The cardiovascular effects of serial increasing infusions of dopexamine HCl were investigated in six conscious (1, 2, 4, 6, 10 micrograms/kg bodyweight [bwt]/min) and eight (0.5, 1, 5, 10, 20 micrograms/kg bwt/min) halothane-anaesthetised horses. Dopexamine produced dose-dependent increases in heart rate, +dP/dtmax' -dP/dtmax and cardiac output, and a decrease in systemic vascular resistance in conscious and halothane-anaesthetised horses. Mean arterial blood pressure did not change in conscious horses but increased to a maximum value at 10 micrograms/kg bwt/min in halothane-anaesthetised horses. Thereafter, median artery blood flow decreased. Ventricular arrhythmias occurred in two conscious horses during the infusion of 10 micrograms/kg bwt/min dopexamine HCl. No cardiac arrhythmias other than sinus tachycardia were observed in halothane-anaesthetised horses. The administration of propanolol eliminated the haemodynamic response to the infusion of 5 and 10 micrograms/kg bwt/min dopexamine HCl in halothane-anaesthetised horses. The haemodynamic effects of dopexamine HCl offer specific advantages over dopamine and dobutamine for the treatment of low cardiac output states in horses.