Tendon injuries are career-ending and welfare-compromising in sport horses. Evidence-based prevention through conditioning, monitoring, and workload management reduces injury incidence.
Tendon injuries cause acute severe pain at injury followed by months of recovery during which restriction of movement creates psychological welfare compromise alongside continuing physical pain. Prevention is dramatically more welfare-positive than treatment given the prolonged rehabilitation requirements and high reinjury rates. The welfare-conscious approach to tendon health invests in graduated conditioning that builds tissue tolerance, proactive monitoring that detects early changes before catastrophic injury, and workload management that respects tissue adaptation timelines rather than training through warning signs. Surface management, appropriate shoeing, and fitness assessment before seasonal performance demands complete the prevention framework.