Galop 4Caring for the horse
Contents
- 01WelcomeOverview
- 02Domestic lifeKnowledge
- 03Identifying a horseKnowledge
- 04The passportKnowledge
- 05Routine careCaring for the horse
- 06Vital signs and illnessCaring for the horse
- 07Needs and feedsKnowledge
- 08Feeds to avoidKnowledge
- 09How the canter worksKnowledge
- 10The aids, flexion and bendKnowledge
- 11Boots and legsCaring for the horse
- 12Snaffle bitsKnowledge
- 13The contactIn the saddle
- 14The jumping positionIn the saddle
- 15Position and strideIn the saddle
- 16Canter from walk, quarter turnsIn the saddle
- 17GroundworkOn foot
- 18Safety and hackingKnowledge
- 19Tests and revisionRevision
Vital signs and the signs of illness
A horse cannot tell you he hurts: he shows you, in the way he stands and behaves and in a few figures you can take yourself — temperature, pulse, respiration.
In the exam programme
- State the horse’s main physiological norms: temperature, heart rate.Common module B
- Recognise the signs of illness: dullness, restlessness, unusual behaviour, loss of appetite, nasal discharge…Common module B
The vital signs (TPR, for temperature, pulse and respiration) are the usual values of a healthy adult horse at rest. They vary a little from one horse to another: the most useful thing is to know your own horse’s, taken on a day when all is well, so that you can compare.
| Measure | Normal range | Cause for concern |
|---|---|---|
| Rectal temperature | 37.5 to 38 °C | Above 38.5 °C: fever |
| Pulse (heart rate) | 28 to 40 beats a minute | More than 50 beats a minute at rest |
| Respiration | 8 to 16 breaths a minute | More than 16 at rest, flared nostrils, short or noisy breathing |
Take these figures on a calm horse, in his stable, at least half an hour after work: exercise, heat or excitement push them up. In a foal they are naturally higher.
Taking the TPR
- TemperatureTake a clean digital thermometer, smeared with Vaseline. Stand beside the quarters, never behind, lift the tail and slide the thermometer into the rectum, tilting it slightly towards the wall. Hold it until it beeps, then clean it.
- PulseRest two fingers, without pressing hard, under the jaw, where an artery runs over the lower edge of the jawbone. Count the beats for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. With a stethoscope, you listen to the heart on the left, just behind the elbow.
- RespirationWatch the flank rise and fall, or feel the breath in front of the nostrils. One breath in and one breath out count as a single breath. Count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2.
- Breathing: the flank rising and falling — 8 to 16 breaths a minute
- Temperature: standing beside the quarters, tail lifted — 37.5 to 38 °C
- Heart: the stethoscope on the left, just behind the elbow
- Pulse: two fingers under the jaw — 28 to 40 beats a minute
The signs of illness
The first diagnostic tool is your eyes. A sick horse often changes his behaviour before the figures move: be wary of anything that is not normal for that particular horse.
- Dullness: head low, ears drooping, eyes dull; he stands still at the back of his stable and no longer reacts to what goes on around him.
- Restlessness: he paws the ground, lies down and gets up again, rolls, looks round at or kicks at his belly — the classic signs of abdominal pain, colic.
- Unusual behaviour: a sociable horse keeping to himself, a calm horse turning aggressive, a horse sweating without having worked.
- Loss of appetite: he leaves his feed, ignores his hay or stops drinking.
- Nasal discharge: a runny nose, especially if thick, yellow or greenish, often with a cough or a fever.
- Other signs: droppings too loose, too dry or none at all, very dark urine, fast breathing, lameness, a hot or swollen leg, a dull, staring coat, weight loss.
Safety
At the slightest doubt, tell your instructor or whoever is in charge of the horses, take the temperature and write down what you saw, with the time. Never give any medicine on your own initiative: that is the vet’s decision. A horse with a nasal discharge and a fever is kept away from the others, because he may be contagious.
You do not have to name the illness: the main diseases and their symptoms are on the Galop 6 programme. In Galop 4 you are expected to see that a horse is not right, and to raise the alarm in time.
A word from the instructor
Taking a horse’s temperature calls for two qualities: method, and standing beside the quarters rather than behind them. The second will save you a lot of explaining in A&E.