Horses are very talented at disguising pain. There are levels and degrees of pain, some are obvious, and some are not. As horses can not communicate pain until it becomes clinical, then it is our responsibility to communicate it for there
Increased injury rates in racehorses up by 15% during 2016/17 season.
Accurate figures of horses that suffer catastrophic injuries globally on the race track are hard to find. However, one organisation in Australia has been shinning the light on the shocking number of racehorses killed in Australia during the racing season; 1st August 2016 to 31st July 2017.
The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses.
The CPR reports that during this period, 137 racehorses died on Australian racetracks. 75 of those horses died of catastrophic limb injuries which include, breaks, tears and complete fractures of their forelimbs30%
IMAGE – 30% Tear in the Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon, identified in time with the use of Thermography, therefore, helped to prevent a catastrophic injury!
Almost half of racehorses who ran as 2-year-olds were predisposed to long term cumulative damage down the track.
Who is Responsible?
So WHO does the responsibility lie with? All trainers, horse owners and riders have a responsibility to use modalities for intervention and prevention. If we can shed light on their pain, we can swiftly intervene and treat therefore preventing further discomfort and possible long term chronic conditions.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
We strongly believe that if trainers and horse owners used Thermography then injuries would be identified in the early stages and lives would be saved. Thermography is a method that helps visualise heat from the inflammatory response caused by injury or disease, it can also visualise cold from lack of function that may be caused by nerve damage or oedema.
Thermography, therefore, is perfect for early detection, intervention and monitoring the physiology of the equine. Thermography allows the horses to be monitored for those predisposed conditions and ensure longevity.
Thermography Technicians Must be Trained and Qualified.
Training is key to using thermography, understanding how to standardise capture, preparation of your horses, understand your environment and much more.