Maggy Price - thermograph - Jan EN

["Mike and Kathy Kelly" <reallykk@infomagic.com>]

I really enjoyed Maggy's article about the USET clinic she was so fortunate to have attended (Jan 01 EN, p 14-15).  The saddle fitting sounded great!

 

I was especially interested to read that her horse's legs "showed ice cold" on the thermography machine, even after a short warm up.  Sounds like her horse had shod/contracted hooves.  A horse lying down sleeping would be expected to have good circulation in its legs under normal conditions.

 

In "A Lifetime of Soundness" Dr. Hiltrud Strasser includes alot of evidence for greatly reduced circulation in the legs (esp. lower legs) from shoeing.  One thermography photo (in the book) of a horse with 3 shod feet shows clearly that the temperature (circulation) of the leg with the unshod foot is normal, vs. cold (little circulation) in the shod ones.

 

The reduced circulation has many negative effects: numbing, poor horn (hoof) production, slow healing of injuries in lower limbs, etc, etc.

 

I wonder about the readings of other horses at the clinic?  By chance were there any unshod horses tested?

 

Kathy

reallykk@infomagic.com