Check Horses Respiratory Rate

Submitted By Sarahmiller00
Words: 707
Pages: 3

4.

Objective

The objective of this task is to completely check a horse’s respiratory rate, heart rate, capillary refill and the temperature.

Material to Cover

The most accurate way to check a horse’s temperature is rectally. Normal body temperature is between 99 – 105 F. To check the capillary refill lift horses upper lip then firmly press thumb against his gums for two seconds to create a white mark. The white mark should return to normal color with one to two seconds. Most effective way to check a horse’s respiratory rate is to place a stethoscope to the horses windpipe then listen to his breathing. Easiest way to check a horse’s heart rate is to take it with a stethoscope. This stethoscope will be able to hear the heartbeat and determine a heart rate (pulse) and also the respiratory rate.

Time Frame

* 10 minutes of training would be desirable to successfully go through the proper way to check a horses training * 10 minutes of training would be needed to effectively explain the correct a horses capillary refill * 10 minutes of training would be necessary to efficiently train someone in how to check a horses respiratory rate * 10 minutes of training would be needed to train someone on how to properly check a horses heart rate

Training Methods

* There is several ways to train someone how to do this health check on a horse, but the most effective way to train someone so they remember every detail is to do very specific hands on training where the trainee is shadowing what you show them.

5. Step-by-step checking of Capillary Refill: 1. Lift the upper lip of the horse and look at his gums above the teeth, also known as the mucous membranes. (Healthy gums should be pink, shiny, moist and slippery, if they are pale or dry this can indicate dehydration) 2. Press your finger or thumb on the gum to lighten the area, (drive the blood out from under the finger) to determine the capillary refill time. 3. After holding your finger against the gum for two seconds, release the pressure and count the seconds that pass until the normal color returns. (Normal time is up to 1.5 seconds, a delay for two to three seconds is a concern and delays after four seconds is a serious situation, delayed capillary refill time is a indication of reduced blood circulation)
Step-by-step checking for Heart rate/pulse 1. The first step in checking the heart rate is to place the bell of the stethoscope on the horse’s chest wall, directly behind the elbow. Horses heart rate can be heard as a “lub-dup” 2. Closely listen for the lub-dup