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A35 Horse Health Unit
Signs of Health
The first step in health management is learning to recognize a healthy horse.
Disease can then be recognized and treated early.
The horse's health is determined by evaluating the horse's general appearance, condition and behavior, and examining specific parts of the horse (such as the hooves and eyes). Also observing its manure and urine and measuring vital signs like heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature are very important.
A bright, active horse can be recognized at a glance. As it will be alert, inquisitive, and attentive.
An ill horse will have a dull, lethargic look.
When in pastures, horses normally stay in a group, so if one is off by itself it may be hurt or ill.
A healthy horse will normally have a good appetite.
Body Weight and Condition
There are many reasons why it is important to determine the weight and body condition of a horse.
Knowing a horse’s body weight is essential to properly dosing medications and supplements.
Knowing a horse’s body weight alone, however, cannot indicate if the horse is in proper body condition.
This is where body condition scores become necessary. By knowing both the body weight and condition of their horse, horse owners can provide better care for their animals.
Body condition scores will be covered in the equine feed & nutrition unit.
Estimating Body Weight
Studies show that even when experienced horse people estimate an animal’s weight by visual inspection alone, significant errors can occur.
To help avoid this problem, many horse owners and veterinarians use a heart girth measurement and sometimes a body length measurement to estimate weight.
Body weight tapes can also be purchased from local farm stores, but are usually not as accurate.
The girth measurement is taken by placing a tape or thin piece of material (twine) around the horse’s girth. The tape encircles the horse just behind the withers on top and just behind the elbows on the bottom.
The length of the horse is also considered in some equations. The length is measured from the very front of the shoulder to the very back of the buttocks.
Once these measurements are taken, the following equation can be used to determine the horse’s weight in pounds:
(Heart girth squared X the length (inches) / 330.
Hair Coat
A shiny, glossy hair coat is one of the best indicators of a healthy horse. Hair coat is reflective of good nutrition.
Grooming
Grooming is important in maintaining the health and happiness of your horse.
In the wild, horses groom each other. They also roll at will and rub against trees to maintain healthy skin.
Domesticated horses must rely on humans to provide skin care.
Grooming, increases the circulation to the skin which then releases the oils that provide luster to the horses coat.
A shiny, healthy coat does not develop overnight. It takes daily grooming over a long period of time to achieve the supple coat of a winner.
Daily grooming also eases the burden of the shedding season by removing the hair gradually.
As well as providing a shiny coat, regular grooming also enables one to notice any cuts, irritations, or fever that can be detected and treated during a thorough grooming session.
Stand near the horse as you groom it. Make fluid, not quick jerky movements that are likely to startle the horse.
The grooming process begins with currying.
The purpose of currying is to loosen caked-on dirt and to bring dust and dandruff to the surface for easy removal. A rubber curry should be used.
Start currying at the neck and firmly brush the hair in circular movements while working towards the rear.
Vigorous circular movements increase circulation to the skin. This, in turn, leads to healthy skin.
By releasing the skin's natural oils, the coat takes on a healthy shine.
Be careful not to curry too vigorously on bony areas, and do not use any curry comb on the face.
Brushing with a stiff body brush should follow currying. Brushing returns the hair to its normal position and removes the dirt brought to the surface by currying.
Brush with short, firm strokes, not long fluid strokes. Long stokes only move the dirt from one area to another, while short, swift strokes flick the debris off the horse.
Brush with the grain of the coat. While brushing with one hand, hold the curry in the other to clean out the brush every few strokes.
Do not use the stiff brush on the face.
Following the stiff brushing, brush with a soft brush.
This second brushing removes the dust left by the coarser, stiff brush and brings oils to the surface, giving a lustrous shine to the horses coat. The face can also be brushed with the finer, soft brush.
Before grooming the head, untie the horse and hold it by the halter. With a soft brush start at the forehead and move down the face, brushing with the grain of the hair.
Avoid the eyes. Be gentle around the nose and mouth. Some horses are sensitive or ticklish in these areas and may try to move their heads to avoid the brush.
