Thermographic Assessment of Saddles Used on Jumping Horses (original) (raw)
Related papers
Assessment of Saddle Fit in Racehorses Using Infrared Thermography
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 2018
The aim of this study was to assess the influence of horse, saddle, and rider on saddle fit in racehorses by detecting pressure distribution using infrared thermography. In this study, 22 saddles used on 65 racing horses ridden by 21 riders were used. Data from horses including gender, breed, age, training intensity, and level of performance were collected. Type and mass of the saddle were also obtained, along with information about the rider's body mass and riding skills. Thermographic images of the saddle's panels were captured immediately after untacking the horse at each thermographic examination. On each thermographic image of the saddle panels, six regions of interest (ROIs) were marked, with mean temperature calculated within each ROI to indicate pressure distribution. Saddle fit was evaluated for right/left panel pressure, bridging/rocking pressure, and front/back pressure according to horse's: gender, breed, age, training intensity, level of conditioning, rider's skills, and load (saddle plus rider mass). There were statistically significant relationships (P < .05) between left/right asymmetry and age, training, intensity and load. In front/back pressure, there was a statistically significant relationship (P < .05) for load. No statistically significant relationships were observed between bridging/rocking pressure and the rest of the aforementioned variables. The study indicated that load, horse age, and training intensity influence pressure distribution in racing saddles. Therefore, animal age and load have to be considered in saddle fit. Infrared thermography has been confirmed as a useful tool in the evaluation of saddle fit in racing horses.
Animals
Background: The natural head and neck position (HNP) of horses differs from the position in horse riding when bit is used. The special lunging aids (LAs) are applied in order to modify HNP. Different types of LAs have the potential to affect the work of horse muscles and the superficial thermographic patterns (STPs). The effects of thre LAs on STPs of neck, chest, back, and hindquarters were investigated. Methods: Sixteen leisure horses were lunged with freely moving head (FMH), rubber band (RB), chambon (CH), and triangle side reins (TRs). The thermographic images (n = 896) were analyzed before/after lunging for mean temperatures (Tmean) and minimum–maximum difference (Tdiff). Results: Superficial Tmean increased (p < 0.001) in cranial part of neck, back, thoracic area, and limbs after lunging regardless of LAs application or its type. In comparison to other LAs: With RB, Tmean was higher in regions of interest (ROIs) 2,7 and lower in ROIs 3–4 (p < 0.05); with CH, Tmean was h...
Temperature range analysis (Tmax) on dorsal surface of sporting horses
TURKISH JOURNAL OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, 2015
The aim of this study was to determine temperature differences on the dorsal surface of 32 clinically healthy show jumping horses. Temperature was measured using a Thermovision 550 (FLIR) camera, determining maximum temperature (T max ). The horse's body was divided into the following regions: neck, withers, cranial back, caudal back, loins, and hindquarters. Those regions were subdivided into middle, left, and right parts. Statistical methods used for calculations consisted of Wilcoxon's signed rank test and Dunn's post hoc comparison test. Temperatures on the dorsal surface ranged from 19.5 to 31.5 °C, with the lowest indicated in the withers area and the highest in the caudal back and hindquarters area. Temperatures on the sides tended to be symmetrical except for the caudal back region, where the temperature of the right side was higher than of the left side. The data can be used for determination of unfavorable stimulation of the back and loin region by the rider and saddle, as well as for diagnosing conditions that result in increased temperature in the dorsal area.
Evaluation of thermal pattern distributions in racehorse saddles using infrared thermography
PLOS ONE
The impact of a rider's and saddle's mass on saddle thermal pattern distribution was evaluated using infrared thermography (IRT). Eighteen racehorses were ridden by four riders with their own saddle. Images of the saddle panels were captured at each of six thermographic examinations. On each image, six regions of interest (ROIs) were marked on the saddle panels. The mean temperature for each ROI was extracted. To evaluate the influence of load on saddle fit, 4 indicators were used: ΔT max (difference between the mean temperature of the warmest and coolest ROI); standard deviation of the mean temperature of the six ROIs; right/left; bridging/rocking and front/back thermal pattern indicator. Incorrect saddle fit was found in 25 measurements (23.1%) with ΔT max greater than 2˚C. The relationships between rider and saddle fit as well as saddle fit and horse were significant (p<0.001). An average ΔT max in rider A was significantly higher than in other riders (p<0.001). The right/left thermal pattern differed significantly from the optimal value for riders A and B; while the bridging/rocking thermal pattern differed significantly from this value for riders A, C and D (p<0.05). Front saddle thermal pattern was most frequent for rider A (41.5%), whereas back saddle thermal pattern was most frequent for rider C (85.7%). Measurement of the mean temperature in 6 ROIs on saddle panels after training was helpful in assessing the influence of rider and saddle mass on saddle fit. IRT offered a non-invasive, rapid and simple method for assessing load on thermal pattern distribution in race saddles.
