Evidence-based strategies for preventing superficial digital flexor tendon injuries in sport horses through conditioning, monitoring, and workload management.
Tendon injury prevention in sport horses is both a welfare and career management priority. From a welfare perspective, the long rehabilitation period required for tendon healing involves significant welfare costs through prolonged box rest and restricted exercise. Prevention through thoughtful training design, regular monitoring, and conservative management of early warning signs is far preferable to managing the consequences of established injury. The pressure in competitive equestrian environments to maintain training schedules regardless of subtle lameness signs or fatigue creates welfare risk. Riders, trainers, and owners who monitor horses subjectively and objectively for signs of tendon stress — heat, swelling, gait changes — and respond conservatively protect both horse welfare and long-term soundness.