Kirsty Bolderston Veterinary Physiotherapist MSc MRAMP

27/08/2026

📸 A new tool is joining my treatment kit… medical-grade thermography!

Now, anyone who has ever spoken to me about thermography may be slightly surprised by this one, because I have never been its biggest cheerleader. 😂

And buying a thermography camera hasn’t suddenly changed my mind about its limitations.

Thermography is not a diagnostic tool. There are numerous variables that can influence thermal images — environment, recent exercise, rugs, coat, sunlight, moisture, handling and plenty more — so whenever I use it, appropriate protocols will be followed to minimise those variables as far as practically possible.

And, as I tell you all regularly, diagnosis is outside the scope of practice of a Veterinary Physiotherapist. If your horse or dog is lame, swollen, acutely painful or you suspect injury or disease, your veterinary surgeon remains your first port of call.

So why have I invested in one?

Because used appropriately, I think thermography can give me another really useful piece of information to add to my physiotherapy assessment.

Rather than asking “What injury does this horse have?”, I’m much more interested in questions such as:

• Are there notable differences in thermal pattern between the left and right sides?
• What changes after exercise?
• Which muscular regions appear to have been working particularly hard?
• Are we seeing patterns consistent with one side working differently from the other?
• Does the thermal picture complement what I’m seeing during movement and palpation?
• How does that pattern change as rehabilitation progresses?
• What happens before, during and after a particular exercise or training session?
• Can it help me identify an area that deserves a closer look during my physiotherapy assessment?

For our canine patients, there are some equally interesting applications — particularly when looking at symmetry, muscular recruitment, compensatory loading and changes associated with rehabilitation exercises, hydrotherapy or underwater treadmill work.

Essentially, I’m interested in thermography from a functional and biomechanical perspective.

It doesn’t tell me why an area is hotter or colder, and it certainly doesn’t allow me to diagnose pathology. What it does give me is another measurable piece of information which I can consider alongside movement assessment, palpation, range of motion, clinical history and the veterinary picture.

And because I’m me, I’m also rather excited about being able to take images at different stages of rehabilitation and see whether patterns change over time. 🤓

So, how will I actually be using it?

Most commonly, thermography will simply become another tool that I can incorporate into my normal physiotherapy appointments when I think it could provide useful additional information. This might mean taking static images or comparing thermal patterns between different regions or sides of the body as part of the wider assessment.

Where its use extends the normal appointment time, there will be a small £5 surcharge per patient.

However, there are some applications that simply aren’t going to fit within a normal physiotherapy appointment.

If, for example, we want to look properly at how thermal patterns change before, during and after exercise, or assess how a horse or dog is using different areas of the body during a particular type of work, that requires considerably more time and would therefore need to be booked as a dedicated thermography/biomechanical assessment.

That’s where I think standalone thermography has genuine value within my practice — not as a quick “scan my horse and tell me what’s wrong” appointment, but where we have a specific functional or biomechanical question that requires more detailed investigation.

For these dedicated mobile appointments, my usual minimum charges will apply:

🐴 Equine: £60 minimum
🐶 Canine: £50 minimum

The exact format will depend on what we are trying to assess, because there isn’t much point collecting a mountain of thermal images without first having a sensible question that we’re trying to answer!

So no — I haven’t joined the “wave a thermal camera at it and diagnose everything” club. 😂

I’ve simply added another tool to my toolbox, with an understanding of both what it can tell us and, just as importantly, what it can’t.

It should be up and running within the next week, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how useful it becomes alongside my existing physiotherapy assessments and rehabilitation work. 📸🐴🐶

25/08/2026

😂 Apparently this model of Lusitano comes with rear parking assist…

This handsome chap, part of the D’Atela gang at Pine Lodge School of Classical Equitation. has had an exceptionally busy summer with Holly and, understandably, was feeling a little tight in multiple areas.

There is always a balance with treatment. We can only deliver so much energy and therapeutic input into the tissues during one session before we risk simply creating fatigue rather than achieving anything more useful.

Today I used INDIBA radiofrequency over the areas that I felt needed it most, but his right hamstrings were still asking for a little something extra. Rather than continuing to add more energy into an already fairly comprehensive session, I finished with some gentle static cupping.

