Horse owner gently locating the digital pulse near a calm horse pastern

How to Check a Horse Digital Pulse

February 6, 2026
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Quick answer: A horse's digital pulse can often be felt on either side of the pastern where the digital arteries run toward the hoof. Use two fingertips and light pressure, compare matching feet, and learn the horse's normal. A strong pulse is a clue, not a diagnosis.

Find it safely

Stand beside the limb with your body positioned safely, not directly in front of or behind the horse. Slide two fingertips along the inside or outside of the pastern and use gentle pressure. Your thumb has its own pulse, so it can confuse the check.

  • Let the horse stand quietly on level ground
  • Check the same location on the comparison foot
  • Note hoof temperature, stance, and movement at the same time

Interpret change in context

Many healthy resting horses have a faint pulse that is difficult to find. Exercise, excitement, heat, and individual variation can change what you feel. A distinctly stronger or bounding pulse, especially in more than one foot or with hoof heat and pain, deserves attention.

Use it as a baseline skill

Practice when the horse is normal so you know where to look and what ordinary feels like. Write down changes instead of repeatedly pressing harder. The value is consistent comparison and early communication with your farrier or veterinarian, not a sixty-second diagnosis.

When to stop and call the veterinarian

Seek veterinary guidance for a strong or bounding pulse with hoof heat, lameness, a rocked-back stance, reluctance to turn, sudden pain, swelling, a puncture, or any concern for laminitis or acute hoof disease.

A practical next step

The Horse Health Library can help organize other leg and hoof observations to report.

Educational horse-care information only. It does not replace diagnosis or treatment from your veterinarian.

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