Temperature
A healthy adult horse's temperature typically ranges from 99 to 101°F (37.2 to 38.3°C), taken rectally with a digital thermometer — a reading outside this range warrants a call to your vet.
Pulse
Resting heart rate for an adult horse is normally 28 to 44 beats per minute, checked most easily under the jaw or at the digital artery near the fetlock.
Respiration
A resting horse typically takes 8 to 16 breaths per minute; watch the flank rise and fall, or hold a hand near the nostrils, to count an accurate rate.
Building a Baseline
Knowing your own horse's normal resting vitals makes it far easier to recognize a concerning change quickly — check and record them when your horse is healthy and calm.
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