, it is recommended you get one so you are very accurate. The stethoscope will also come in handy when listening to gut and other sounds.

          To find the horse’s pulse with your fingers, you can locate the artery just under the left inner side of the jawbone toward the front. Other convenient locations are at the back of the fetlock joint or just below the elbow on the inside of the forearm.

          Use your index finger and press firmly against the artery. Count each surge of blood through the artery for 15 seconds, and then you can multiply by 4 to determine the number of beats per minute.

         The sounds you hear (if you have your speakers on) is the heart of a horse recovering after ten minutes of loping. His heart rate was about 150 beats per minute and down to approximatly 60 beats per minute at the end of the recording.

         A healthy, well-conditioned horse should, after strenuous exercise, return to near normal within 15 minutes, depending on the ambient temperature. If it is a very hot day, the horse may take longer to cool down, so his pulse will remain elevated for a longer period of time.

        For more information about horse health, take the online course Health and Disease Management. Click Here For More Information.

AUDIO - Click on Blue Button to Replay Heart Rate Sound.