The negative pressure created by the cups gently lifts and decompresses the superficial tissues, helping to encourage local circulation and tissue mobility without adding a significant additional treatment load.

Sometimes it isn’t about doing more — it’s about choosing the right tool for each area and knowing when enough is enough.

Nobody tell him I’ve installed an emergency stop button on his arse. 🚨😂

22/08/2026

Just for fun… mine is scarily accurate 🤣🤣

18/08/2026

🏆 A HUGE congratulations to Karen Doughty KD Equine & her gorgeous homebred boy, Ody! 🏆

What a weekend at the Iberian Performance Show — and just look at those rosettes! 😍 Two 1sts and two 2nds! Absolutely brilliant, and so thoroughly deserved.

I always love seeing my clients out doing well, but this one deserves a special shout-out because I know just how much thought, time and work Karen puts into producing her horses.

Ody hasn’t been rushed or pushed because he could do something. His age, physical development, strength and capabilities have always been considered. Karen puts huge emphasis on correct conditioning, variety in his work and building the foundations first — with plenty of groundwork alongside ridden work — and I think the results speak for themselves. He looks absolutely incredible. ❤️

But I also have a slightly selfish reason for celebrating Karen, because she is officially my favourite rehab wing woman. 😂

We share quite a few mutual clients, and although Karen is an exceptional trainer and riding instructor, I probably call upon her most when I’m dealing with a rehabilitation case that requires rather a lot of the jobs that, frankly, nobody wants to do. 😂

“I’d like 40 minutes of controlled in-hand walking…”
“Can we introduce some long reining…”
“I’d like these poles laid out like this…”
“And we’re going to progress this VERY gradually…”

Enter Karen. 🦸🏼‍♀️🐴

Rehabilitation isn’t always glamorous. Often it’s repetitive, time-consuming and requires a really good understanding of biomechanics, loading, stages of tissue healing and exactly what we are trying to achieve with an exercise.

And sometimes I can prescribe the perfect rehabilitation programme on paper, but real life gets in the way. People have jobs, children, other horses and approximately 400 other things to do. Not everyone has the time, confidence or inclination to walk miles behind their horse or drag poles in and out of the arena several times a week!

That’s where having somebody like Karen is invaluable.

She understands why we’re doing something, not simply what I’ve asked her to do, and I trust her enormously when we’re working together on rehabilitation cases.

So this post is partly a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Karen & Ody 🥂🏆 — but also a little reminder to my own clients (and anyone else!) that if you’ve been given a rehabilitation or conditioning programme and you’re struggling to implement it, please don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If Karen has availability, I couldn’t recommend her more highly for groundwork, rehabilitation support and correct, progressive conditioning.

Because apparently there really are people in this world who don’t mind endlessly long-reining horses and moving poles around.

Karen is one of them. 😂

Huge congratulations again, Karen & Ody. What a pair. ❤️🐴🏆

And actually, this might be the first of a few little shout-outs to some of the other professionals I’m lucky enough to work closely with. I’m constantly recommending other practitioners and equine professionals to clients when I think their expertise could be useful, but I don’t think we’re always quite as good at doing that publicly, so perhaps it’s time I made a little more noise about them too. ❤️

15/08/2026

📣FYI 🫶🏼

02/08/2026

30/07/2026

🫶🏼 Happy Friendship Day 🫶🏼

28/07/2026

Harry 🫶🏼

22/06/2026

🐴 The Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon (SDFT) vs The Deep Digital Flexor Tendon (DDFT) – What’s the Difference?

Before I can talk about what can go wrong with these tendons (which will be the subject of my next couple of posts), it’s important that we first understand what they actually are, where they are, and what they do.

If you understand the anatomy and function of these structures, you’ll find it much easier to understand why certain injuries occur, why rehabilitation takes so long, and why tendon injuries can have such a significant impact on performance.

So let’s start with the basics.

What is a tendon?

A tendon is a specialised structure that connects muscle to bone.

Its job is to transfer the force generated by a muscle into movement of a joint or limb.

Tendons are predominantly made up of:

✅ Water (approximately 60–70%)

✅ Type I collagen fibres

✅ Small amounts of elastin

✅ Proteoglycans and other extracellular matrix components

Collagen fibres are arranged in highly organised parallel bundles, giving tendons enormous tensile strength.

