Hello again. In this lesson,
we'll talk about the science of pain and discomfort.
The only way our horses have for telling us that something is wrong.
There is an art and a science to recognizing discomfort and pain in horses.
It starts with knowing what is normal for horses as a species, breed,
and individual, as we discussed in our very first lesson in this series.
The science is reflected in knowing
physiology and collecting information with the vital signs.
And the art comes in interpreting the data you have collected and the horse's behavior.
By the end of this lesson,
you'll recognize the signals sometimes subtle,
that horses can give us to let us know that something is wrong or not normal.
It's important to note that some horses will be
very reluctant to show signs of discomfort or pain.
This is because, as prey animals,
showing discomfort in their natural setting might make them more vulnerable to predators,
or even a target.
Animal caretakers sometimes use the term
stoic to refer to the type of horse who hides pain.
Other horses can be very dramatic when in pain.
Even to the point of hurting themselves further or you,
when they're experiencing discomfort.
Once you get to know your horse,
you will probably have an opinion as to whether you have a stoic or expressive horse.
Understanding this will help you to interpret what your horse might be
trying to tell you and guide what actions you need to take.
Let's start at the front of the horse and review the body parts,
to point out some signs of discomfort that you can observe.
The face is a good place to start.
When a horse is in pain,
they might flare their nostrils,
yawn and open their mouth repeatedly.
Squint eyelids or blink frequently especially,
if they have ocular pain.
Twitch ears back and forth or have them laid back.
Hang their head and neck lower than usual or toss it up and down.
Looking at the shoulders and front legs,
he might flex his front leg at the knee or stomp the foot,
extend his shoulder forward and paw at the ground or point the limb.
Extend both limbs in front of him,
putting more weight on the heel of his hooves or on the hind end.
Some horses will dangle a limb and not be willing to bear weight on the limb.
Moving to the middle and back of the horse,
you may see an arched or tense tight back,
a tucked up flank area,
implying that it looks sunken inward,
or almost Greyhound like as opposed to the natural relaxed curvature of the abdomen.
Biting at the flank.
Yes, his head can reach around that far.
Kicking at the belly,
with hind legs or stretching out into an abnormally long abdominal stance.
Tail swishing, or holding the tail elevated for a long period of time.
You may also see the horse lying down and getting up repeatedly,
or staying down even when you try to get them to rise.
Some horses will push their hind quarters into a corner of
the stall or rub their entire body along a fence or wall.
Rarely, you may see a horse sitting like a dog
with a romp on the ground and straight front legs.
This is not a normal posture for a horse.
A horse in discomfort may also make a variety of sounds
including snorting or trumpeting through the nostrils,
which can indicate emotional unrest or alarm,
moaning with each breath,
squealing, repeated neighing, or whinning.
The point is hopefully,
that he will be well versed in what normal is for your horse.
So that you will be able to identify
these behavior as a red flag to look more closely at the horse,
and to consult with your veterinarian.
In week one, you learned about normal vital signs.
Now, let's look at what abnormal vital signs are,
and what they might mean,
starting with the respiratory rate.
A horse in discomfort will often have an increased respiratory rate.
In addition to the increase in the number of breaths per minute,
you may also notice an increased effort or
change in the rhythm such as rapid shallow breaths,
followed by a pause.
Respiratory rate abnormalities may be from stress,
or pain, or infection, or shock.
Respiratory rate changes could also manifest from
allergies or a chronic condition affecting lung health,
like a person with asthma.
Realize that on a hot day,
a horse will have an elevated respiratory rate to help dissipate heat from their body.
In most cases of increased respiratory rate,
consult your veterinarian early on to troubleshoot what the cause might be.
It is rare for a horse to display an abnormally low respiratory rate.
And we are more concerned about an elevation in respiratory rate.
Just like with respiratory rate,
an abnormally elevated heart rate can result from pain.
It can also result from excitement.
And so, it's important to try and sort those out
when you were first discovering an elevated heart rate.
We can detect an elevated heart rate even in
the horses that are stoic and reluctant to express their discomfort.
Usually, their heart rate does not lie.
When a horse is quiet or depressed and is displaying an elevated heart rate,
then excitement is not usually the cause.
And the increased heart rate may be due to
either dehydration or compensation from a loss of fluids.
If the heart rate is over 60,
the horse is likely experiencing some significant distress,
and you should seek veterinary help.
Low heart rates are unusual.
Some horses will display
an irregular heart rate and consultation with your veterinarian is advised.
So, after detecting an elevated heart rate,
it is important to note the temperature of the horse.
An elevated temperature or fever in a horse is
usually a result of a viral or bacterial infection.
But we may also see this from stress,
toxin ingestion, or overheating from high temperature or humidity.
Sometimes, we can't identify the cause of the fever,
but we still treat the horse with supportive care.
If the horse displays a fever or temperature over 101.5,
it is recommended that you consult your veterinarian.
Some horses will keep eating with a fever.
So, it's important to routinely check the temperature after travel,
or stress, or extreme heat.
Even if you don't suspect a severe fever.
A lower than normal temperature can indicate
that the rectal thermometer has entered a fecal ball,
which will be down in the 97 98 degree category,
and can be a very serious indicator in young stock.
Neonatal foals and young horses with an abnormally low temperature can be in
severe shock or can succumb to environmental conditions and require immediate attention.
If you check the capillary refill time,
and notice it takes more than two seconds for the pink color to return, take notice.
This is a vital sign worth monitoring over time to
assess the status of the horse's circulation and hydration.
If it gets worse over a short period of time,
for example, 10 minutes,
or if you notice a flushed red color, or lavender,
or blue color to the gums,
it is time to contact the veterinarian.
These changes in color may indicate a systemic problem,
which requires veterinary intervention.
By now, you should have a good idea of how to gauge pain and
discomfort in your horse and understand what is normal and abnormal.
In our next lesson,
we'll take this knowledge one step further and look at some examples of conditions where
your ability to recognize normal and abnormal may
make all the difference in your horse's health. See you soon.
Claudia Sonder, DVMEmeriti Director of Equine Outreach
