Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!
First - Is your question specifically about the suspensory apparatus or
include the deep and superficial tendons as well?
According to Adam's lameness book the most common denominator of tendon
injuries is overstress of the horse's leg or exceesive force. Various
predisposing causes are also mentioned, such as fatigue, underconditioing,
improper trimming and shoeing which leads to unnatural stress on the
limbs,and muddy, or unsure footing.
So, obviously there are a multitude of potential causes for a horse to "break
down". The easiest way to minimize the chances of this happening is to
properly train the horse before any endurance races with stepped-up distances
and terrain. Properly fed horses are also less likely to suffer fatigue as
easily during a race and tendon strength and elasticity will also be
enhanced. Avoid situations where the footing is suspect or reduce speed at
turns and stops when the footing may be slippery.
Sorry it took so long to answer. I was away for a few days and the mail just
stacks up on this thing.
Dan