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McKinlay & Peters Equine Hospital

Equine Vital Signs

How To Take Your Horse's Vital Signs

Learn more about how to take your horse's vital signs from Dr. McKinlay!

Adult Horses
Temperature99.5° – 101.5° F
Heart Rate32 – 44 beats/min.
Respiratory Rate6 – 16 breaths/min.
Mucous MembranesPale pink & moist
Capillary Refill Time1 – 2 seconds
Gut SoundsGut Sounds
Foals (within 10 min. of birth)
Temperature99° -102° F
Heart Rate< 60 beats/min
Respiratory40–60 breaths/min
Foals (within about 12 hours of age)
Temperature99° -102° F
Heart Rate 100-200 beats/min
Respiratory20-40 breaths/min