BMC Veterinary Research, 2021
Background The horses’ backs are particularly exposed to overload and injuries due to direct contact with the saddle and the influence of e.g. the rider’s body weight. The maximal load for a horse’s back during riding has been suggested not to exceed 20% of the horses’ body weight. The common prevalence of back problems in riding horses prompted the popularization of thermography of the thoracolumbar region. However, the analysis methods of thermographic images used so far do not distinguish loaded horses with body weight varying between 10 and 20%. Results The superficial body temperature (SBT) of the thoracolumbar region of the horse’s back was imaged using a non-contact thermographic camera before and after riding under riders with LBW (low body weight, 10%) and HBW (high body weight, 15%). Images were analyzed using six methods: five recent SBT analyses and the novel approach based on Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) and Gray Level Run Length Matrix (GLRLM). Temperatures o...
Animals, 2022
Appropriate matching of rider–horse sizes is becoming an increasingly important issue of riding horses’ care, as the human population becomes heavier. Recently, infrared thermography (IRT) was considered to be effective in differing the effect of 10.6% and 21.3% of the rider:horse bodyweight ratio, but not 10.1% and 15.3%. As IRT images contain many pixels reflecting the complexity of the body’s surface, the pixel relations were assessed by image texture analysis using histogram statistics (HS), gray-level run-length matrix (GLRLM), and gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) approaches. The study aimed to determine differences in texture features of thermal images under the impact of 10–12%, >12 ≤15%, >15 <18% rider:horse bodyweight ratios, respectively. Twelve horses were ridden by each of six riders assigned to light (L), moderate (M), and heavy (H) groups. Thermal images were taken pre- and post-standard exercise and underwent conventional and texture analysis. Texture a...
2020
A previous thermographic study of racehorses identified thirteen regions of interest (ROIs) for monitoring the impact of training. However, that investigation did not consider the influence of breed, age, gender, or training intensity level on the temperature of ROIs. The present study adopted a multivariate analysis approach to determine whether the aforementioned factors, along with ambient temperature, significantly influenced ROI temperature in the key body regions. Thermography measurements were obtained from 53 racehorses of three breeds. Horses were in regular training for over ten months, having 13 thermographic examinations in each racing season. Backward stepwise multiple linear regression indicated that ambient temperature and breed contributed significantly to the model for predicting ROI temperature at all 13 ROIs. Training intensity level contributed significantly to the model only at the thoracic vertebrae, the left third metacarpal bone, and left fetlock joint. Neith...
Thermographic Evaluation of Racehorse Performance
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 2014
Thermography has found a broad range of applications in equine sport and veterinary medicine. Thermographic diagnosis is useful in monitoring changes of horse surface temperature resulting from exercise allowing evaluation of the work of individual parts of the body in racing performance. Regular assessment of body surface temperature allows the detection of training overloads and identification of pathological conditions of the musculoskeletal system during the racing training cycle. The usefulness of thermography in veterinary medicine has been proved in detecting pathological conditions associated mainly with inflammation processes of the distal parts of the limbs and back. The main advantage of thermography is the detection of subclinical signs of inflammation before the onset of clinical signs of pathology, providing great value in veterinary medicine diagnosis. Thermography has also found application in detecting illegal performance procedures to improve horse performance and in assessing the saddle fit to the horse's back.
A retrospective survey of riders' opinions of the use of saddle pads in horses
Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2013
Horse riders have used layers between saddles and their horse's back since ancient times. Despite the apparent common usage of such layers, most research regarding pressures under horses' saddles seems to have been conducted without such layers present. An online survey of equestrian riders was conducted to quantify the use of such layers and how the layers behaved during use. This produced 1,011 responses from participants in 16 equestrian activities. More than 98% of respondents reported they used some form of layer between their horse's back and the saddle. Differences in layer usage were associated with the respondent's preferred riding discipline and the wither type of their horse. Compensation for perceived saddle fit problems was commonly cited as a reason for using layers. Although horse comfort was nominated by 87.5% of respondents as a reason for using a layer between saddle and the horse's back, many respondents (45%) reported using more than 1 layer. This often resulted in layers thicker than 1 cm, which paradoxically could compromise horse welfare. Half of the respondents reported that the layer between the saddle and the horse's back slipped during riding. Although some significant risk factors for this slippage were identified, they are deemed not to be definitive because of similar factors being identified by the group who did not report layer slippage. These results suggest that incorrect usage of layer between saddles and horses' backs can sabotage good saddle design and compromise equine welfare. Future research on the layers used between the saddles and horses' back is warranted. The question of whether using thicker layers can create greater pressure under saddles or improve rider-horse communication also needs to be investigated.