Heart rate is the count of cardiac cycles — each consisting of one contraction and one relaxation — occurring per minute. In horses, it is expressed as beats per minute (bpm) and measured by auscultation with a stethoscope placed behind the left elbow, or by palpation of a superficial artery such as the facial or digital artery. Digital pulse devices designed for horses can also provide readings, though auscultation remains the standard for clinical accuracy.
A healthy adult horse at rest has a heart rate of 28 to 44 bpm. Values above 60 bpm at rest indicate abnormality and warrant investigation; elevated resting rate may reflect pain (including colic), fever, dehydration, or cardiovascular disease. Foals have higher resting heart rates: a newborn foal may beat at 70 to 100 bpm in its first hours, normalizing to adult ranges within months.
During exercise, heart rate increases in proportion to workload, reaching 200 to 240 bpm at maximal effort. Recovery rate — how quickly the heart rate returns toward resting after exertion — is a fitness indicator used in endurance competition, where a horse must meet a specified rate (typically 64 bpm or below) at the end of each ride segment to continue. A horse’s cardiac size and output determine the ceiling for this recovery efficiency. Monitoring heart rate recovery is also relevant in assessing whether a horse is recovering from illness or showing signs of internal trauma.