Signs of a healthy horse (and when something is wrong)

Horses can't tell you they feel off. The owners who catch problems early are usually the ones who know exactly what "normal" looks like for their own horse – how it stands, eats, moves and behaves – and notice the small changes.

Both countries' welfare codes put this skill at the centre of horse care. Victoria's Code of Practice sets a minimum standard that the person supervising a horse must be able to recognise signs of ill health and must have access to a registered vet (Code of Practice). New Zealand's Code of Welfare says those responsible for horses must be competent at recognising signs of ill health or injury and take prompt action (MPI Code of Welfare: Horses and Donkeys).

This guide helps you spot when something has changed. It can't diagnose anything. If you're worried, call your vet – a phone call is cheaper than a missed problem.

What a healthy horse looks like

The RSPCA's description of a healthy horse is a good baseline (RSPCA Knowledgebase):

• Attitude: alert and inquisitive, happy to interact with other horses, and joining in normal herd behaviour such as mutual grooming, short naps through the day and night, and the odd run around.
• Appetite: a good appetite.
• Movement: forward going under saddle, with no signs of soreness or lameness.
• Rolling: occasional rolling is normal, especially after work.
• Coat: lies close to the body and shines (some colours shine more than others).
• Eyes: clear and clean. A relaxed horse may doze even with you nearby.
• Nose: a trickle of clear liquid from the nostrils is normal.
• Manure: passed 8–12 times a day, with colour varying with diet.
• Urine: clear or cloudy, again varying with diet. Both manure and urine should be passed without straining.

New Zealand's Code lists similar signs as indicators of good health: horses that are active, bright and alert, move freely and graze actively (MPI Code of Welfare). The BHS Stage 1 syllabus groups the checks under body condition, coat, eyes and nose, appetite, droppings, and movement and stance (BHS Stage 1 Care).

Normal vital signs

Temperature, heart rate and breathing rate give you numbers to compare against. Penn State Extension, citing the American Association of Equine Practitioners, gives these ranges for adult horses at rest (Penn State Extension):

Sign	Normal adult range
Temperature	99–101.5°F (about 37.2–38.6°C)
Heart rate	28–44 beats per minute
Breathing	10–24 breaths per minute
Gums	Moist and pink
Capillary refill	1–2 seconds

Published ranges differ a little between sources, and individual horses differ too. Take your own horse's readings on a few calm days and write them down. Pony Club Australia's certificate syllabus expects members to be able to take heart rate, respiration rate and temperature, and observe manure, for the vet (PCA Syllabus). See horse vital signs for how to take them.

Body condition

A horse's weight and fat cover change slowly, so they're easy to miss when you see the horse every day. Agriculture Victoria explains how to condition score on a 0–5 scale, and notes that poor condition isn't always about feed – worms, dental problems, chronic injury or illness can all be behind it (Agriculture Victoria – condition scoring). Score monthly and keep a record. See body condition scoring.

Early warning signs

The RSPCA lists these as signs of an unhealthy horse (RSPCA Knowledgebase):

• Standing with the head low, not showing interest when other horses or people move around
• Not joining in with normal herd behaviour
• Lying down more than usual, or not at all
• Tucked-up flanks, where the area behind the ribs looks "sucked in"
• Anxious behaviour or sweating without a reason such as heat or exercise
• Looking at the flanks, pawing, or repeatedly getting up and down or rolling – all signs of abdominal pain
• Yellow or green sticky mucus from the nostrils or eyes
• Sudden, unusual aggression
• A coat standing up, which usually means the horse is unwell or cold. A dry, "staring" coat suggests a longer-term problem.
• Runny manure, no manure, straining to urinate, or urine of an unusual colour

The RSPCA's overall advice is simple: any change in normal behaviour should be investigated, and if you think there is a problem and you don't know what it is, call a vet.

Pain can look like bad behaviour

New Zealand's Code points out that horses in pain – including back pain from being ridden – may change their behaviour to escape the discomfort, and this can be mistaken for disobedience. It recommends that gradual or sudden behaviour changes are investigated, with a vet assessment for pain before other methods of correction are tried (MPI Code of Welfare). Signs of dental pain listed in the same Code include losing condition, resisting the bridle, packing feed in the cheeks and dropping feed while eating. See horse dental care and managing difficult horses.

