The Effect of Lunging with Three Aids on the Thermographically Determined Temperatures of the Distal Portion of Horse Limbs.

This research article explores how various lunging aids (equipment used to guide horse movement) can impact the superficial temperature of different areas of a horse’s leg. Using infrared cameras, the study assessed temperature changes before and after lunging exercises with different aids on 16 different horses. The results indicate that the use of different lunging aids can influence the thermal patterns on horses’ limbs.

Research Objectives and Methodology

• The study aimed to ascertain how the use of three different lunging aids, Chambon (CH), rubber band (RB), or triangle side reins (TR), can affect the superficial temperature (PST) of a horse’s hoof wall (HW), the coronary band (CB), and the dorsal aspect of the fetlock joint (FJ).
• The exercises were conducted both with the aids and with a freely moving head (FMH) set-up for comparison.
• Infrared imaging was used to capture the temperatures of the specified areas on the horse’s limbs, and comparative analysis was carried out on the images captured before and after lunging.
• In addition, statistical analyses were performed to investigate the correlations between temperature changes for different body parts of the horse using the different aids.

Observations and Findings

• Prior to lunging, superficial temperatures were similar no matter the type of aid or FMH used. Strong positive correlations were observed between temperatures of the various parts of the limbs on both forelimbs and hindlimbs.
• However, post-lunging, the superficial temperatures and their correlations varied significantly depending on the type of lunging aid used.
• There were no correlations between the temperatures for FMH and CH, however, positive correlations were registered for RB and TR. This means that the changes in temperature in one part of the limb corresponded with similar changes in other parts when these particular aids were used.
• This shows that the type of lunging aid used can influence the temperature and dynamic relations of different parts of horse limbs.

Significance and Conclusions

• The research is important as it provides insight into how different training aids can affect the physical condition of the horse, specifically their superficial limb temperatures, which could impact their comfort and performance.
• The study suggests that the choice of lunging aid can result in different thermal patterns on the horse limbs. This could have implications for horse training, and for further understanding the physiological response of horses to different training aids.