Basic Physical Examination of Horses

1. Basic Physical Examination of Horses Chapter #2 Pages 29-45 LACP

2. Pulse Rate/Heart Rate • The pulse rate is taken by palpation of arteries • Heart rate and pulse rate are nor the same: heart rate refers to the number of heart bests/minute (bpm); pulse rate refers to the number of palpable arterial pulse waves/minute • In normal animals heart rate and pulse rate are equal • Arterial pulses may be palpated at several locations • Pulse deficit (heart rate ↑ pulse rate↓)

3. Facial artery is the most convenient location where it courses over the ventral aspect of the mandible, rostral to the origin of the masseter muscle

4. B, Identify the facial artery along the medial aspect of the mandible. • C, Press the vascular bundle against the medial aspect of the mandible

5. Transverse facial artery • Is located in a horizontal depression about 1 inch caudal to the lateral canthus of the eye and just below the zygomatic arch.

6. Coocygeal artery • Supplies the tail and is located along the ventral midline of the tail.

7. Dorsal metatarsal artery • Is located between the metatarsal 3 and 4 (cannon bone and lateral splint bone) on the hind limp

8. E, Location of the lateral digital artery over the lateral proximal sesamoid bone and proximal to the lateral collateral cartilage. F, Palpation of the digital arteries over the proximal sesamoid bones. G, Palpation of the digital arteries proximal to the collateral cartilages.

9. Heart Auscultation • Horses are athletes: the hearth of the average horse may be as large as a basketball. • Auscultation may be done on the left or right side of the chest, though most of the heart valves and sounds are heard best from the left side • The most common cause of an irregular heart rhythm in the horse is the second degree atrioventricular (A-V) block

10. Landmarks for the heart • The horizontal marks indicate the level of the shoulder and elbow joints. The vertical mark indicates the caudal border of the triceps muscle.