The hardest question with a horse of your own is rarely what is going on, but how quickly someone needs to get there. This guide helps you gauge a complaint — can this wait, does the vet need to come today, or is this an emergency — and gives an idea of what a visit costs. Diagnosis and treatment always belong with the vet; this is a tool for the decision, not a replacement for it.
Three Levels of Urgency
It helps to put a complaint into one of three buckets. If you're torn between two, choose the higher one.
| Urgency | What It Means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Call now (emergency) | Every hour counts; call immediately, even at night | Signs of colic, sudden severe lameness, heavy bleeding, respiratory distress, eye injury |
| Call today | No acute danger, but don't wait it out | Mild but persistent lameness, slight fever, a swollen bony spot, an eye that's tearing but open |
| Call for advice | An appointment or self-care may be enough | A small wound, a runny nose without fever, uncertainty about a small lump, a vaccination or dental question |
The third bucket is important and often skipped. Phone advice usually costs nothing and can prevent an unnecessary visit — or, just as easily, waiting too long. A good practice appreciates you calling before things get out of hand.
When It's a Real Emergency
In a number of situations, you call without waiting. For the full list of signals and what to do in the meantime, see the separate guide Recognizing Colic and Other Emergencies in Horses. In short, these are the cases where delay is harmful:
- Colic: restlessness, rolling, looking back at the flank, not eating, sweating without having worked. Some forms are life-threatening within hours.
- Sudden, obvious lameness where the horse won't bear weight on a leg, especially with heat or swelling. Don't "walk it out."
- Laminitis: the horse leans back on its heels, moves stiffly, the hooves feel warm.
- Bleeding that keeps flowing, or a deep wound, especially at a joint.
- Respiratory distress: fast, labored, or wheezy breathing, flared nostrils.
- Eye injury: a squeezed-shut, tearing, or cloudy eye. Eye problems worsen quickly.
- Neurological signs: staggering, falling over, no longer responding.
The rule is simple: better to call once too early than once too late.
A Baseline Makes It Easier
You can only recognize "abnormal" once you know what's normal. Measure the baseline values on your own horse a few times at rest, so you have a reference point. The ranges below are general; they can vary slightly per horse.
| Value | Normal at Rest (Adult Horse) |
|---|---|
| Heart rate/pulse at rest | roughly 28–44 beats per minute |
| Respiration | about 8–16 breaths per minute |
| Temperature | around 37.5–38.5°C |
| Mucous membranes (gums) | pink and moist |
A pulse that stays well above 44–48 at rest often points to pain or fever and is a useful warning sign. A temperature above 38.5°C is elevated; above 39°C, it's generally considered a fever. Pass on the values you measured when you call — they help the vet assess how quickly someone needs to come.
What to Report by Phone
The better you describe what you see, the better the advice. Keep these points on hand when you call:
- What you see and since when — behavior, posture, whether the horse is eating and passing manure, how it's progressing.
- The vital signs you measured — heart rate, respiration, temperature, color of the mucous membranes.
- Recent changes — different feed, a new pasture, transport, a competition, a fall.
- Whether the horse can be transported and how quickly you can arrange a trailer, in case referral to a clinic is needed.
Don't give painkillers or other medication on your own initiative: they can mask pain signals and make assessment harder. Only on the vet's instruction.
What a Visit Costs
Amounts vary by practice, region, and time of day, so treat this as an order of magnitude, not a fixed rate. If in doubt, ask about the rate in advance — a practice will tell you without hesitation.
| Item | Indication (Guide Price) |
|---|---|
| Call-out fee / mileage | roughly €30–€70 per visit |
| Daytime consultation (regular) | about €40–€90 |
| Evening, night, or weekend surcharge | often €75–€200 on top of the rate |
| Emergency visit (total, outside office hours) | expect €150–€300+ |
| Phone advice | usually free |
The biggest costs aren't in the visit itself but in what comes after: further diagnostics such as X-rays or ultrasound, medication, or referral to a clinic. Colic surgery, for example, easily runs into the order of several thousand euros. So check in advance what your insurance covers; see also Horse Insurance in the Netherlands.
A cost consideration should never be the reason to wait in a genuine emergency — delay usually makes the bill higher anyway, quite apart from the risk to the horse.
Preparation Prevents Panic
An emergency goes more smoothly if you've arranged things in advance:
- Put the phone number of your vet and the on-call evening/weekend service somewhere visible in the stable.
- Agree with stable mates or neighbors on who can help or keep an eye on the horse when you're not there.
- Make sure you know how quickly you can arrange a trailer for a possible trip to the clinic.
- Have a basic first-aid kit ready: thermometer, clean bandaging materials, a working flashlight.
In Short
Get to know your own horse's normal values, so deviations stand out. Put every complaint into one of three buckets — call now, call today, or call for advice — and choose the higher one if in doubt. Always treat colic, acute lameness, respiratory distress, and eye injury as emergencies. When you call, have your observations and the vital signs ready, and don't let cost drive your decision in a genuine emergency. For diagnosis, exact values, and emergencies, the vet is the only correct source.
See also: Recognizing Colic and Other Emergencies in Horses · Horse Insurance in the Netherlands · Jargon