Do ligaments strengthen after surgery?

How can I help strengthen my horse's hip ligaments?

• My 23-year-old Standardbred has slowly started having hip issues. We noticed him tracking weird at the walk last fall, but his trot and canter were normal (for an ex-pacer). Recently, we've learned that the ligaments in his hip have stretched because of his weird bucks, and now he can't even trot without being very lame. Is there any way I can help my old guy with his hip? Even if I can't continue training him for dressage, I want him to be comfortable and not to get hurt while running with the younger horses.

• Answer:

  Stretched ligaments usually stay stretched unless surgical repair is performed. Joint instability can sometimes be improved by exercises to restore the damaged nerve sensors inside of the ligament that provide information about the position of the joints to the brain. This sensation is called position sense, and alerts the horse to where his hips are positioned as he moves. Retraining the sensation in his damaged hip ligaments can help to improve his position sense and ability to move more correctly to prevent re-injury of the hip joint. He may also have weakness of the muscles that attach to the bones forming the joint, and strengthening these muscles may provide some improvement in stability of the joint. A lot depends on the extent and degree of stretching of ligaments and severity of joint instability. You really need evaluation by an equine orthopedic specialist who can provide the needed diagnostics to determine your options and manage the treatment.