Rehabilitating Equine Soft Tissue Injuries

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of EquiManagement. Sign up here for a FREE subscription to EquiManagement’s quarterly digital or print magazine and any special issues.

When a horse is diagnosed with a locomotor disorder, the veterinarian treats the specific injury to restore the horse to soundness, states a 2021 scoping review of the past 20 years of literature on equine rehabilitation.¹ “Even after the injury has healed, however, the horse may not be fully functional due to persistent limitations in movement or strength,” the authors added. That’s where the rehab plan comes in. Rehabilitation seeks to optimize whole-body function and reduce any existing disability, the researchers explain. We’ve consulted sports medicine specialists and reviewed the literature to obtain the most up-to-date guidelines specific to soft tissue rehabilitation in equine athletes. 

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