Tendon injuries are among the most common and serious welfare challenges in performance horses. Proper diagnosis, rehabilitation, and return-to-work protocols are essential for recovery and prevention of re-injury.
Tendon injuries cause significant pain and distress and represent a major welfare challenge in the performance horse industry. The conservative treatment of prolonged box rest creates secondary welfare problems - isolation, reduced movement, and behavioral frustration in horses adapted for near-constant movement and social interaction. Balancing physical rehabilitation with psychological wellbeing requires creative management: hand-walking from early in recovery, companionship through adjacent animals or stable mirrors, and appropriate mental stimulation. The high reinjury rate highlights the importance of not rushing return to full work. Horses with irreparable tendon damage face decisions about retirement to pasture, use in lower-level activities, or euthanasia when quality of life cannot be maintained - decisions requiring honest veterinary assessment.