While I certainly wouldn't recommend buying a horse with a severely bowed tendon, there have been several endurance horses that blew one or more front tendons and came back to complete 1,000+ miles...some very competitively. ?My first endurance horse "Clouds Peak Ata" bowed both front tendons with my husband riding him. ?The second one bowed in April 1986. ?He was laid off until Nov. 1987, when I pulled him out of the pasture so I could sponsor a Junior rider who was running for a National championship. ?He then did a very hard, fast season in California...800 miles. ?He completed over 1,000 miles after those tendons were injured. ?His rehab was just pasture rest. ?He was special, though. ?He had incredible heart and desire. ?Anyhow, the point is, don't give up on a horse you already own if they sustain a tendon injury. ?Just give them at least a year off. ?Cindy
3.? What is the soundness prognosis for a tendon-injured horse which has returned to soundness (either with or without freefiring)?? Is the formerly->injured tendon significantly more prone to re-injury??
Yes, regardless of whether it’s been fired or not.? Torn tendon fibers are replaced with scar tissue, which does not have the same elasticity as the original tissue, thus is more prone to re-injury.? How prone depends on the extent of the original lesion (ie, how many fibers were disrupted and had to be replaced with scar tissue), and how well the horse was rehabilitated.
