Tendon injuries are career-ending and painful for horses. Evidence-based prevention and rehabilitation can reduce incidence and improve outcomes for affected horses.
Tendon injuries cause significant acute pain and the rehabilitation period — often 6-12 months — carries its own welfare challenges of box rest, reduced social contact, and limited movement. The welfare imperative is both to prevent initial injury through management and to manage rehabilitation in a way that respects the horse's psychological as well as physical needs. Horses confined to stalls for long periods without adequate stimulation develop stereotypic behaviors and psychological problems. Welfare-centered rehabilitation balances physical healing with psychological wellbeing.