04/03/2025
You can listen to a horse's heart using a stethoscope, placing it behind the elbow on the left side. A normal heart rate for a resting horse is typically between 28-44 beats per minute.
Listening to the Heart:
Stethoscope: Place the stethoscope behind the horse's elbow on the left side.
Sound: You'll hear a "lub-dub" sound, where the "lub" and "dub" together count as one beat.
Counting: Count the beats for 15 seconds and multiply by four to get the beats per minute (BPM).
Normal Range: A normal resting heart rate for a horse is 28-44 BPM.
You can also listen to the heart on the right side, but it's often louder on the left.
Palpating the Pulse:
Location: You can feel the pulse under the horse's mandible (cheek) or in the fetlock region.
Facial Artery: To find the facial artery, locate the horse's masseter muscles (cheeks) and run your fingers down to the edge of the mandible.
Fetlock: You can also feel the pulse in the fetlock region.
Heart Murmurs:
What it is: A heart murmur is an abnormal heart sound produced by turbulent blood flow.
Sound: It may sound like whooshing or blowing when listening with a stethoscope.
Normal vs. Murmur: A normal heartbeat sounds like "lub-dub, lub-dub," while a murmur sounds like a whooshing, blowing, or honking noise.