There have been suggestions that thermal scanning may be an effective way of detemrining saddle fit. H&H speaks to researchers involved in a recently published study that found otherwise
THE use of thermal imaging to determine saddle fit should be “treated with caution”, as a study showed incorrect fit does not affect back temperatures.
In a study published in Animals , researchers found that thermal activity under incorrectly fitting saddles was no different to that under correctly fitted tack – or to the temperatures recorded after the horses had been lunged without saddles.
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"}
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H&H news editor
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