One particularly important feature of tendons is something called crimp.

If you were to look at tendon fibres under a microscope, they don’t run in perfectly straight lines. Instead, they have a subtle wave-like pattern known as crimp.

When a tendon is loaded, these waves straighten out before the collagen fibres themselves begin to stretch. This helps the tendon manage and dissipate loading efficiently while reducing stress on individual collagen fibres.

⸻

How is a tendon different from a ligament?

People often use the words tendon and ligament interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing.

Tendons connect muscle to bone.

Ligaments connect bone to bone.

Tendons are designed to transfer force generated by muscles, and many also play an important role in storing and releasing elastic energy during movement.

Ligaments are primarily responsible for stabilising joints and limiting excessive movement between bones.

If you’ve read my previous post about the suspensory ligament, you’ll know that it behaves a little differently. The suspensory ligament is somewhat unique because, in addition to supporting the fetlock, it also stores and releases elastic energy during locomotion. In that respect, it behaves more like an energy-storage tendon than a traditional ligament.

However, as a general rule, tendons are muscle-to-bone structures, whilst ligaments are bone-to-bone structures.

⸻

Meet the Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon (SDFT)

Horses have a superficial digital flexor tendon in all four limbs.

In the forelimb, the SDFT originates from the superficial digital flexor muscle located on the caudal aspect of the forearm.

The hindlimb is slightly different. Whilst a superficial digital flexor muscle is present, it is relatively small compared with the forelimb. A substantial contribution comes from the common calcanean tendon complex (often referred to as the Achilles apparatus), which helps transmit force into the tendon.

In both forelimbs and hindlimbs, the tendon travels down the back of the limb, passes over the back of the fetlock and divides into two branches before inserting onto the distal aspect of the proximal phalanx (P1) and the proximal aspect of the middle phalanx (P2).

The SDFT forms an important part of the horse’s stay apparatus and energy-storage system.

What does the SDFT do?

The SDFT has several important jobs:

✔ Flexes the digit

✔ Supports the fetlock joint

✔ Stores and releases elastic energy during locomotion

As the horse loads the limb, the fetlock descends towards the ground and the SDFT stretches.

As the limb leaves the ground, the tendon recoils and releases that stored energy, helping propel the horse forwards.

This means the SDFT functions rather like a biological spring.

One of the reasons SDFT injuries are so common is because the tendon operates very close to its mechanical limits during fast work. Galloping, jumping and high-performance disciplines place enormous strain on this structure.

⸻

Meet the Deep Digital Flexor Tendon (DDFT)

Like the SDFT, horses have a deep digital flexor tendon in all four limbs.

In the forelimb, the DDFT is formed from three muscles: the humeral head, ulnar head and radial head of the deep digital flexor muscle. These converge to form a single tendon that travels down the back of the limb beneath the SDFT.

In the hindlimb, the DDFT originates from deep digital flexor muscles located within the gaskin region before continuing down the back of the limb.

In both forelimbs and hindlimbs, the tendon travels within the digital flexor tendon sheath, passes over the flexor surface of the navicular bone, and finally inserts onto the flexor surface of the distal phalanx (P3/coffin bone).

What does the DDFT do?

The DDFT is responsible for:

✔ Flexion of the digit

✔ Stabilisation of the distal limb

✔ Supporting structures within the hoof capsule

✔ Helping control breakover

Because it inserts directly onto the coffin bone, the DDFT has a particularly important role within the foot.

Every time the horse takes a step, the DDFT helps regulate the forces acting on the hoof and lower limb.

The DDFT is also closely associated with the navicular apparatus, which is why DDFT pathology is commonly discussed alongside navicular disease and navicular syndrome.

⸻

So what’s the biggest difference?

Although both tendons help flex the digit and support the limb, they have slightly different primary jobs.

The SDFT is primarily an energy-storage tendon.

It acts like a spring, storing and releasing energy to improve locomotor efficiency.

The DDFT is primarily a positioning and stabilising tendon.

It helps control the lower limb and hoof while managing the substantial forces generated within the foot.

