How to Take Your Horse’s Digital Pulses
By Esco Buff, PhD, APF-I, CF
A pulse is the rhythmic contraction and expansion of an artery due to the surge of blood from the beating of your horse's heart.1,3-5 The pulse measures the rate and strength of a heartbeat. 2-6 Taking a horse’s pulse is important for several reasons. It can help measure fitness, stress levels, and aid in lameness location
A digit is a toe or finger or corresponding part in a horse.7-9 There are several places you can check the digital pulse in your horse’s lower leg.4,6,10-12 We are going to focus on taking a digital pulse below the knee. Every horse owner should know how to take a horse’s digital pulse, which often can help you detect a foot lameness issue. The artery will pulse with each beat of your horse’s heart. The four mentioned here, most horse owners will find to be the easiest places to assess digital pulses.
Learning to take your horse's pulse when they are healthy will allow you to get a feel for their normal pulse strength.4,6,10-13 In healthy horses, it can be very subtle and harder to locate. When feeling for the pulse, try different pressures. If you press too lightly you may not be able to detect a pulse. With too much pressure, you may restrict the blood flow and therefore the pulse.
When assessing your horse, be sure to check the digital pulse on each leg. This will allow you to notice any differences between limbs, which could indicate a potential issue.4,6,10-13
The first is above the fetlock. There are two easy-to-find grooves in each lower limb above the fetlock joint. The first groove is between the cannon bone and the suspensory ligament. The second groove lies between the suspensory ligament and the flexor tendons, which run down the back of the lower leg. The vein, artery, and nerve (VAN) run together in the second groove.4,6,10- 12,15
The second is towards the back of the fetlock. Once the VAN passes through this area, they move down over the back of the fetlock joint into the pastern area. As the digital artery crosses over the back and towards the side of the fetlock, you may also be able to feel the pulse at the bulge of the fetlock joint. At this point, the branches of the digital artery are close to the surface and may be easy to feel.4,6,10-12,15
The third and fourth are in the upper and mid pastern area. Once in the pastern area, you will see and feel the extensor branches of the suspensory ligament reach from either side the fetlock down towards the front of the hoof, on a diagonal. The VAN travel in the groove behind these firm ligament structures. 4,6,10-12,15 You should be able to feel the pulse about three finger widths above the coronary band, just below the suspensory ligament depression of the pastern area.4,6,10- 12,15
The normal pulse range for adult horses (ages 4-20) is 30-40 bpm (beats per minute), 6,14,15 with an average of 36 for thoroughbreds and warmbloods. Yearlings range from 45-50 bpm. Digital pulses in a horse where all is well can be difficult to detect.10,11
When the strength of the pulse is strong and easily felt, the pulse is said to be bounding.10
Following moderate exercise, a horse’s pulse rate should increase to 180-240 bpm, and should fall to 60 bpm within 10-20 minutes of rest, then slowly return to normal.6
If there is inflammation in the hoof, the pulses will feel strong or bounding because it’s harder for the blood to pass into the blood vessels below.10,11,15 Always check pulses in all feet for comparison. If there are bounding pulses in only one hoof, then suspect a localized issue, possibly an abscess or bruise. Bounding pulses in two or four feet indicate possibly a bigger problem that require more immediate involvement by your veterinarian and farrier.11
It is important for every horse owner to practice finding their horse’s pulses and knowing the normal strength of their horse’s pulse. This information will provide you with a wealth of information in helping determine many health-related problems. If you cannot find your horse’s digital pulses, next time your farrier or veterinarian are out to visit your horse, have them help you locate your horse’s digital pulse.
References and Resources
1. Drug Medical Dictionary. Medical Definition of Pulse. RxList. Melissa Conrad Stoppler, MD. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.rxlist.com/pulse/definition.htm#:~:text=Pulse%3A%20The%20rhythmic%2 0dilation%20of%20an%20artery%20that,the%20arteries%20of%20the%20wrist%20or% 20neck.%20From
2. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Vital Signs (Body Temperature, Pulse Rate, Respiration Rate, Blood Pressure). Retrieved July 11, 2022 from Vital Signs (Body Temperature, Pulse Rate, Respiration Rate, Blood Pressure) | Johns Hopkins Medicine
3. Cleveland Clinic. Heart & Blood Vessels: Simple Clues to Your Heart. Retrieved July 11, 2022 from Taking Your Pulse and Blood Pressure (clevelandclinic.org)
4. EquiMed. Four Ways to Take Your Horse’s Pulse. Retrieved July 11, 2022 from Four Ways to Take Your Horse's Pulse | EquiMed - Horse Health Matters
5. Pickering D. How to measure the pulse. Community Eye Health. 2013;26(82):37. PMID: 24023407; PMCID: PMC3756652.
6. Donatelli J. Take Your Horse’s Digital Pulse. Practical Horseman. March 4, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2022 from Take Your Horse's Digital Pulse (practicalhorsemanmag.com)
7. Digit. The American Heritage Medical Dictionary. Copyright and published 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
8. Digital. Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 by HarperCollings Publisher.
9. Digital. Miller Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition, 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elseview.
10. Equine Wellness. Checking your horse’s digital pulses. Retrieved July 11, 2022 from Checking your horse’s digital pulses | Equine Wellness Magazine
11. Health & Care, Lameness. Equine Digital Pulses. Retrieved July 11, 2022 from Equine Digital Pulses – Horse Racing Belize
12. How to Take Your Horse’s Digital Pulse. Horse and People Magazine Fact Sheet. 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2022 from how-to-digital-pulse.pdf (horsefx.com.au)
13. Parks, A. (2010). Examination of the Equine Foot. AAEP Proceedings, Vol. 56, 485- 493.
14. Fielder, S. Resting Heart Rates. Merck Veterinary Manual. Retrieved July 14 from Resting Heart Rates - Special Subjects - Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com)
15. Anatomy of the Equine. Equine Digital Pulse ebook. Equine Digital Pulses (anatomy-ofthe-equine.com)
