Bowed Tendon
Also called: bow, tendon injury
A bowed tendon is a strain or tear of the flexor tendon at the back of a horse's lower leg, producing a visible 'bow' — one of the more common and serious soundness problems in racehorses.
A true bow usually means months off, and sometimes ends a racing career; careful conditioning and early detection are the main defenses. The term is also used loosely for any prominent tendon injury. Spotting heat or filling in a tendon before it becomes a full bow can save a horse.
Examples
- arrow_rightHe bowed a tendon in his last work and was retired from racing.
- arrow_rightHer groom flagged the heat in the tendon early, and they backed off before it became a bow.