SolveYourProblem.com Article Series: Horse Care
Teach Me Horse Care Tips
11
Signs of a Very Healthy Horse
Some horse owners have many concerns about
their horse. For many, the main concern is keeping their companions
healthy and thriving. As long as the horse is well kept in
clean conditions and feed a regular nutritional diet, then
the chances of an illness raising its ugly little head are
slim. But in some cases, disease does happen despite your efforts.
What you need to know is how to differentiate a healthy horse
from a sick one. Basically, a healthy horse will have a good
appetite, and a glossy coat and he will be very alert to his
surroundings.
You will need to learn the signs of a healthy horse to:
- Avoid
buying a sick horse.
- To
catch the signs early enough to treat and to prevent to the
horse from becoming any sicker.
- To
be able to give the veterinarian an accurate description
of any abnormalities.
- To
separate the horse from others to minimize the risk of spreading
a contagious disease.
Observing horses at events is also a good way to establish
a standard for what is normal and what is not. There are many
signs to determine the health status of a horse. Listed here
are some specific indicators of health you should become familiar
with so you can determine when the horse is healthy and when
you should consult a veterinarian.
Hair
or coat: A healthy horse will have a glossy and shiny
coat that is reflective of adequate nutrition and that can
be improved by regular grooming.
Eyes: The horse’s eyes should appear bright and clear and
fully open. There should be no discharge or a dull, glazed
appearance.
Hooves: Every normal, healthy horse has healthy wall tissues
in the hooves. The hooves should be smooth and clean with no
cracks. When viewing the hoof from the side, there should be
a straight line with the front of the pastern.
Attitude: A healthy horse will appear bright and active. He
should be alert, attentive and inquisitive. The horse should
not have a dull, sluggish look that can indicate an illness,
overuse or over-training. Horses will normally try to stay
in a group when they are in a lot, paddock or a pasture. Afflicted
horses will keep to themselves and stand away from the group.
Healthy horses will show an enthusiasm for eating and will
chew evenly with both sides of their mouth.
Hydration: A water balance is extremely important to a horse’s
health. You can test hydration by doing a simple skin fold
test, by pinching a fold of skin and pulling it out. Observe
how many seconds it takes the skin to fall back into place.
A hydrated horse would have its skin falls nicely back into
place, whereas a dehydrated horse’s skin would stay up longer
and slowly fall back into place.
Urine: Healthy urine should be a straw-wheat color. Cloudy
or dark red urine indicates a problem.
Manure: Horse stools should appear as firm clumps. Stool that
is watery, loose or containing undigested grains indicates
a problem.
Mucous
membrane: The mucous membranes of a horse’s lips and
gums should be pink in color. You can assess a horse’s circulation
by gently pressing a finger against the gums and watching to
see how long it takes for the color to come back into the gums
once the finger is removed. It should only take one or two
seconds. Any dark red, deep purple, yellow or pale white colors
should be cause for concern.
Heart
rate: The normal heart rate of a healthy mid-sized adult
horse in a resting position is 40 to 45 beats per minute (bpm)
and 25 to 30 bpm for a heavier adult horse. These heart rates
can vary slightly all depending on the horse’s age, temperature,
humidity and even the excitement and exercise levels.
Respiratory
rate: The normal respiratory rate for a healthy
adult horse in a resting position is 8 to 16 breaths per minute.
This rate can be greatly increased by exercise, temperature,
humidity, pain, distress, anxiety and even fever.
Body
temperature: The normal body temperature of a healthy
horse is 98 to 101 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature can
become increased by a few degrees by the horse being in a hot
and humid environment or by exercise, dehydration or fever. #
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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