Okay I have got to get some info on this. Is it true that some people are paying 3k plus to have there horses fetlocks MRI'd ?

I mean okay if you have a 70K plus horse but how does it work?

I am sure it wont show up what a Nuc or a Xray will but we are getting pretty high tech here. I heard this through the grapevine. So I don't have any really good data on it but want to learn more.

I know they are some really high tech equipment like that, but I know it needs to be done at a clinic and the horse has to be put under. I agree with it might not be worth it if the horses's value isn't that high.

From what I know it is limited to leg work, it is a set of "boots" that are wrapped around the horses legs and only used to check for "Deep" hidden issues. That the others may not reveal.

The horse doesn't have to be put under for this part of the exam. But the cost is really high I didn't realize that it went up to 3 thousand!

Wow. Well as everything else as technology emerges the price will surely go down.

No, MRI's do not show the same as xrays or nucs.
X-rays show bone
Nuc's show areas that are infammed (have increased blood flow) on bone and some soft tissues but show no detail.

MRI's are done with the horse sedated and standing from the fetlock down and asleep for the knee and hocks. They are only able to be used on the legs of a horse from the knees and hocks down. They show great detailed images of soft tissue and bone.

They work well when the horse has a lameness down in the fetlock and heels/foot. You can get great pictures of these soft tissue structures that you can not get from x-rays, Nuc's or ultrasounds.

Depending where you are located a very simple scan can start at $15-1700 and go up.

But it is well worth it if your horse has a difficult lameness that is hard to pinpoint.

An MRI (or magnetic resonance imaging) scan is a radiology technique that uses magnetism, radio waves, and a computer to produce images of body structures.
The image and resolution produced by MRI is quite detailed and can detect tiny changes of structures within the body.
An MRI scan can be used as an extremely accurate method of disease detection throughout the body. For example, in the head, trauma to the brain can be seen as bleeding or swelling. Other abnormalities often found include brain aneurysms, stroke, tumors of the brain, as well as tumors or inflammation of the spine. Neurosurgeons use an MRI scan not only in defining brain anatomy but in evaluating the integrity of the spinal cord after trauma. It is also used when considering problems associated with the vertebrae or intervertebral discs of the spine. It can evaluate the structure of the heart and aorta, where it can detect aneurysms or tears. It provides valuable information on glands and organs within the abdomen, and accurate information about the structure of the joints, soft tissues, and bones of the body. Often, surgery can be deferred or more accurately directed after knowing the results of an MRI scan.