Think of it this way:

🟦 SDFT = the spring

🟩 DDFT = the controller

Both are absolutely vital, but they are subjected to slightly different mechanical demands during movement.

⸻

A simple way to picture them

If you run your hand down the back of your horse’s cannon bone, the tendon you can most easily feel is the SDFT.

The DDFT sits deeper underneath it, tucked closer to the bones of the limb.

This is one of the reasons why DDFT injuries can sometimes be more difficult to diagnose, particularly when they occur lower down within the hoof capsule.

⸻

Why does all of this matter?

Because understanding the normal role of a structure helps us understand what happens when things go wrong.

In my next couple of posts, I’ll be discussing common SDFT and DDFT injuries, why they occur, why they take so long to heal, and why rehabilitation is often measured in months rather than weeks.

For now, just remember:

🐴 Tendons connect muscle to bone.

🐴 They are made predominantly of collagen and water.

🐴 Crimp helps tendons manage loading efficiently.

🐴 The SDFT acts largely as a spring.

🐴 The DDFT acts largely as a stabiliser and controller of the lower limb and foot.

🐴 Both structures are under enormous strain every time your horse moves.

And despite looking like simple structures from the outside, they are actually remarkable pieces of biological engineering!

20/06/2026

Just seen this post from Westover Veterinary Centre regarding the recent increase in equine influenza cases locally.

As always, I’ll continue to do everything I can to minimise the risk of disease transmission between horses. My equipment is disinfected between appointments as standard, and for the time being I’ll be introducing a few additional precautions.

With immediate effect:

* Equipment will continue to be disinfected between every session.
* When attending livery yards, I’ll be using disposable overshoe protectors.
* For any INDIBA, therapeutic ultrasound, TENS or NMES treatments, I’d be grateful if owners could provide their own clean bucket and sponge for use during the session and a clean hand towel. I will text reminders of this closer to your session dates/times if you’re booked in.

I’d also appreciate a quick heads-up if your horse has recently travelled, if you’ve welcomed a new horse onto the yard or property, or if there are any horses nearby showing signs of respiratory illness. This simply helps me make informed decisions about any additional precautions that may be appropriate.

For horses kept at home with no recent movements or new arrivals, I’ll continue to use my professional judgement regarding the level of precaution required.

Thank you, as always, for helping me keep all of the horses I work with as safe and healthy as possible.

** BIOSECURITY ADVICE FOR EQUINE INFLUENZA **
We're sorry to report that we've diagnosed our first case of equine influenza within the practice area. Our clients are understandably concerned, so we've scheduled a quick release of information to reduce the risk of transmission. Please click 'share' to pass on the information to your horsey friends - let's see if we can spread this post faster than 'flu 💪🤧😷 - and try to prevent more cases.

Biosecurity recommendations:
- Quarantine new arrivals for at least 3 weeks before introducing them to resident horses.
- Isolate sick horses immediately and avoid direct contact with healthy animals.
- Maintain good hygiene, including regular cleaning and disinfection of stables, equipment, vehicles, and water buckets. Avoid shared use where possible and disinfect between horses when it is not.
- Minimise horse-to-horse contact at events, shows, and training facilities where possible.
- Implement personal biosecurity, such as hand washing and changing clothing/footwear between groups of horses.
- Monitor horses daily for signs of respiratory disease (re**al temperature more than 38.5 dC, coughing, nasal discharge) and report suspected cases promptly to a vet.
- Restrict movement of horses on and off the yard during outbreaks until veterinary advice indicates it is safe to resume normal activities.
- Horses with confirmed equine influenza should be kept separately from other horses. Horses showing signs of fever, coughing or nasal discharge that have not yet been diagnosed should ideally be separately isolated away from healthy horses and those with confirmed influenza. Avoid owners/staff mixing between these groups of horses where possible.
- Monitor re**al temperatures twice daily where safe to do so.

Vaccination recommendations:
- The majority of cases are in unvaccinated horses. If your horse or pony is not vaccinated, please contact the clinic to arrange starting your vaccinations.
- Immunity against influenza is best in the first 6 months after vaccination. If your horse has been vaccinated more than 6 months ago, consider contacting the clinic to arrange a booster vaccination.