EquineIR™, an Official Vendor Partner of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, announces that they will give away a pair of VIP Passes to the World Equestrian Games Exclusive Maker’s Mark Bourbon Village, a free EquineIR™ Scan and two event tickets to the Games in an on-line raffle. EquineIR™ (www.EquineIR.com) is a part of the United Infrared Network (www.UnitedInfrared.com) - an international network of certified and trained infrared thermographers performing infrared scans on three continents. EquineIR™ thermographers provide scans of horses to detect potential health problems and/or injuries.

“EquineIR is very proud to be an official Vendor Partner of the games and this raffle is a celebration of our participation as well as an effort to allow a lucky entrant who may not otherwise have an opportunity to attend this once in a lifetime event,� states Peter Hopkins, Vice President and Managing Partner of United Infrared, Inc.

The World Equestrian Games (www.alltechfeigames.com) is the largest equestrian event in the world. In 2010, the games leave Europe for the first time and come to the United States to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. In addition to the eight world championships, the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will be a celebration of all things equestrian. The World Equestrian Games will represent an unprecedented opportunity for the equine industry to showcase itself, in a variety of ways, to spectators from around the globe.

To enter the raffle, entrants should visit www.equineir/weg/raffle and fill out the entry form. The grand prize for the raffle is a pair of VIP Passes (a $1272 value) to the World Equestrian Games Exclusive Maker’s Mark Bourbon Village which features 30,000 square feet of sights and sounds, live entertainment, all-inclusive fine dining and premium bar, personalized concierge services, the best area for client entertaining/networking, high-end boutique shopping, a private patio overlooking the Cross Country vista, a preferred on-site shuttle service, and a climate-controlled Pavilion. Second prize is a complimentary EquineIR™ scan with vet interpret ($250 value), and third prize is two Event Tickets at the games (up to a $200 value).

Before infrared thermography (IRt), veterinarians could only locate problems using traditional methods such as observation and palpation. Now, by using EquineIR™ thermography techniques, abnormalities present themselves even before damage occurs. This methodology has been developed and refined over the past twenty-five years and has been proven to be an effective imaging technique for: pre & post event, pre-purchase, hoof balancing, saddle fit, joint inflammation, and general diagnostics use. Since animals cannot speak, it has been difficult for caretakers to truly identify hidden or masked conditions. Now with infrared thermal imaging, many of these physiological and anatomical issues are exposed at a much earlier stage. Early detection equals early prevention. Anatomical imaging, such as x-ray, cannot detect soft tissue conditions. Physiological imaging, such as infrared, has the ability to recognize soft tissue conditions, and also areas that are indicative of anatomical issues. The costs of full-horse scans (typically $250-$450), is low enough for horse owners to afford to get baseline imagery of the horse - even when no problems are present at the time. If the horse later becomes injured, the imagery can be compared to the baseline.

“We are truly making a difference for the horses and the owners with equine thermography. Our members come in with a desire to learn how to take correct images, and leave with a newfound appreciation for the horse in sport,� states Dr. Joanna Robson, DVM and Technical Director for EquineIR™. “Standardization and proper education is imperative to the continued success of thermal imaging as an equine diagnostic modality.� Dr. Robson concludes.

“EquineIR™ is a service whose time has come,� states Greg Stockton, President of United Infrared, Inc. “We have become the repository of IR images of horses, and we are able to make thousands of images available to the horse-diagnosing world� he concludes.

For more information on EquineIR, please visit www.equineir.com or www.equineir.com/weg . For more information on United Infrared, Inc., please visit www.unitedinfrared.com. For more information on the World Equestrian Games, please visit www.alltechfeigames.com.