How tendon injuries in horses are managed during the long rehabilitation process and what welfare-centred recovery looks like.
Tendon injury rehabilitation imposes a significant welfare burden on horses through the long period of enforced rest and restricted movement it requires. Horses are movement-adapted animals, and prolonged box rest causes psychological distress alongside musculoskeletal deconditioning. The welfare challenge is balancing the tissue's need for controlled loading that promotes healing against the horse's need for movement and social interaction. Rehabilitation protocols that introduce controlled walking as early as scientifically safe, provide social contact during box rest periods, and use ultrasound monitoring to guide appropriate activity levels represent the most welfare-conscious approach to what is inevitably a difficult welfare period.