Standing MRI for horses

You'll need to leave your horse with our highly trained staff to conduct the exam. You won't be able to watch the MRI exam because the equipment is sensitive to room temperature.

A team member will notify you when you're able to collect your horse.

Standing MRI doesn't use ionising radiation and is safe for handlers and patients. It uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce diagnostic images of bone and soft tissue while your horse is standing.

Your horse will be sedated before we carry out the exam.

Standing MRI is a time-consuming process. It is different to Computed Tomography (CT) which can provide us with images in minutes.

With standing MRI, we'll need time to:

• prepare your horse (we'll remove all magnetic items including your horse's shoes before the exam and your horse will be sedated)
• carry out the exam (this can take 45 minutes to one hour plus extra time if the patient moves)  
• quality-control the images
• review the images.

If we're assessing your horse's lameness, we'll need to localise a specific part of your horse's anatomy so we can focus on the correct location. 

Most patients can travel home on the same day as the MRI exam. Horse owners and trainers should allow at least half a day's wait for every area of your horse that we need to examine. 

If your horse needs a comprehensive exam (across multiple regions) or we're examining complicated anatomy, it may take longer.  

On rare occasions, your horse's standing MRI exam may be delayed by an emergency case.