Things You'll Need:
- Horse thermometer
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Step 1
Know what a healthy horse looks and acts like. A horse communicates through body language, so you need to be able to read its body language to tell what your horse is thinking and feeling. There are many resources for this, one of the best being the book "The Body Language of Horses" (see Resources below).
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Step 2
Look for signs of ill health. The horse will be lethargic, standing with its head low and one rear leg cocked. Its ears will be farther back than the usual resting stance, and its nostrils will be flattened and elongated. It may or may not grind its teeth. It will appear uncomfortable and in the case of illness with be sluggish and not want to move.
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Step 3
Look for signs of a contagious illness such as strangles or flu. The horse will often have thick yellow and green mucus coming from its nostrils and have difficulty breathing. Its respiration will be quick and thick with mucus. If another disease, such as dust pneumonia, has set in, its breathing will sound raspy and it will have a low, "barking" cough.
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Step 4
Watch for other signs, such as swelling of the mucous membranes in eyes and mouth, swelling of the legs or any other obvious distress. If anything is noted that may be abnormal, check the horse for fever. Be sure and use some KY jelly or other lubricant and gently insert the thermometer into the rectum. You need a horse thermometer, otherwise you may lose a human thermometer. Any temperature over 101 degrees F is a fever. If a fever or any of the other signs of infectious disease are present, it is important to contact a veterinarian and get the horse on treatment right away.
