Bowed Tendon
Question: “I am considering adopting a thoroughbred off the track with a bowed tendon. They have said that the bowed tendon is minor and the probability of it healing just fine is excellent. I would like to ask what your thoughts are. Of course he would need some time off to just heal but I guess my questions are what is the actual probability of the tendon healing OK?”
The term “bowed tendon” refers to damage or rupture of the tendon and/or tendon sheath of a leg. Often, the term refers to damage of the superficial flexor tendon. The condition occurs most often in performance horses due to consistent and high levels of stress on the tendons. The reason damage to a tendon is termed a “bow” is that when looking at the leg from the side, the leg’s profile actually “bows” out like the letter “D.”
The damage that tendons sustain to cause a bow can vary widely in severity. The best way of evaluating the severity of the bowed tendon is to perform a thorough lameness exam, including, importantly, an ultrasound of the affected areas. An ultrasound will provide a clearer picture of the extent of tendon damage. Without this knowledge it is difficult to impossible to formulate a controlled, restricted exercise program as well as a treatment protocol that will allow the tendon to heal fully and properly.
As with any any soft tissue injury, bowed tendons, must be monitored every 4 to 8 weeks with ultrasound to evaluate the level of healing. This continuous reexamination allows the best treatment protocol to be formulated. There are often times that the healing of soft tissue structures plateaus, no matter how long one allows for healing. At these times treatments such as shock wave therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, intra-lesion stem cell therapy via surgery, and others may be indicated.
In my opinion, and taking only the limited information presented in the question, it is premature to call the bowed tendon “minor” and the probability of it healing “just fine” as “excellent.” What diagnostics have been performed? Was an ultrasound done? Has a treatment protocol been implemented? If an ultrasound has been done then it should be requested for your veterinarian’s review and records.
In my experience, with patience, time, and appropriate medical (and sometimes surgical) care, horses can again be athletic under saddle after “bowing a tendon”. But eventual athletic soundness varies widely depending on the severity of the original injury and the quality of the treatment protocol. There are some horses that are only sound as walk/trot/canter horses with no jumping after rehab while others return to work as high performance horses. Bottom line, when a soft tissue injury occurs, the tendon does not heal itself to its pre-injury state. Scar tissue is formed and re-occurrence may happen.
I urge you to have the horse evaluated by your veterinarian.