Bowed Tendon Prognosis

On the back of a horse's lower leg is the superficial flexor tendon. When that tendon's fibers tear, that is called bowed tendon. Depending on the size and extent of the injury, the horse has a good chance of a complete recovery with little more than a change in the tendon's shape.

  1. Injury Location

    • The lower the injury occurred on the leg, the greater the likelihood of re-injuring the tendon, especially if the annular ligament is affected. This is the ligament surrounding the tendon. If this is the case, it may be possible to surgically sever the annular ligament, which will allow more space for the tendon to heal. The ligament usually heals well following the surgery.

    Injury Appearance

    • Horses with big, extravagant bows are more likely to have soundness problems than horses with less-apparent bows. This is because the bigger bows were likely worse injuries at first, and smaller bows were not. Also, you need to examine the rest of the affected leg. A really bad bow may have changed the shape of the leg. If so, it may affect your horse's future soundness since the legs no longer match, thus throwing balance out of kilter.

    Age of Injury

    • If the injury is less than six months to a year old, it may have not had enough time to heal. If you don't have much experience with re-conditioning a horse with a bowed tendon, it may be better to wait a year. Also, your horse's bow may change shape as it heals, so if you have purchased or adopted a horse with a bowed tendon, you may want your veterinarian's opinion on the age of the injury.

    Ultrasound

    • Having an ultrasound on the tendon is the best way to determine how it is recovering. A dark spot on the ultrasound indicates the bow where the tearing occurred. As the tendon heals, the dark spot lightens and gradually returns to white. More healing could be needed after the dark spot has finished whitening as the tendon fibers reconnect. Many veterinarians have little experience with this type of ultrasound, or the necessary equipment, so you may need a referral to a more experienced veterinarian.

    Returning to Work

    • Your horse should be on stall rest as the tendon heals, and your veterinarian will work with you on determining how to bring your horse back to work. For nine weeks you will be hand-walking your horse to get it out of the stall and keep the muscles loose. You will start at five minutes and gradually increase to 20 minutes, then you will be able to walk and trot on straight lines and big circles for up to 20 minutes for another nine weeks. For 16 weeks after this time, you can start increasing your riding time and the amount of stress. After this 16 weeks, you may be able to start with more difficult work such as jumping. If you rush any of this work, your horse is more inclined to re-injure the tendon.