EquiVision Equine Thermal Imaging

29/04/2015

And it's not just horses that can benefit from thermal imaging :-)

29/04/2015

This horse clearly didn't mind being thermal imaged :-)

01/04/2015

It stands to reason that pulling hair out will hurt. Like people some horses are more sensitive and some more stoic than others.

A report on a new study was doing the rounds on Social Media this week, and got me thinking. Here is the full text: Justine Harrison - Equine Behaviourist: How do horses feel about having their manes pulled?A brilliant recent study by MSc student Louise Nicholls found that horses are unsurprisingly pretty stressed by the process. Louise compared the heart rates and behaviour of 20 horses having their manes pulled or touched. [ 912 more words. ]

27/03/2015

Thermal imaging your horse's back and saddle immediately after exercise can show if your saddle is not fitting correctly and locate areas of discomfort on your horse. The problem may not be the saddle and could be caused by rider imbalance which may also be revealed in the imaging.

26/03/2015

We are thicker skinned than our horses! No wonder thermal imaging is so sucessful when used under the correct protocols in detecting changes in physiology including more subtle conditions such as nerve damage.

HORSES HAVE THINNER SKIN AND MAY FEEL MORE PAIN THAN HUMANS

For those who think horses don't feel pain as we do - you could be right. They may feel far more. Australian TV programme 'Catalyst' asked vet pathologist Dr. Lydia Tong to look at the differences between horse and human skin, something that has surprisingly never been studied before. She found the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin) is thinner in horses and they have a higher density of 'pain sensing' nerve endings than we do. So what happens to the great whip debate now I wonder?

This information was revealed as part of an interesting film looking at the use of the whip in racing and is well worth a watch. Professor Paul McGreevy is also interviewed here, one of the authors of the article I shared a couple of days ago analysing whip use in UK racing. The information about the horse's skin starts around 12.30.

The image below is of horse skin on the left with the thinner epidermis. On the right, human skin.

You can watch the programme here: http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4201890.htm

Further information here: http://m.foxsports.com.au/more-sports/horse-racing/pressure-mounts-to-ban-whips-as-new-study-indicates-horses-feel-pain-when-whipped/story-e6frf41l-1227275365083

25/03/2015

Below is an interesting article explaining thermal imaging and some of it's benefits when imaging horses. Although the uses apply equally to other animals and humans too.

By: Joanna L. Robson, DVM
From IVC Issue: V2I3

Thermal imaging finds its niche in diagnosing mystery lamenesses, scanning horses at pre-purchase evaluations, aiding farriers with hoof pathology and imbalances, addressing common saddle-fitting problems, and providing both baselines and serial documentation of equine health and lameness. A case-based approach to the technology provides evidence of its vast uses and tremendous sensitivity in equine medicine, and numerous publications evaluate the technology in equine, bovine, and small animal fields

Thermal imaging is a physiologic modality
Diagnostic imaging modalities may be divided into anatomic and physiologic. Thermal imaging is a physiologic imaging modality; therefore, it detects changes in blood flow and metabolism, but cannot necessarily tell you which exact anatomic structure is affected. The camera converts infrared waves into an image visible to the human eye. Another physiologic imaging modality is nuclear scintigraphy, which requires a hospital stay and injection of a radioactive isotope.

Anatomic imaging modalities, meanwhile, include traditional radiographs, ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). These modalities pinpoint the structures affected with pathology, but only give a static image of disease processes.
Thermal imaging detects surface heat directly correlated to circulation, or a lack thereof. Therefore, anything that requires a tool to identify inflammation, reduced circulation, potential nerve damage, or serial patterning, could be evaluated with thermography.

23/03/2015

Fascinating facia. This applies just as much to horses and other animals as it does to people.

Fascia has been enjoying the limelight in the fitness industry as one of the hottest topics in recent conference programming, workshops and publications. However, after the dust has settled, will fitness and wellness professionals still be scratching their heads and wondering, “Okay, great, it’s imp…

12/03/2015

This pony presented lame on the left hind. The images below are of the underside of the hind hooves, left and right. The left hind shows a significant hot spot. This area was later confirmed by a vet to be the site of an abscess. The pony was treated by the vet and is now sound :-)

06/03/2015

The first image was taken immediately before exercise. The second and third taken immediately after being ridden.The thermal images clearly show asymmetry across the horse's back with increased pressure across the shoulders with more on the left side. While the rear of the saddle appears to have shifted over to the right. The image of the saddle shows there rear of the saddle has received less contact than the front panels.
A saddle fitter confirmed that not only was the saddle was too narrow for the horse but that the saddle itself was unbalanced reflecting exactly what the thermal images showed.

19/01/2015