Anything significantly above or below this average can mean serious problems. Note the color of your horse s gums- they should be pink. If you press a finger onto the gum for a few seconds and then remove it, you will see the white imprint of your finger. This should return to pink within 2-3 seconds. This is a very important piece of information to tell your vet about your horse s capillary refill of the mucous membranes .
Elevated respiration is a sign of pain.
Now, take the horses heart rate if possible. This is best accomplished by finding the pulse under the side of the jaw. If you cant find it here, try along the horses girth, behind the elbow - this is not always easy to find. Normal heart rate should be between 30-40 in an adult horse. A very young foal can have a normal rate up to 100, and the older foals heart rate will be around 70.