Ok. We all have had it happen - coming back from a class and asking our mother to take off the bridle and put on our horse's halter so we don't get face goop/oil or slobber all over our coat, only to hear "Which way does it go on?" as our mothers hold the halter upside-down confused. 

Now, I am supposing that one's mother knows how to take a bridle off properly (if not click HERE). The most common halter is your average nylon or leather halter, however, I will also cover the tricky rope halter knots.

You have the halter on - now what?  You have several options:

Temperature: 99.5-101.5F
Pulse:

• Foals: 70-120 bpm
• Yearlings: 45-60 bpm
• 2yr. olds: 40-50 bpm
  
• Adults: 30-40 bpm

Respiration: 

• Resting Adult: 8-16 breaths per min

Gut Signs:

• Normal: Mixture of gurgling/grumbling sounds
• Abnormal: No gut sounds, sand on a beach sound

Dehydration/Pinch Test: 

• Skin should recoil in less than 1 second
  

Capillary Refill Time: 

• Normal refill time is 1 to 2 seconds. 
  

Mucous Membranes (gums):

• Moist Pink: Healthy normal circulation. 
  
• Very Pale Pink: Capillaries contracted, indicates fever, blood loss or anemia. 
  
• Bright Red: Capillaries enlarged, indicates toxicity or mild shock. 
  
• Gray or Blue: Severe shock, depression and illness. 
  
• Bright Yellow: Associated with liver problems.
  

HOW TO: 

• Check Pulse: 1) Listen to your horse's heart beat (lub-dub) by placing a stethescope behind his left elbow.                              2) Use your forefinger to press against your horse's artery under his left jawbone.

• Do a Pinch Test: Pinch the skin in the middle of your horse's neck for a second or two, then count how long it takes for the skin to recoil. 
• Check CRT: Press a finger against your horse's upper gum for several seconds, then release and count how long it takes for the white spot to turn pink again.
  

Resources:
http://www.equusite.com/articles/health/healthVitalSigns.shtml
http://extension.psu.edu/animals/equine/news/2013/know-your-horse2019s-vital-signs
http://texashelp.tamu.edu/005-agriculture/pdf/understanding-vital-life-signs-in-horses.pdf
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/25888/checking-the-vitals-abdominal-sounds

With the single digit cold weather now upon us again, the question of how many blankets your horse should be wearing might be crossing your mind. With help from the Horse Journal here is a basic guide:

Sheet: 

• Stabled (clipped) - 60 deg +
  
• Turnout (unclipped) - 50 deg
• Stabled (unclipped) - 45 deg

Lightweight: 

• Stabled (clipped) - 50 deg 
  
• Turnout (unclipped) - 40 deg
• Stabled (unclipped) - 30 deg

Midweight: 

• Stabled (clipped) - 40 deg 
  
• Turnout (unclipped) - 30 deg
• Stabled (unclipped) - 20 deg

Heavyweight:

• Stabled (clipped) - 30 deg 
  
• Turnout (unclipped) - 15 deg
• Stabled (unclipped) -  10 deg

Extra-heavyweight:

• Stabled (clipped) - 25 deg 
  
• Turnout (unclipped) - 10 deg
• Stabled (unclipped) -  5 deg

Multiple blankets: 

• Stabled (clipped) - 20 deg 
  
• Turnout (unclipped) - 0 deg
• Stabled (unclipped) -  0 deg

Adapted from:
http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/WINTER-BLANKETS-PDF.pdf

Please note that the changes made were to reflect our cold damp WI weather :) 
If your horse has thin summer hair then follow the "clipped" horse guide. "Unclipped" is for the furry winter coats. An additional note - if you body clipped your horse and he/she is having a hard time maintaining weight, try blanketing another level heavier.