Equine Thermal Images showing Inflammation, Injury and Poor Circulation
The body is designed to be in balance and therefore both sides should be in perfect symmetry, i.e. temperature levels in muscles, tendons and ligaments on both sides should be equal. A thermal inspection will quickly identify areas of abnormal heat or cool. Hot areas can indicate injury or inflammation or areas that are cool which can indicate lack of blood flow or circulation. These may be caused by "physical" damage to the horse such as tendon or ligament damage from an injury or may simply be as a result of working the horse in an unbalanced manner leading to additional strain on one side or even damage caused by badly fitting tack such as saddles.
Below are some examples of these "injuries" that are invisible to the naked eye but have been clearly spotted using a thermal camera. Click on the thumbnails to switch between them.