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HOW
CAN THERMAL IMAGING HELP MY HORSE IF HE DOESN'T HAVE A PROBLEM?
Thermal imaging is "another set of
eyes" to see stressed areas up to two weeks before you are aware of them.
Correlated with veterinary physical
findings and rider/trainer knowledge of the horse, this provides opportunity for earlier intervention.
Imaging is performed in the horse's home environment
or vet's office.
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WILL
I RECEIVE IMAGES TO REVIEW WITH MY VET & FARRIER?
Images are sent to you or your vet. Images
are viewed immediately onsite.
DOES THE CAMERA TOUCH THE HORSE?
No, most views are taken 4-6 feet from the horse.
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DOES
THERMOGRAPHY MAKE A DIAGNOSIS?
No. Thermography
screens for inflammation or disuse due to pain. It confirms veterinary physical exam. The problem you first notice may be secondary to something
you are not aware of. Thermography can help you see a bigger picture.
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"The best part of all is when you put the old and new images together." PA
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"My farrier wants another set of images before he comes back." PA
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"Thanks
for all of your help in getting to the root of the problem." PA
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WHAT
IS ARTIFACT?
Extraneous things causing hot or cold areas that interfere with a true reading. Examples:
sunlight, breeze, wet areas, liniments. Most of these things can be worked around with preparation. A history
and overview of the horse is done to note possible artifact. Proper preparation of the
horse is reviewed before appt. to avoid artifact as much as possible
WHAT IS THE THERMOGRAPHY TECH'S ROLE
The thermography tech is trained in veterinary imaging protocol.
Provides images
with appropriate views & positioning, controlling for artifact. HOW LARGE IS THE INFRARED CAMERA? It is a small hand-held camera
that measures heat being emitted from the horse's body. WHERE CAN HORSES BE IMAGED? In a shelter with dry even surface,
out of direct light. A handler is needed to position the horse for a standard set of images.
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HOW DO
I PREPARE THE HORSE?
In general: a dry groomed horse.
Leg protection & blankets removed 2 hours earlier.
Hair coat free of topical solutions.
Some exercise
needed to increase blood flow. If the horse has been standing around or in a stall, legs may be too cold to get a good reading.
When you make the appointment, we'll talk about having the horse prepared. DOES WEATHER AFFECT THERMOGRAPHY? When summer heat becomes a factor (> 85 degrees F), imaging is done as early as possible
in the AM or in a climate controlled area. In cold weather, the horse requires more exercise prior to imaging in order to
obtain a good reading on the legs and feet. © Copyright
2003-2010 Debbie LaBerge, ThermoHorse ® ThermoHorse® is a registered trademark
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BENEFITS
OF MONITORING SADDLE FIT& RIDER SYMMETRY: See patterns of subtle rider imbalance affecting saddle fit &
the way your horse is moving.
May point you in the direction of exploring physical problems
affecting your horse's back that need to be addressed by the vet.
WHEN SHOULD I USE THERMOGRAPHY TO
MONITOR SADDLE FIT?
Saddle fit is a combination of horse, rider & saddle.
Thermography can offer clues to help you sort these factors out. Onsite with your saddle fitter.
When you & your vet are looking
for clues to a vague problem.
If your horse exhibits unhappy behavior when the saddle is presented, is cranky,
shorter strided, refuses jumps,
reluctant to go forward or down hill.
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