Complete stall rest then mild exercise should be applied. Scar tissue is formed during the healing process, and new tendon fibers are formed. These new fibers are sometimes arranged at random, having little strength. Stall rest and controlled exercise stimulate fiber reorganization which is critical to tendon strength. Complete stall rest does not stimulate reorganization. Exercise (like pasture turnout) results in further injury. Both are contraindicated. The horse recovering from tendonitis cannot be excercised much. Antiinflammatory therapy like phenylbutazone or ice or both, is also used to speed recovery if the injury is recent (within 48 hours). Heat, swelling and lameness will be apparent then. Ice boots like ice should be available after races for horses legs. These boots tie over the shoulders. Bowing is rare, yet certainly does occur.

By constriction of the vessels, ice is effective at decreasing inflammation. Pressure wraps can be used between ice applications to decrease subcutaneous edema formation. Tap water is not cold enough. Tendon repair may take 6 months to a year. Many horses run very well indeed and may times after the recovery of a bowed tendon, though of course it is not as strong as it was. Many OTHER horses are running with active inflammations, cold bows that are well set and other problems.