When grooming the legs, do not sit on the ground or rest one or both knees on the ground. These are committed positions, which means once in them, it takes longer than a split second to get out of them. In committed positions, if the horse should become frightened, the time it would take you to move away from scrambling feet and the chance of becoming seriously injured is increased.
It always helps to have your free hand resting on the horses body while working on the legs. This way you can feel the muscles tense up and be warned if the horse is about to panic.
Each time you groom a horse use a pick to clean its hooves.
Grooming the mane and tail is done with a mane and tail comb. A horse with fine, thin hair that falls out easily should have its mane and tail groomed frequently with nothing more severe than a soft brush, and the knots separated with one's fingers to limit hair loss.
Burrs and knots should not be combed out. Rather, pull hairs away from the burr or knot until it is free. This method prevents excessive hair loss.
When brushing the tail, always stand to the side of the horse. Do not stand directly behind the horse.
Remember to clean the eyes, ears and nostrils with a clean cloth or sponge. Also check and clean, if necessary, the anus, sheath, or between the teats.
Eyes
The eyes should be bright, fully open, and clear without discharge or a glazed, dull appearance.
The horse is considered a "prey" animal that relies heavily on its vision to identify predators coming from almost any direction. To help identify potential predators, a horse’s eye is fairly exposed and sits prominently on the head. As a result, injuries and irritation to the surface of the eye and the eyelids can be common problems for horses.
Eye Care
Eye irritation can be simply the result of dirt or debris in the eye, or it can be caused by injury, infectious disease, or a specific eye condition.
Initially, the eye may become red and irritated. Often this condition is conjunctivitis. The horse may be sensitive to the light and will "squint" or keep the eye completely closed.
Tearing or discharge from the eye is common and can result from trauma, irritation, infection, and disease.
Many of these problems can lead to corneal abrasions, ulcers, and blindness.
For mild eye irritation, follow these suggestions:
For problems that do not seem to improve while implementing the above suggestions, the horse should be examined by a veterinarian. Conditions that may seem fairly harmless can soon progress into serious problems that can permanently damage the eye. If the eye becomes cloudy, red, swollen, very irritated, painful, or continues to have discharge, veterinarian attention is a must. The veterinarian may prescribe various ointments or solutions that can be placed in the eye.
This picture shows how to administer an eye ointment in the eye. The lower eyelid is pulled down slightly to create a type of "pocket" for the ointment. A small ribbon of ointment is then placed into the pocket.
After the ointment is placed into the eye, the eyelids are gently brought together once or twice to help spread the ointment throughout the eye.
Hoof Growth
Normal healthy horses have healthy hoof wall tissue. The wall should grow at the rate of ¼ to ½ inch per month. The hoof should be smooth and uncracked.
Dental Care
A horse’s teeth continue to grow throughout its life. This could pose a serious problem if most parts of the teeth did not wear down (about one-eighth of an inch per year) with the horse’s powerful chewing action.
Because the upper jaw is wider than the bottom jaw, all parts of the horse’s pre-molar and molar teeth do not wear evenly.
Because of the uneven wear, it is common to find very sharp points on the outside edge of the upper teeth and the inside edge of the lower teeth.
A horse’s cheeks and tongue are very vulnerable to damage from the points on the inside and outside of the teeth.
As the horse chews in an almost rotary type motion, the tongue and cheeks are often forced to contact the sharp points.
When these structures are injured, great pain and soft tissue damage can result.
A horse’s tongue is often so large that it is almost impossible for the horse to avoid the sharp points.
Many horses often experience significant pain when they are forced to flex their head downward.
This position can force an already crowded tongue and soft tissues into the sharp points of the teeth.
Many horses do not show outward signs of pain, even with significant injury to the tongue and cheeks. Other horses may be in good condition and yet still have teeth problems. Because of this, the following suggestions are a must to help every horse owner identify a potential dental problem in a horse.
