When would a rectal temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit be considered normal for an adult horse?
C – It’s not unusual for an endurance horse’s body temperature to rise to as high as 104 degrees F when competing on a hot day. After he’s stopped exercising, a hot horse’s temperature should steadily decrease, returning to normal (which can vary from 98.5 to 100.5 degrees F), at an average rate of about 1 degree every 30 minutes; otherwise, he could be in danger of heat exhaustion.
