When horses move, their tendons must be flexible enough to stretch and contract within a range of 1 to 3 inches. Plus, knowing what signs of injury to look for will help you spot problems early so they can be treated promptly, increasing your horse’s chances of a good recovery. When horses move, their tendons must be flexible enough to stretch and contract within a range of 1 to 3 inches. And, if your horse has hurt a tendon or ligament, there’s one thing to keep in mind. Moreover, with these injuries come the high risk of their recurrence to the affected horse tendon or ligament. Get in touch: +44 20 8144 1888 / info@medrego.com. Unfortunately, a tendon injury can affect any horse, but arming yourself with the knowledge of how tendons work and can be damaged will help you to manage injuries and take steps to prevent them, too. Bringing a horse back from a tendon injury is a long and sometimes frustrating process. There's no guarantee of success--these injuries can end a horse's career. Home Education Connectivity: Tendon & Ligament Injuries in the Horse, Part 2.

A grade 2 moderate tendon injury has a four week average recovery time, and a grade three injury to the tendon can take considerably longer to heal and even longer to return to normal function. The worst possible scenario is traumatic laceration or rupture of the tendon. Horse tendon injury recovery can last up to a year. Diagnosis. The horse will be lame at a walk and often panicked because his leg is not working properly. Plus, knowing what signs of injury to look for will help you spot problems early so they can be treated promptly, increasing your horse’s chances of a good recovery. Care and Management of a Horse with a Tendon Injury. If a tendon is pushed beyond this linear “stress capacity,” tendon injury is likely to occur. With a galloping horse placing it’s entire body weight for a moment in time on one single limb, as seen in image 1, it is clear to see the immense stress the superficial and digital flexor tendons are under during strenuous exercise, and explains the high prevalence of these injuries amongst competitive horses. The best way to deal with them is to make every effort to prevent them, or if possible, limit the degree of damage that occurs. A tendon injury is a devastating blow for horse owners. Horse Tendon Injury Recovery Time. The swelling may then progress, resulting in a moderate tendon injury with pain on palpation and overt lameness. The leg will often increase in temperature as the fibre damage creates heat. Similar to tendon injuries, ligament injuries can vary in severity, from a mild strain to a complete tear. With a galloping horse placing it’s entire body weight for a moment in time on one single limb, as seen in image 1, it is clear to see the immense stress the superficial and digital flexor tendons are under during strenuous exercise, and explains the high prevalence of these injuries amongst competitive horses. The traditional and conventional horse ligament and tendon injury treatment methods seem to concern … The best way to diagnose tendon injury is by calling your veterinarian so he can take a look at it.