The first step in determining if a horse needs dental work is to simply stand back and observe the animal. Thin horses often have dental problems that prevent them from properly grinding and even consuming their feed.
Watch the horse eat. Look for any abnormalities in the way the horse chews its feed. Horses that have problems will often drop feed (particularly grain) out of their mouths, stick their heads out, and twist their heads from side to side.
They may eat more slowly and act like they are chewing delicately. Horses with problems may also salivate excessively. Certain feeds, like whole-grains and long stemmed hays, are often harder for a horse to chew. If a horse eats all the soft pellets, but leaves the hay, dental problems should be considered.
A horse that colics frequently because of impactions can be doing so because of teeth problems.
The reason for this is two-fold. First, the horse with bad teeth cannot grind and break-up feed material well because of pain or poor grinding surfaces.
Secondly, as a horse drinks, the saliva that is a natural mouth protectant is washed way, causing the horse more pain when it eats. This makes the horse less prone to drink and can cause mild dehydration. Ingesting longer feed fibers, coupled with slight dehydration, increases the horse’s chances of having an impaction.
Examine the horse’s manure for evidence of long pieces of hay that do not appear to be ground up properly. Also look for evidence of whole grains that pass untouched by the teeth through the digestive tract. Both of these are indications that the horse has a dental problem.
Observe the horse while a bit is in the mouth. Horses with teeth problems will often resist having the bit put into the mouth. Once it is in the mouth, the horse may chew on the bit excessively, turn and jerk its head sideways, and resist any flexing motions. Try working the horse without a bit in place. If the problems seem to subside, the teeth are often the problem.
Now it is time to actually feel the teeth for points and potential problems. This can be done without putting the fingers in the horse's mouth.
Serious damage can occur if the horse happens to bite down on a vulnerable finger.
Instead, use the outside of the mouth where the upper teeth contact the cheeks.
The area above the fingers identifies the region of the mouth where the teeth and cheeks meet.
The thumb of each hand can be used to gently put pressure on the cheeks and push them up into the teeth.
A horse that has sharp points on the teeth and has lacerated the cheeks in these areas will be very sensitive to even mild pressure.
These horses will often react by lifting the head away from the pressure.
One side or region of the mouth may be tender, while pressure in other areas may not cause a reaction at all. Horses without any points will usually not react to this procedure unless a significant amount of pressure is being used.
Hydration
The water balance of a horse is vital to its health. A skin fold test can be done by pinching a fold of skin on the neck, pulling it out, and recording the number of seconds the skin takes to return to its normal position.
The loose skin over the neck is the best area for evaluation.
A well hydrated horse will quickly snap back in ½ to 1 seconds.A Skin tent will remain for several seconds on a dehydrated horse.
Manure / Urine
Horses normally have firm manure balls that are not loose and watery and do not show undigested grains and other feed stuffs.
Urine is normally wheat-straw colored and is not cloudy or red in color.
Mucous Membranes
Checking the mucous membranes and capillary refill time is essential for evaluating the health status of any horse.
The membranes of the horse's gums and lips should be moist and have a healthy pink color.
Pale, white, yellow, or deep purple colors are all causes for concern.
If the horse is dehydrated, the membranes will be dry and the capillary refill time will be prolonged (>2-3 seconds).
A horse with colic or in shock may also have an increased capillary refill time.
Capillary Refill Time
The circulation of a horse can be assessed by gently pressing ones thumb against the gums of the horse and counting the number of seconds it takes for the color to return to the area once the thumb is removed. 1to 2 seconds is normal.
Heart Rate
The normal heart rate of an adult horse at rest is 32 to 48 beats per minute.
This will vary with age of the horse, outside temperature and humidity, exercise, and excitement levels.
Age of the horse Beats per minute
Newborn 128
1-2 days old 100-120
Up to 2 weeks 80-120
3-6 months 64-75
6-12 months 48-72
1-2 years 40-56
Stallions 28-32
Geldings 33-40
Mares 34-40
Detecting a Pulse
The facial artery can be felt using light pressure just under the jaw in this region. This is an excellent place to feel a pulse. With continued practice, finding a pulse should come easily.
