Tendon injuries are among the most serious and welfare-significant conditions in sport horses, with prevention through training management being the primary strategy.
Tendon injuries represent one of the most welfare-significant conditions in sport horses because they cause prolonged pain and disability, require extensive rehabilitation, and carry high re-injury rates on return to competition. The emotional dimension for horses facing months of box rest is itself a welfare concern — horses evolved for movement and social interaction, and enforced confinement during recovery causes psychological distress alongside the physical injury. Prevention through training management — avoiding fatigue accumulation, ensuring appropriate fitness progression, and monitoring working surfaces — is more effective than treatment. The pressure of competition schedules and owner expectations can incentivise overwork of horses showing subtle tendon changes, creating a systemic welfare risk in performance sport. Independent veterinary authority to restrict training is an important welfare protection.