What you need to know when you call your vet.

So worst comes to worst, and you find yourself making one of those dreaded calls to your emergency veterinarian. Don't panic, because as stressful as an emergency medical situation can be for both you and your horse, you can still do quite a bit to help. It's going to be helpful to your vet if you already have some basic information written down, when you call.

Time:
What time did you first notice the problem or injury? Write it down. When we're under stress, time seems to play funny tricks—but in some cases, it's very important to know how much time has passed. This is especially true if you (or anyone else on the scene) administered any drugs like bute or banamine, for instance, or performed other time-sensitive treatment on the horse before the vet arrives.

Symptoms:
Describe as carefully as possible exactly what the problem is. If your horse isn't bearing weight, and you can see exposed and apparently damaged muscles and tendons, or if there's excessive bleeding, or any other pertinent information that seems outside the normal parameters for your horse—that's all information your vet will probably want to know when you call.

Gut Sounds:
Just what it sounds like: if you listen to your horse's barrel you should be able to hear slow waves of peristaltic activity, even just by pressing your ear against her flank. If you have a stethoscope, all the better. Listen to both sides, and listen both high on the flank, and lower on the belly. This is especially important if you suspect a colic.

Temperature:
You'll need a rectal thermometer with an attached string. I strongly prefer digital thermometers, because they're faster, easier to handle, easier to read, and less breakable. A normal range for your horse is likely between 98 F, and 100.9 F—a body temperature either much higher or lower may be cause for concern.

Heart rate:
An inexpensive stethoscope and a wristwatch that marks seconds will allow you to monitor your horse's heart rate. Practice, and make a mental note of the normal range of your horse's heart rate; monitor his heart rate before and after work, and at rest in his stall or pasture. His resting rate likely will fall between about 24 beats per minute and 44-48 bpm.

Respiration rate:
This means, very simply, how fast is your horse breathing? At rest, his respiration rate should typically be under about 16-20 breaths per minute. If he's quite relaxed, his respiration rate might be as low as 8.

Capillary Refill:
When you lift your horse's upper lip, you can see his gums. What color are they? If you look when you know your horse is healthy, you'll have a better baseline to know if the gums are excessively pale, gray, or excessively red. How does the surface feel? Wet? Tacky and dry? When you press your thumbnail firmly into the gum hard enough to leave a pale spot, how long does it take for the color to come back into the area? Typically, the capillary refill time should be around 2 seconds or less.

You can also just visit with your vet about his or her recommendations for books about horse health and first aid. Ask what sorts of things you should be watching for, on a day to day basis, as well. Your vet is one of the most valuable allies you'll ever have in your relationship with horses.

Next time: what your horse needs to know when she sees the vet.