Horse Care: Checking Your Horse Temperature With Ease

Horse, a fast moving, muscular and strong built, domesticated mammal that is considered both a pet and a livestock. Horses look majestic and graceful with being loyal, intelligent and spirited in nature. They can also be agile and super athletic. These creatures need lots of space and maintenance, are very expensive and need special care such as pasturing, farrier care and stabling. Horses are often kept at farm or a ranch where they serve as a companion, a ride, do farm labour and are also bred for competitions such as horse racing, polo sports, show jumping, etc. and entertaining by being in the carriages, circuses, movies and shows. They are also used for mounted police patrol and for psychotherapy. Horses also produce useful byproducts such as hair, hooves, manure, bones, etc. These animals need care to be healthy and fit and the 3 vital signs for a horse's health include temperature, pulse and respiration, out of which measuring the horse temperature is a bit tricky as it requires a rectal method which needs to be conducted with ease and the horse should be calm while doing so for proper measuring, they have a normal body temperature between 37.2 - 38.6 Celsius, which can be measured by both an owner or a vet.

So, here’s your step by step guide for measuring a horse’s temperature with ease:
A shaded, dry and spacious area is perfect for conducting a temperature check. Gather a digital rectal thermometer, with some lube like petroleum jelly for gentle insertion, a cloth or a paper towel for cleaning and rubbing alcohol for sanitation.
Horses can act agitated during this process, due to fear, discomfort, pain or simply because they aren’t used to getting checked up rectally, which can cause them to act defensive. So, at least two people should be there to handle the horse in position. One person at the front holding its head by the rope or by hands, to distract and to calm down the horse, the other person at the back but on the side to the hindquarters or hind legs as to prevent any injury in case the horse kickbacks.

First generously lubricate the tip of the thermometer and slowly lift the horse’s tail to the side, exposing the anus. Then insert the thermometer firmly and gently into the rectum angling the tip to a side and about 1.5 to 3 inches deep, so that the thermometer tip makes contact with the rectal wall for a correct reading of body’s core temperature.

Wait sometime, until the thermometer beeps while maintaining firm grip on the thermometer so that it doesn’t breaks inside or falls, in case the horse moves. Now, remove the thermometer with the same angle you inserted it. Never leave the thermometer unattended. Read the thermometer range, which in a normal horse should be around 37.5 to 38.5 Celsius.

After checking the reading, write it down to record it and sanitize the thermometer after use, using rubbing alcohol and a cloth or a paper towel for keeping it ready for future use.

Be sure to always consult a doctor if the horse is under significant distress like rapid breathing, high head carriage or when temperature is abnormally high or low, with other symptoms like lack of appetite, nasal discharge, coughing or have significant change in other vital signs during the process.

So, this was it, an easy step by step guide for horse temperature check. Hope this article helps !

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

1. What is the 1-2-3 rule for horses?The 1 2 3 rule refers to the key milestones a newborn foal and mare should reach for ensuring a proper healthy start after birth and a healthy recovery. The milestones include standing within 1 hour of birth ( for the foal), nursing within 2 hours (for both the foal & the mare)and passing the placenta after 3 hours (for the mare). If any of these steps are delayed, a vet should be consulted immediately.
2. How to tell if a horse has a fever without a thermometer?Although a thermometer is important for measuring temperature, a fever can be detected with physical signs or behavioural changes such as lethargic or dull behaviour, loss of appetite, changes in manure or urine and physical signs such as heavy sweating, swelling, shivering, increased breathing and heart rate and reddish or purplish mucous membrane inside the eyelids or colour of the gums.
3. What are the 3 F’s for horses?The 3 F’s for horses refers to the essential needs for a horse’s mental and physical well being. It includes friends, forage and freedom which is need for social interaction, friends( the other horses) as horses are herd animals and it is important for their mental health, a constant access to grass and hay, for digestive health and natural habits, and plenty of time outside in the open space for movement and exercise as it is crucial for their physical and mental health
4. What is the 20% rule with horses?The 20% rule with horses is the guideline that suggests that a horse should not have a rider, sadle or any other equipments exceeding 20% of its own overall body weight as to prevent injuries, overexertion and to keep the horse fit. For example- if a horse weighs around 450 kg, 20% of 450= 90 kg, so approximately it can carry around 90 kg of weight.