When to call the vet

Some signs mean you should ring your vet straight away rather than wait and see. Victoria's Code lists examples of conditions that may need prompt veterinary attention (Code of Practice):

• Colic – pawing, kicking at the belly, rolling, often with straining, teeth grinding and patchy or general sweating
• Serious injuries, including deep wounds, severe bleeding, suspected fractures or eye injuries
• Difficulty getting up or standing
• Marked lameness, or injuries not responding to treatment within 24 hours
• Signs of respiratory disease – discharge from eyes or nostrils, or swollen glands under the throat – which may come with a cough, fever or loss of appetite
• Diarrhoea, persistent weight loss or constipation
• Signs of laminitis – lameness, increased pulse to the feet, reluctance to stand on the affected feet or to move
• Inactivity or unresponsiveness
• In breeding mares, straining for more than 30 minutes without foaling, or retained membranes

The University of Minnesota adds lameness signs that need a vet immediately: a horse that won't use a leg at all, only touches the toe down, is lame at the walk or almost falls when walking, or moves a leg abnormally (UMN Extension). It also lists noisy breathing at rest, flared nostrils at rest, bloody nasal discharge, straining to urinate, brown urine, persistent muscle twitching, a head tilt and seizure activity.

The University of Sydney's equine emergency service treats sudden, severe lameness, refusal to bear weight, heat, swelling or pain in a leg or hoof, and obvious limb deformity as emergencies (University of Sydney Veterinary Hospital).

See horse colic, laminitis and horse first aid for what to do while you wait.

What to tell your vet

Before you ring, if it's safe to do so, note:

• Temperature, heart rate and breathing rate, and gum colour
• When you last saw the horse normal, and what has changed
• Whether it is eating, drinking and passing manure
• Any recent changes in feed, paddock, work or companions
• Vaccination and worming history

Build a daily check into your routine

Victoria's Code requires horses in stables, stalls and yards to be inspected daily, and recommends horses kept in stables and yards are inspected, fed and watered at least twice a day (Code of Practice). Aged horses (the Code counts 20 years and over as aged), mares in late pregnancy and sick or injured horses must also be checked daily.

Pony Club Australia teaches a daily paddock checklist of water, fences, gates, pasture, rug and horse (PCA Syllabus). A quick daily horse check might be:

1. From a distance: Is the horse with the herd, alert, standing square and grazing or resting normally?
2. Up close: Eyes, nostrils, coat, any swellings, cuts or heat in the legs.
3. Feet: Victoria's Code recommends the feet of horses in work are checked each day for injury, loose shoes or stones (Code of Practice).
4. Intake and output: Has it eaten its feed? Is the water level going down? Is there a normal amount of manure?
5. Under the rug: Look and feel for rubs, sweat and weight change. See the horse rugging guide.

Use our daily horse care checklist to keep a record, and log anything unusual in your horse health records.

Find an equine vet near you on horse.work and save their number, plus an after-hours number, in your phone.

FAQ

How can I tell if my horse is sick?

Look for changes from its normal: a low head, standing apart from the herd, not eating, tucked-up flanks, unexplained sweating, discharge from the eyes or nose, or changes in manure or urine (RSPCA Knowledgebase). Take its temperature if you can do so safely.

What is a normal temperature for a horse?

Penn State Extension gives 99–101.5°F (about 37.2–38.6°C) for adult horses at rest (Penn State Extension). Learn your own horse's normal.

How many times a day should a horse pass manure?

The RSPCA says a healthy horse passes manure 8–12 times a day (RSPCA Knowledgebase). A big drop, no manure or diarrhoea is worth a call to your vet.

Is a runny nose normal in a horse?

A trickle of clear liquid is normal. Yellow or green sticky mucus is not (RSPCA Knowledgebase), especially with a fever or swollen glands under the throat. Isolate the horse and call your vet – see biosecurity and isolating new horses.

My horse is acting out of character. Could it be pain?

Yes. New Zealand's Code recommends a vet checks for pain before behaviour changes are treated as a training problem (MPI Code of Welfare).