Tendon injuries are career-ending and welfare-significant in horses, requiring careful rehabilitation to prevent re-injury and chronic pain.
Tendon rehabilitation imposes significant welfare costs through prolonged stall rest and restricted movement. Horses are flight animals that suffer psychologically from confinement, particularly when pain has resolved and energy levels recover. Balancing adequate restriction to allow tendon healing with sufficient movement to prevent psychological deterioration is a major welfare challenge. Controlled hand walking, stable social contact, and safe enrichment reduce confinement stress during long rehabilitation periods. Owners must understand that pressure to return horses to work too rapidly, driven by financial or competitive motives, risks re-injury and potentially permanent welfare-compromising lameness.