Preparation of the horse and the viewing environment is of paramount importance especially if you are looking to have a Veterinary Diagnostic Report carried out on your behalf.

Preparing your Horse

Here are some guidelines to make sure that we get the best viewing possible of our horses. If you have any queries, please ask. Remain mindful that we are imaging for the differences in heat variations so we must minimise any possibility of creating false readings because of rogue temperature interferences.

• The horse should have all rugs, bandages, etc removed, preferably 2 hours before the session. If this is impractical then the rugs should be reduced to a minimum and left unbuckled.
• There should be no preparations on the body; liniments, topical lotions, grooming products, etc
• The horse should be clean and dry, free of any mud, shavings or stable stains. He should not be wet anywhere.
• But no vigorous brushing of your horse for one hour before the session.
• The horse needs to have acclimatised as much as possible to the ambient temperature where the reading is to take place.
• The horse should be kept away from direct sunlight for the 2 hours duration prior to imaging.
• The mane can be clumped up in 'sticking up bunches' so that the neck is free from being covered with hair which will help us make a good comparison of the neck on each side.
• The tail can be plaited and/or bandaged.
  

The Viewing Environment

We want to get as close to a uniform temperature environment as possible with little or no external temperature influences. We should be away from the sun, wind, rain, etc.Ideally this will be a stable ambient temperature free of draughts, changes in temperature and hot or cold areas, like sun spots.

The Viewing Area

An appropriate area is an indoor school, the stable or a covered area.

The area should be flat and large enough to move around the horse comfortably.

If a stable is used it should be free of bedding.

The horse should be kept away from direct sunlight for at least one hour and preferably 2 hours prior to imaging.

Seasonal Considerations  

• During the summertime it may prove to be prudent to make thermographic viewings early morning and or evening.
• The camera will function very well in the dark.
• In cold seasons the area should be free of draughts as much as possible.
• In winter, the viewing area may need to be warmed.
• Your horse must absolutely not be wet from rain or be covered in mud.
• You may need to walk your horse out in-hand in order to promote good circulation to the feet/legs

For Veterinary Medical Diagnosis

To achieve premium images for the specific purpose of veterinary diagonsis the ideal scanning environment would be a large climate controlled, windowless room that has even ground and 'cold' lighting.