Thermography can be an effective tool for equine applications. The document presents several case studies showing how thermography identified injuries, infections, and problem areas in horses that were not visible to the naked eye. These include images of a horse's legs showing improved temperature symmetry after rest for an injury, a horse with bruising in its hind leg detected after a trailer fall, knee infiltrations and resulting heat visible weeks later, a horse with an infection detected days before symptoms appeared, and various lameness issues localized through thermal patterns. The document demonstrates how thermography provides a non-invasive method for evaluating equine health issues.

1. Equi-Thermo
The effeciveness of Thermography in
Equine Applications

2. This image was
taken on the
14/08/11 after 3
months of rest
showing clearly
where she injured
herself.
Maissa du Pech

3. This image was taken on the
02/11/11 after 6 months
rest and show clearly that
both legs are now the same
temperature.
Maissa du Pech

4. This horse
fell in his
trailer.
This image taken 2 weeks
after the accident – His near
hind was shaved to better
treat his open wounds. His
off hind looked normal but
showed thermal heat which
probably indicates bruising.

5. This horse had
infiltrations to the knee
on the 08/11/12 –
Two weeks before this
image was taken. He
had two infiltrations to
the front of the knee
and one to the
The treatment was for
a tendon problem just
below the back of the
knee.
We can see where the
infiltrations were
carried out and note
that his whole knee is
hotter than the near
side knee.
Image taken 24/11/11
Two weeks after this
horse had Infiltrations

6. Image taken 03/01/12
8 weeks after the
Infiltrations
The sites of
Infiltration still
visiable Two months
later and the knee is
still warmer.

7. Image taken 20/01/12
10 weeks after the
Infiltrations
The sites of Infiltration
are still visiable, but
seem to be cooler.
The near front hoof
is showing hot.
I was normal in the
first image dated
24/11/11.
Seemed slightly
warmer in the
image of the
03/01/11 and is
now showing much
hotter.

8. The same horse
We are now looking at
his off hind, this hot
spot was apparent in
the first images I took
on the 24/11/11

9. The off hind from a
different angle.
Same horse

10. The same horse
10 weeks later and
The hot spot is much
Cooler with just a slight
Trace.

11. This horse showed
this hot spot to it’s
near fore on the
03/01/12 and it
was still hot the day
after 04/01/12,
however images
taken on the
20/01/12 showes
nothing.
I assume it was a
knock of some sort.
The same horse again

12. He had an infection which showed up on these images 4
days before they became apparent to the naked eye.
This horse was slightly lame.

13. This horse is slightly lame
This image shows heat to the
off front heal area of the hoof.
To be diagnosed.

14. Horse with hot
hocks.
This horse
shows a hot
hock with an
unusual heat
pattern.
To be
diagnosed.

15. The same
horse.

16. A horse with back
problems.
To be diagnosed

17. This horse is lame
To be diagnosed.

18. The same horse
from a different
angle.

19. Horse with a
susspected hoof
abcess.
We can see the heat
up as far as his knee.
This photo was taken
in a sand school and
this is not ideal as it
does not allow for
the hooves to be
placed flat.

20. This horse has been
treated with a Blister
for a tendon problem –
Nothing was visiable to
the naked eye but here
is quite clear.
Horse treated with a
Blister product

21. This horse would not /
could not lower his
head to eat.
Nothing of note was
observed appart from
the fact that he has
occular heat around his
near side eye. This was
apparent in other
images and I have
never seen this before.
The vet attended 4
days later but was
unable to diagnose as
by then the horse was
eating normally.
te

22. Fin