Listen To Your Horse - Know Some Basic Vitals

When I was thinking of getting my own horse, I had this misconception that horses were hardy creatures. Provide the right food, supplements and exercise and horses will be healthy and happy, nothing to worry about. I learned the hard way that horses are actually very, very fragile creatures. Aside from a horses tiny legs, their next weakest feature is their digestive tract. Horses have a very inefficient and poorly designed digestive system.

This blog is to encourage you to know what some basic vital signs are for horses, how to take them and encourage you to listen to your "horsetuition". No one knows your fuzzy baby better than you, when something feels wrong, it most likely is. Also, proper medical care for these fragile, amazing creatures is not cheap. You can get a horse for next to nothing, even free. But you must be prepared and able to shell out some serious money in the event your baby gets sick or have a very, very tough heart which I don't think many do that include horses as part of their family.

Allie had become "pokey", one of the reasons I chose her was because she was so responsive to leg cues. My trainers response was "shes being lazy". Not having the faith in my "horsetuition" I brought the crop out and tapped her on the butt (please know I don't whip, I actually don't even whop, in fact, my trainer laughs because I am one of those that taps, but that is all she needs) When she was struggling to get up to a fast trot, and struggling to transition into a canter, I knew something was not right. I ended the session immediately and brought her in. Tacked down and put her in her stall. Her head was low and she just seemed "tired." I was worried, but she was eating, drinking water, she just seemed down.

I checked on her the next day and she just hung her head. No nicker, she barely raised her head when I walked up to her stall. I was scared. I berated myself for not listening to the voice in my head yesterday and called the vet. Of course, it was one of those days where there are a million emergencies and so Allie and I waited while I stroked her head and tried to get her to eat. She refused, I remembered in the recesses of my mind something about "keep a horse moving if they have colic" I wasn't sure if she was colic, but keeping her moving and me moving kept my eyes off my watch so we walked. I was a little encouraged by her dives for grass now and then, but could see that she just wasn't herself.

As I willed the vet to transport herself to us, I kept walking and loving her. Letting her eat grass when she wanted to, walking up to her water bucket trying to convince her she wanted to drink the water. I finally got a text the vet was 20 minutes away. I put her in her stall to rest and waited at the end of the drive to be sure they didn't miss the driveway. This is where I share what I wish someone would have told me earlier:


1) The vet is going to ask you if the horse is running a temperature. Have a thermometer, know how to use it. It isn't as simple as it seems, its not hard, but trying to take the temp when you are stressed out makes it even harder. Practice it when your horse is fine.

2) They are going to ask how their pulse is

3) They are going to ask if they are breathing normally.

4) Gum color, practice looking at your horses gums while they aren't feeling sick so when you try to look when they aren't feeling well, it isn't something that stresses them out

5) Time it takes for capillaries in the gums to return to pink after being pressed with a finger

6) BUY A STETHOSCOPE - they really aren't expensive, it will save you some grey hairs, especially if your horse has had a colic episode. I cant tell you how many days I spent with my ear to my horses sides after she was sick.

Here is a link with all of the above normal range vitals. Print it out, keep it in a notebook in your tack box. Write down what is "normal" for your horse.

Horse Vitals


Allie ended up going to Pilchuck, this is the equivalent to a human trauma center. Good news, she is fine (knock on wood). I'll go into more details around what she was diagnosed with and my learnings from that in another blog.

Happy Riding! 

When I was very little, I remember galloping and trotting around the house neighing at the top of my lungs. I rode my spring rocking horse until all of the springs were stretched out and made everyone stop at every stall in the 4-H horse barn at the fair.  I would look at each horse and imagine myself riding freely across the field, just me and my pony.  I would draw my dream horses, wild and crazy arabians with flowing manes and tails, unicorns, Pegasus (yes I dreamed big!) I read Black Beauty and sobbed, The Black Stallion and dreamed of a horse finding me, Misty of Chincoteague, I watched The Black Stallion the movie and was so jealous of that boy who played Alec.

Around the age of 7, I was lucky enough to go to summer camp at Aqua Barn.  A whole week of grooming, riding and learning all about horses.  There was also the stupid stuff like swimming, which I couldn't wait to get over so we could do our second ride.  The week went by so fast!  I was lucky enough to go to horse camp 4 years.  My Mom saved her daycare money to send me as we both shared a love of horses.

 Tina was my ever so patient chestnut QH




then Sunny, the palomino that I got to "barrel race" on (it felt so fast, but I am sure he was trotting around those barrels if not walking fast)








Gypsy, the little Dun pony that should of had that year off so she could raise her foal without the annoying camp kid on her back. (I got Tina two years in a row).   I loved every second of it, I was not a child that loved to get up in the morning, but for that 1 week in the summer, I could hardly sleep at night and could not wait to get to camp.






Every time we went to Ocean Shores, I'd beg to do a beach ride.  The time went by so fast, I hated when they made us turn around because I knew the end was coming fast.  I just wanted to hang out with them, pet them, love them.  Horse smell to me is a calming balm, I never get people that think horses stink.

Horse camp was expensive and I was entering that teenage phase where boys and friends take over your life, so horses moved to the back of my mind.  I never stopped admiring them or spending hours in the horse barn at a fair, but the opportunities to ride or be near a horse were very limited.  Then graduating, working, getting married, raising a bouncing baby boy, advancing my career all took priority in my life, pushing my opportunities to get my horse smell fix to the Puyallup Fair once a year and the occasional horse back ride while I am on vacation.

