Advanced welfare science of tendon assessment using ultrasound in horses, covering cross-sectional area measurement, echo texture analysis, and how objective imaging guides welfare-based rehabilitation decisions.
Ultrasound-guided tendon management has transformed equine rehabilitation welfare by providing objective, repeatable information that removes guesswork from exercise progression decisions. Before ultrasound-guided rehabilitation became standard practice, horses were returned to work based on clinical assessment alone — surface assessment that cannot detect incompletely healed internal lesions. The welfare consequence of premature return to work — reinjury and prolonged recovery — was common and preventable. Welfare-centered rehabilitation uses serial ultrasound assessment to confirm tissue healing at each stage before exercise is increased, ensuring that horses are not subjected to loads that their partially healed tendons cannot safely withstand. This objective approach produces better long-term welfare outcomes despite requiring greater time investment in the rehabilitation process.