Influence of exercise on thermographically determined surface temperatures of thoracic and pelvic limbs in horses.

The research investigates how long it takes for the surface temperatures of the legs of horses to return to normal state post high-speed treadmill exercise, using infrared thermographic imaging. The result showed significant differences in surface temperatures immediately, 5 minutes and 15 minutes after stopping the exercise, yet no significant differences 45 minutes or 6 hours following the exercise.

Research Objective

The intended goal of this research was to find out the duration it takes for horses’ thoracic and pelvic limb surface temperatures to revert back to their initial values prior to exercising on a high-speed treadmill. The research team used infrared thermographic imaging to carry out these measurements.

Procedure

• The exercise protocol was performed on six trained Thoroughbred horses.
• Initial thermographic images were taken three days prior to the exercise routine (baseline images).
• The horses were instructed to perform various exercise stages: a 5-minute walk, a 5-minute slow trot (3 m/s), a 5-minute regular trot (5 to 6 m/s), a 5-minute slow gallop (6 to 8 m/s) and then sequenced back down to a trot for 3 minutes, a slow trot for 3 minutes, and a final walk for 3 minutes.
• Thermographic images were then taken immediately after the exercise was stopped, and again after five minutes, fifteen minutes, forty-five minutes, sixty minutes and six hours.
• The ambient temperature around each horse was monitored and recorded throughout the process.

Key Findings

Substantial differences were observed in the horses’ surface temperatures during the distinct stages:

• There were noticeable differences in the surface temperatures of the pre-exercise and immediate post-exercise images, as well as those taken five and fifteen minutes after cessation of exercise.
• Contrarily, no significant difference was observed between the surface temperatures of images taken 45 minutes to 6 hours post-exercise compared to those taken before the exercise.
• In essence, the influence of heat generated from exercise on infrared thermography images of horses stopped being detectable 45 minutes after the end of the exercise routine.

Conclusion

The research showed that high-speed treadmill exercise influences the surface temperatures of horses’ legs, however, this heat effect is no longer voiced in infrared thermographies 45 minutes post-exercise stoppage. Therefore, when utilizing infrared thermograms for diagnoses or research, it’s crucial to allow at least a 45-minute time gap after physical activity.