Move forward 18 years and I now have some time on my hands.  A Groupon comes out for horse back riding lessons.  I carefully read the Groupon to make sure it is not strictly for children under the age of 10! I look at some feedback and see that there were other adults that took advantage of the offer so I bravely buy one and show up for my first lesson, where I am surrounded by 5 little girls around the age of 7.  LOL  I think the mom's kept wondering where my kid was.  The instructor was nice and didn't treat me like I was 7 (which I appreciated).  She let me help bring the horses out which gave me the extra few minutes I craved to just be with these amazing creatures before the tack up, lesson, tack down routine. I couldn't believe how sore I was and secretly hated those little whipper snappers who had no issues jumping up and off those horses and could run to the car after their lesson.  Regardless of the pain, I was hooked (again). I looked for other Groupons, checked out lesson facilities, bought "Horses for Dummies".  There was so much information out there now!  I Googled everything about riding, increased my lessons to 2x a week   I found an instructor that was more than willing to let me do everything.  In hind sight, I realize that she was basically getting a free barn worker, lol, but I loved it.

She gave me the opportunity to go to a schooling show where I got a ribbon (the ribbon was really a result of the horse being so well trained, but it was still fun).  I loved lessons, but you have a limited amount of time to just "be with the horse" which is my favorite part. I would try to show up at lessons early to get more of this time, but there would be someone before or after me and never felt like I got to just "breathe" with the horse.

I schemed about how I could just hang around a horse, and learned there was this option to lease a horse!  I had no idea this arrangement even existed and immediately started researching it.  It was the answer to my dilemma.  For a set amount every month, I could ride, groom, hang out, love on a horse!  Perfect!  Now, where to find someone willing to let me love their horse.  My husband finds everything on Craigslist, according to him, "if you haven't checkout Craigslist first, you are missing out".  I roll my eyes and sigh and click on Craigslist where I learn there is a Farm & Garden section and lo and behold, lots of people that are willing to let you spend time with their horses for a monthly payment.

I ask my riding instructors (yes I had two at this time LOL) if they thought I was ready to lease a horse. Both of them looked at me like "of course, anyone could lease a horse" and encouraged me to check it out.  In enters Roo.  Roo was a 9 year old QH, 14.2 hands and slow, slow, slow.  Roo loved poking along the trail, in fact he loved poking at everything.  Roo and his owner were the perfect first time lease situation, I will always be thankful for both of them.

After leasing Roo for almost a year, I wanted my own.  I loved Roo, but was looking for a horse that would be happier in the arena and would not resist moving faster than a walk for at least half the time we rode.  It was so hard to let him go, I get very attached to any animal but I knew that Roo would not be happy going around and around in the arena and some where out there, was a little girl that would LOVE to trail ride which he would be perfect for.  Happy ending, a girl did buy him and she trial rides with him.

I started the search for my very own horse. I had some specific requirements, older, calm, trained, forgiving. I had been bucked off by a horse a few months earlier which made me a little guarded.  Again, I was so jealous of those little whipper snappers who fly off horses all the time and get right back up.  I remember ruling out Thoroughbreds because of the general assumption they are hot, so when I saw an Appendix (QH,Thoroughbred mix) I was hesitant.  I checked out a QH who was dripping wet with sweat when we got there.  That meant the owner had lunged her into a sweat, trying to tire her out before the test ride (this is not a good sign), but gave it a try.  The horse bucked every time someone asked her to canter, another bad sign.  Most likely she was in pain somewhere - horses are very sensitive creatures that really, really want to please.  When they act out like that it is most likely a result of pain somewhere, in general, horses do not WANT to be bad.  Their vocalization is limited  (prey animals are meant to be quiet in order to not get eaten), they cant whine or fuss like dogs when they are in pain.  They internalize pain until it is unbearable which then results in the buck or rear.  I am not saying there are no bad horses, some do learn to get out of working by acting badly, but please look for pain before immediately jumping to that conclusion.  Just my lil shout out for horses :)
Anyway, needless to say, I passed on that horse.  Next was the Appendix.

She was at the guys house.  Her ad had a picture of her in her prime, she had basically been a pasture pet for the last couple of years and no longer in her prime LOL
She still had the sweetest face, was calm, friendly, respectful.  She hadn't been run into a sweat, in fact she was out in the pasture with her friend, 25 year old Jake.
She won my heart, of course I hadn't even ridden her yet, but I loved her.  I did ride her around their pasture, she was responsive, knew her gaits. She was mine.

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Allie has taught me a lot:
1) Horses are forgiving and patient, if they have not given you the answer or response you wanted, you did not ask correctly
2) You "hear" a lot more when you are silent
3) These furry babies are expensive - be prepared to spend $
4) Be prepared to spend hours in a barn just watching them to make sure they poop and pee. It is heart wrenching when they are not feeling well
5) There is no connection like hearing your horse nicker at you when you walk up to their stall
6) Being in the present, there is only the present for a horse and it is a valuable lesson to apply to life

After many hours of riding and many, many more to come I still stop and look at her and can't believe I really, truly own a horse of my very own. This was such a dream for me when I was little, and such an out of my reach concept for me in my 20/30's that it still takes my breath away when I walk into the barn and see her.

This was the long introduction, next few blogs will be shorter. I am thinking of creating my next few blogs on things I learned that I wish someone would have told me.  What else are people interested in?

Happy Riding!