Knowing your horse's normal vital signs is VITAL —pun intended!— to detecting distress and a possible emergency! 🩺 Practice taking your horse's vitals often (T.P.R.: temperature, pulse, respiration rate) so you can get to know what's normal for your equine friends and recognize what is abnormal. If your horse seems a little "off" and his values are outside the normal range, a call to your equine veterinarian is definitely warranted! The typical ranges for adult horses are as follows: 🌡️Temperature: 99.0-101.5°F ❤️Heart rate: 28-40 beats/minute 🫁Respiration rate: 12-16 breaths/minute Keep in mind that very hot and humid conditions may cause small variations, so be sure to have a conversation with your horse doctor about what is acceptable and about how to properly assess your horse's vital signs. Thank you to the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee for providing this information! #AAEP #AAEPHorseDocs #TPR #EquineVitals (fb)

“Find mentors who will go the extra mile to help you reach your goals and seek out a clinic where you genuinely feel like you belong. You can be an incredible equine vet even if you didn’t spend your childhood riding or working with horses.” This Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month we are honored to spotlight early career veterinarian and AAEP volunteer Dr. Yoko Tanaka. Currently completing a large animal rotating internship at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Dr. Tanaka is passionate about creating a safe, supportive environment where students feel comfortable asking questions while learning to work with horses safely. Her Japanese-American heritage was nurtured in her native Atlanta, a city known for its rich diversity and culture. She rode dressage and hunter/jumper while also volunteering with a therapeutic riding program. Witnessing the profound impact of the human-animal bond inspired her to pursue a career dedicated to helping horses help people. She earned both her undergraduate degree and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!). This summer, she will move to Ames, Iowa, to begin a residency in equine surgery. “Over the past year, I’ve worked with students from a wide variety of backgrounds - both in terms of ethnicity and prior animal experience. To anyone considering a career in equine veterinary medicine, it truly is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world.” (fb)