Dear SmartPak: How do I take my horse’s vital signs?

If you’re like me, you’ve got enough equine facts and figures crammed into your brain to give an “A” Pony Clubber a headache–so much so that sometimes bits overlap or get lost altogether.

A few weeks ago at the barn, for instance, a friend and I were having a discussion about what a horse’s respiration should be. It went something like this…

“I think it’s like 8 or 10 breaths per minute—no… wait… that seems too low. Doesn’t that seem too low?”

“Isn’t it like 28-42? Something is 28-42; I just can’t remember what.”

“This is important stuff. This is stuff we’re supposed to know.”

“Yeah.”

SmartPak to the rescue!

From the SmartPak blog:

Knowing how to measure your horse’s temperature (T), pulse (P) and respiration (R) is a basic barn skill every owner should have. Typical ranges for normal are T = 99.5 – 100.5°, P = 28-42 beats per minute, and R = 8-12 breaths per minute, but you should figure out what is normal for YOUR horse. Let’s start with Temperature….

Read the rest of the article here.

Go SmartPak, and Go Riding!