The heart is best heard on the left side, behind the point of the elbow. Because the heart is often difficult to hear, place some pressure on the stethoscope and move it around to different areas
Digital pulses
It is important for horse owners to get a basic feel for their horse’s digital pulses.
A horse that has very strong or bounding pulses may be having a problem with laminitis (foundering).
Location of artery
Vein (Blue)
Nerve (Yellow)
Artery (Red)
When feeling for a digital pulse, press lightly on the horse's leg in the area of the artery shown to the left. See B150 for additional help.
Fig. 2
Respiratory Rate
The normal respiratory rate of an adult horse at rest is 8 – 16 breaths per minute.
Exercise, air temperature, humidity, fever, distress, pain, and anxiety will increase the respiratory rate.
Age of the horse Breaths per minute
Newborn 14 - 15
1-2 days old 14 - 15
Up to 2 weeks 14 - 15
3-6 months 14 - 15
6-12 months 14 - 15
1-2 years 14 - 15
Stallions 9-10
Geldings 9-10
Mares 9-10
Temperature
The normal body temperature of a horse is 99.5 to 101.5
High outside temperature, exercise, or dehydration can increase this by 2 to 3 degrees.
Taking a Temperature
After placing lubrication on the thermometer, stand as close to the horse as possible. Three points of contact is best.
Lifting the horse’s tail will help determine how cooperative the animal will be.
Gently insert the lubricated thermometer 1-2 inches into the rectum. Leave the thermometer in place for 2-3 minutes.
Placing a long piece of tape or string on the end of the thermometer helps to keep track of the thermometer.
Gut Sounds
The abdomen should be divided into four quadrants. In each quadrant there should be some sort of gut sound every minute.
If there is continuous noise, the gut is overactive (hypermotile), indicating a problem.
If no sounds are heard, the guts are hypomotile, also indicating a potential problem.
Normal sounds that are commonly heard include gurgling, sloshing, and even a noise that resembles the sound of a dripping faucet.
Owners should become familiar with their horse’s normal gut sounds.
Using a Stethoscope to
Diagnose Digestive Track Problems
Listening to gut sounds in the cecum.
Listening to gut sounds in the top right quadrant.
Listening to gut sounds in the bottom right quadrant.
Listening to gut sounds in the top left quadrant.
Listening to gut sounds in the bottom left quadrant.
Using a Stethoscope to
Diagnose Respiratory Problems
A horse’s lungs lie below the rib cage and do not extend beyond the last rib. To listen to the lungs, choose a location that is between the ribs. It is best to listen to multiple areas in many different rib spaces.
It is also important to listen to the trachea region.
Note: It is not uncommon to hear the normal passage of air in and out of the lungs. It should be considered abnormal if fluid, crackles or wheezes are heard.
Listen to both sides of the animal. With practice, normal and abnormal lung sounds can be identified.
Note: Signs of respiratory problems include nasal discharge, coughing, rapid breathing, and swollen glands under the jaw.
Restraint (Using a Twitch)
Several different types of twitches are available. The chain on the end of a handle is probably the most aggressive. Some better twitches are the humane twitch or a twitch with just a rope on the end of a handle. Twitches should be reserved as a final effort in controlling a horse, and should be used conservatively, with as little pressure as possible.
Equine Restraint
Often times a "hand twitch" is all that is required to distract a horse’s attention. This is performed by taking a handful of the loose skin in the neck/shoulder region.
Restraint (Using a Twitch)
When applying a twitch, it is essential that the handle be held firmly to prevent the handle from causing injury to the horse or handler. Once the rope or chain is over the lip, the handle can be gently twisted.
The twitch on this horse is probably too tight and is causing some real discomfort. Every 5-10 minutes the twitch should be removed and then replaced if required. This allows for adequate blood supply to the nose.
After removing any type of twitch, it is often helpful to massage the area to help restore adequate blood supply and the horse’s confidence.