Horses, like humans, can be anemic. Anemia is influenced by the amount of red blood cells circulating in a horse’s bloodstream. The average horse has a packed cell volume (PCV) of 40%. While this percentage varies depending on a horse’s fitness levels, a horse is deemed anemic when their PCV is less than 30%. Anemia is typically caused by either blood loss, blood destruction, or reduced blood cell production. Once a horse is classified as anemic, a vet will need to determine why the horse’s body is not producing enough red blood cells or where the red blood cells are going. Some cases of anemia are acute which others are chronic.