How to Take a Horse’s Digital Pulse

 middle fingers around the underside of the fetlock, feeling for a squishy area kind of like guitar strings. Photo by Sarah E. Coleman

◆ Step Two: Slide your index and middle fingers around to just inside his fetlock. Feel for the soft, squishy area and press slightly harder to locate what feels like guitar strings—these are the digital arteries. 

Press until you can feel the pulse. By counting the beats for 10 seconds, you can multiply by 6 to get the horse’s BPM (heart beats per minute), or count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Photo by Sarah E. Coleman

◆ Step Three: Press until you feel his pulse and time the beats for 10 to 15 seconds; multiply by 6 or 4, respectively, to calculate the pulse rate in beats per minute (BPM). 

If you can’t find the pulse, adjust how hard you’re pressing; pressing too hard will cut off the blood flow and you won’t feel the pulse. Pressing too softly won’t allow you to feel the pulse at all.

◆ Step Four: Pay attention to how the pulse feels so you can compare it in his three other legs. 

If you’re struggling to find the digital pulse, ask your instructor, a veterinarian or a knowledgeable adult to show you how to locate it. It can be tricky to find, but it’s important to know how to locate this pulse and what “normal” feels like so you can keep your horse healthy! 

This is especially important if your horse has a history of metabolic issues (like Cushing’s disease) that may make him prone to founder. A bounding digital pulse is often the first clue that your horse has something wrong and that he’s in the first stages of foundering.

Pulse Tips

◆ An adult horse’s heart rate should be (on average) between 30 and 40 beats per minute. Keep this number in mind when checking for digital pulses.

◆ Finding a horse’s digital pulse can be tough—and that’s OK! Digital pulses are often faint in healthy horses. 

◆ While you’re feeling for the pulse, be sure to feel your horse’s hooves, as well. The hooves should all feel about the same temperature; a hoof that is overly hot means that something is amiss. 

◆ Take the pulse in each of your horse’s legs, not just one. 

◆ Consider checking your horse’s digital pulse each time you groom.