Caring for My Horses
When living with horses, grooming and monitoring basic vital signs are essential to their care and wellness.
Horses are amazing animals. I have always appreciated them for their beauty and their companionship. I currently have eight residents in my stable - two Friesians, a Fell pony, and five donkeys. Caring for equids is a huge responsibility, but it brings me great joy to see that they are happy and in the best possible health. Temperature, pulse, and respiration are three basic physiological parameters that can be monitored and recorded on a regular basis. It is important to know how to take these three vital signs correctly and safely. Yesterday was "TPR" day in the stable.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- Here are Rinze, Bond, and Banchunch grazing in the paddock. I take very good care of all the horses. They are seen regularly by a veterinarian, an equine dentist, and the farrier. I also make sure they are well monitored in between check-ups – this means keeping track of their normal behaviors and vital signs. Taking a horse’s temperature, pulse, and respiration, or TPR, can provide valuable information about a horse’s general state of well-being. It’s a quick and easy way to determine how the animal is feeling.
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- My stable manager, Helen Peparo, keeps a binder for each animal so she can record all the important health information in one place.
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- There is a page specifically meant to record TPR, which is done once a month for every horse, pony, and donkey. It is important to do this regularly to determine what is normal. At the bottom of this page, Helen indicates the normal ranges for horses.
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- Helen also keeps a feeding record. This page lists what each horse eats and how much.
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- This page is for any special medications – my horses are all very healthy and are not on any special medications.
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- Banchunch is my Fell Pony. The Fell Pony is a versatile working breed originating in the north of England in Cumberland and Westmorland farms of northwest England. Fells are excellent riding and driving ponies. Banchunch is safely secured to crossties before any grooming or medical exam.
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- Horses should be groomed at least once a day. Helen and Dolma groom the horses every morning. Here are some of the brushes they use. Daily grooming not only keeps them clean and comfortable, but it is a good way to check on the horse’s general health and well-being, the health of the skin and coat, and any other possible abnormalities.
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- Helen uses a curry brush to remove dirt and loose hair from the coat. It is made of rubber or soft plastic and has flexible nubs that also massage the animal.
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- Banchunch stays pretty still for his grooming session.
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- Helen uses the curry brush all over his body including the legs. Each of the horse’s legs and around each foot is also wiped with a towel, not only to clean, but also to feel for any bumps or lumps that may need special attention, as well as heat or swelling, which may indicate an injury. All of them are healthy and doing well.
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- Cleaning a horse’s hooves is also very important. They should be picked daily. A hoof pick is used to remove dirt, stones, and other debris – particularly in the grooves beside the frog. Regular hoof cleaning can prevent thrush, a foul-smelling bacterial infection. This hoof is very clean.
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- Here, Helen brushes Banchunch’s forelock, which is similar to the bangs on humans and falls forward over the front of a horse’s head. The forelock is part of the horse’s mane, the distinctive ridge of hair that grows on the top of a horse’s neck and runs from the top of the head to its withers.
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- Taking the temperature is the first step in the TPR process. Helen uses a digital thermometer. His temperature is 99.7 Fahrenheit, which is well within the normal range for horses and ponies.
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- In order to take a horse’s heart rate, Helen stands on Banchunch’s left side and places the drum of the stethoscope on the horse’s chest just under the elbow.
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- Helen counts the number of full beats for 30-seconds then multiplies the number by two for the rate per minute. The normal pulse for an average sized adult horse is about 32.
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- Next, Helen stands a few feet away and watches his ribcage rising and falling. A cycle of one rise and one fall of the ribcage constitutes one breath. Helen multiplies the number of breaths he takes over 30 seconds and doubles the amount to obtain a respiration – the number of breaths per minute. The respiration rate for a horse at rest is around 12 to 15 breaths per minute.
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- In addition to a horse’s normal, resting vital signs, the horse’s weight is also important to monitor. Equine weight tapes can be used to obtain an approximate weight by measuring the heart girth or barrel.
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- Next is Bond who has been boarding here at the farm and is very happy with the rest of the herd. Helen takes time to groom him and give him a thorough check.
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- Grooming can be very soothing, and for many horses, it helps stimulate circulation. For young horses, it’s a good time to practice standing still, being patient, and being touched.
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- Here she is brushing Bond’s long tail. The tail of the horse consists of two parts, the dock and the skirt. The dock includes the muscles and skin covering the coccygeal vertebrae. The term “skirt” refers to the long hairs that fall below the dock. On a horse, long, thick tail hairs begin to grow at the base of the tail, and grow along the top and sides of the dock.
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- “The ‘dent’ above the eye is called the supraorbital fossa. It normally just contains fat tissue. It can also give a rough indication of the condition of the horse. Horses in poor condition tend to have bigger ‘dents’ and conversely, fat horses have less of a dent or no dent at all. Bond is in excellent health and condition.
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- Helen also checks Bond’s gums. Mucous membrane color can be a quick indicator of a horse’s health. The gums should be a pink to pale pink color and moist to the touch. To take his capillary refill time, or CRT, Helen lifts the horse’s lips, presses a finger firmly against the gums, and then takes it away. She counts the number of seconds it takes for the color to return to the area. It should come back quickly – and Bond’s did.
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- Last, but never least, is Rinze. Because all my horses are groomed every day, they are quite used to this process. Rinze is such a good boy.
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- Helen goes over his coat with a horse-hair brush to remove any dead hair. The horses are just beginning to shed their summer coats. Rinze’s coat is so shiny.
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- A horse’s face should always be kept as clean as possible also. The face and nose are often moist, making it very easy for dirt and mucus to build up. After grooming, all of Rinze’s vitals are taken the same way as the others. I am happy to report that all the boys are doing great.
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- Here, Helen and Dolma head out for some exercise with Bond and Rinze before tending to the donkeys. Have a good ride!
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