What are normal vital signs for an adult horse?

At rest: temperature 99–101.5°F, pulse 28–44 beats per minute, respiration 8–16 breaths per minute, capillary refill time under 2 seconds, and active gut sounds on both sides.

When should I call the vet?

Call your veterinarian if temperature exceeds 103°F, pulse exceeds 60 bpm at rest, respiration exceeds 24/min at rest, gut sounds are absent, CRT exceeds 2 seconds, or any combination of mildly abnormal values persists. This tool flags these automatically.

How often should I take my horse’s vitals?

Know your horse’s baseline — take vitals monthly when healthy. During illness or post-surgery, your vet may ask for readings every 2–4 hours. This tool’s log feature lets you track trends over multiple readings.

Can foal vitals be assessed with this tool?

This tool uses adult horse normal ranges. Foals have higher resting heart rates (80–120 bpm for neonates) and respiratory rates. Consult your veterinarian for foal-specific reference ranges.

ToolsConductScience tool

AAEP RangesFree in-browser calculator

TPR Tracker + Vet-Call Summary.

Record temperature, pulse, and respiration. Instant normal-range flagging, urgency assessment, and a one-page vet-call summary PDF.

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Validated2026-04-08

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Horse & Timing

Horse name

Date

Time

Vital Signs

Temperature (\u00B0F)

Normal: 99\u2013101.5\u00B0F

Pulse (bpm)

Normal: 28\u201344 bpm

Respiration (/min)

Normal: 8\u201316/min

Gut Sounds

CRT (seconds) optional

Normal: \u22642 seconds

Notes optional

Normal Ranges (Adult Horse at Rest)

Temperature

99\u2013101.5\u00B0F

Pulse

28\u201344 bpm

Respiration

8\u201316/min

CRT

\u22642s

Based on AAEP normal vital ranges for adult horses at rest. Foals and horses immediately after exercise have different normal ranges. This tool is for owner education and vet communication \u2014 it does not replace veterinary diagnosis.

How It Works

Enter your horse’s name and today’s date, then record temperature (°F), pulse (beats per minute), respiration (breaths per minute), gut sounds (normal / reduced / absent), and optionally capillary refill time (seconds). The tool instantly compares each value against published normal adult equine ranges, highlights abnormalities, and assigns an overall urgency level. You can log multiple readings throughout the day and export the full log as CSV or generate a one-page vet-call summary PDF to share with your veterinarian.

Taking Equine Vitals

Temperature: Use a digital rectal thermometer with lubricant. Stand to the side, not directly behind. Normal is 99–101.5°F. Pulse: Feel the facial artery under the jaw or use a stethoscope on the left side behind the elbow. Count beats for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Normal at rest is 28–44 bpm. Respiration: Watch flank movement. One rise-and-fall equals one breath. Count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2. Normal at rest is 8–16 breaths/min. Gut sounds: Place a stethoscope behind the last rib on each side. Listen for at least 60 seconds per side. You should hear borborygmi (gurgling, rumbling). CRT: Press a finger firmly on the gum above the upper incisors, release, and count seconds until color returns. Normal is under 2 seconds.

Method

Normal ranges derived from AAEP guidelines: temperature 99–101.5°F, pulse 28–44 bpm, respiration 8–16 breaths/min, CRT ≤2 seconds. Urgency escalation follows a rule-based algorithm: absent gut sounds trigger emergency; high fever + high pulse trigger emergency; any single high-severity vital triggers call-vet; mild abnormalities trigger monitoring. All computation runs locally in your browser — no data is uploaded.

Validated

Last validated 2026-04-08. Calculations are designed for planning and documentation support; verify procurement decisions against manufacturer specifications or institutional SOPs.

How to cite

How to Cite

ConductScience Team (2026). TPR Tracker + Vet-Call Summary [Web application]. ConductScience. https://conductscience.com/tools/tpr-tracker-vet-summary

Equine Vital Signs Assessment

Temperature, pulse, and respiration (TPR) are the foundation of equine health assessment. Knowing your horse’s individual baseline is as important as knowing population normals — a temperature of 101°F might be normal for one horse but elevated for another. Take vitals at the same time of day (morning is ideal) because temperature naturally rises 1–2°F by evening. After exercise, wait 30–60 minutes before taking resting vitals. Gut sounds and capillary refill time provide additional insight into gastrointestinal and cardiovascular status. Absent gut sounds combined with elevated heart rate is a hallmark of surgical colic and warrants an emergency call. A prolonged CRT (>2 seconds) may indicate dehydration, shock, or poor perfusion. Keeping a written or digital log of vitals allows your veterinarian to see trends rather than a single snapshot, which significantly improves diagnostic accuracy.

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