Chuck/Steve

[Riot]

You don't need a baseline of "normal" to use thermography.

"Baseline" is influenced by ambient environmental temperature, wind, the metabolic state of the horse, what substances are in the horses coat (shampoo, water, etc), how long ago the horse had a bath (cooled, heated, etc), drugs the horse is on or has taken recently, exercise (peripheral or superfical vasodilation), and many other factors.

Thus "normal" changes minute to minute, day to day, week to week.

Because thermography reads what is current at the time, it's best and most accurate use for injury detection and continued monitoring of injury in the horse is simply comparing what you are seeing now in a bilaterally symmetrical animal.