| Your Horse's Heart Rate | |
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The pulse rate of an adult horse or pony at rest is 36-42 beats per minute (bpm). The smaller the animal, the faster the heart rate. Young horses
and ponies also have different pulse rates. On average they are:-
The horse's or pony's pulse rate will increase if he is excited or nervous, in pain, during / after exercise, or has a disease. In general, the higher the heart rate the more severe the condition. The horse's pulse
can be found by pressing the major artery which runs under the
front of the left jawbone. This artery sticks out slightly from
the surrounding tissue. Use your forefinger to press the artery
firmly so you can feel the pulse. Never be tempted to use your
thumb as this will result in you feeling your own pulse and not
that of the horse or pony. Use a watch to time a 15 second period.
Multiply the number of beats you counted by 4 to give you the
beats per minute |