A novel approach to thermographic images analysis of equine thoracolumbar region: the effect of effort and rider\u2019s body weight on structural image complexity

Malgorzata Masko,Zdzislaw Gajewski,Marta Borowska,Tomasz Jasinski,Lukasz Zdrojkowski,Malgorzata Domino

doi:10.1186/s12917-021-02803-2

Abstract

BackgroundThe horses’ backs are particularly exposed to overload and injuries due to direct contact with the saddle and the influence of e.g. the rider’s body weight. The maximal load for a horse’s back during riding has been suggested not to exceed 20% of the horses’ body weight. The common prevalence of back problems in riding horses prompted the popularization of thermography of the thoracolumbar region. However, the analysis methods of thermographic images used so far do not distinguish loaded horses with body weight varying between 10 and 20%.ResultsThe superficial body temperature (SBT) of the thoracolumbar region of the horse’s back was imaged using a non-contact thermographic camera before and after riding under riders with LBW (low body weight, 10%) and HBW (high body weight, 15%). Images were analyzed using six methods: five recent SBT analyses and the novel approach based on Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) and Gray Level Run Length Matrix (GLRLM). Temperatures of the horse’s thoracolumbar region were higher (p < 0.0001) after then before the training, and did not differ depending on the rider’s body weight (p > 0.05), regardless of used SBT analysis method. Effort-dependent differences (p < 0.05) were noted for six features of GLCM and GLRLM analysis. The values of selected GLCM and GLRLM features also differed (p < 0.05) between the LBW and HBW groups.ConclusionThe GLCM and GLRLM analyses allowed the differentiation of horses subjected to a load of 10 and 15% of their body weights while horseback riding in contrast to the previously used SBT analysis methods. Both types of analyzing methods allow to differentiation thermal images obtained before and after riding. The textural analysis, including selected features of GLCM or GLRLM, seems to be promising tools in considering the quantitative assessment of thermographic images of horses’ thoracolumbar region.

Highlights

The horses’ backs are exposed to overload and injuries due to direct contact with the saddle and the influence of e.g. the rider’s body weight
All detected temperature differences were in the range of 0.5 °C to 1 °C, they were considered normal
There were no differences between the temperatures obtained for low body weight (LBW) and high body weight (HBW) groups, both before (p = 0.4697) and after (p = 0.5320) training session

Summary

Introduction

The horses’ backs are exposed to overload and injuries due to direct contact with the saddle and the influence of e.g. the rider’s body weight. The measurement of superficial body temperature (SBT) via thermography is a common method used to monitor horses’ health status [1,2,3]. It allows for quantification of radiant energy emitted by the body surface since the body temperature is above absolute zero [4]. The horses’ thoracolumbar region is exposed to overload and injuries due to direct contact with the saddle and the influence e.g., of the rider’s body weight. In Visser et al.’s (2014) study, leisure and school horses were twice as often affected with back pain other working horses [9]

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion