Tendon injuries are common in performance horses and require extended recovery periods, with welfare-informed management balancing recovery needs against the animal's psychological wellbeing.
Tendon injury recovery represents one of the most prolonged and welfare-intensive periods a competition horse experiences. The combination of physical restriction (box rest), loss of social contact, disrupted routine, and loss of exercise-related enrichment creates significant psychological welfare challenges alongside the physical recovery process. The financial and competitive pressure to return horses to work before full tendon healing represents a genuine conflict between owner/trainer interests and the horse's welfare and long-term soundness. Welfare-informed recovery management requires honest prognosis assessment, commitment to full rehabilitation duration, and active management of the psychological welfare impacts of long-term box rest.