Tendon injuries in sport horses require months of carefully managed rehabilitation - maintaining welfare during extended box rest is a critical challenge.
Horse tendon rehabilitation creates a welfare tension between the need for rest to allow tissue healing and the welfare costs of prolonged confinement. Horses on box rest for months develop behavioral problems, muscle atrophy, and frustration from movement restriction that are genuine welfare concerns. The most welfare-conscious rehabilitation programs replace strict box rest with carefully graduated movement - hand walking, equine treadmills, hydrotherapy - that maintains welfare while protecting healing. Managing the psychological and physical needs of the convalescing horse is as important as managing the injury itself.