Always wear gloves!! I didn't and look what I did!!

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Hollie15

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I knew I was stupid even when I was doing it.....but we all make mistakes!!

I was trying to load my girlie to go to our first dressage competition with the RC. We were running late, and I was panicking, so didn't bother taking the time to find my gloves, so took her on bare-handed.
Then comes the really stupid bit. To give me more strength (as she is a stubborn loader) I wrapped the rope around my hand, and of course, the horse won the fight.....completely rope burning the back of one hand and taking a chunk out of my little finger. At first I thought I could see my bone through the little finger (drama Queen!!) and screamed, running out the trailer shouting i can see my bone. My non-horsey dad was there....greatly increased his enthusiasm for me riding!!

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I was quite shaken up, but we got her in and I went and done the dressage, though I wasn't sure I was able to at first.

I was worried about the finger, but was advised the hand was the worse injury due to infection risk, it was quite fat for a few days!!

The following week I tried to load her and found myself still wrapping the rope around my hand. Might have been a habit I hadn't noticed myself developing!! But I will always wear gloves now!!

It has healed after 3 weeks, and having a nurse friend look at it almost daily and dressing it properly as almost had infection in it, but may have a permanent scar.

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Above is about a week after it happened

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This is it today, 3 weeks on.


So always wear gloves and don't wrap a rope round your hand. Very stupid in retrospect!! And before all of you start sounding like my mother (!!) yes I knew what I was doing at the time but had ]the 'it will be fine' attitude, hindsight is a great thing!
 
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And whilst lunging. I got a nasty rope burn when my big ginger boy took exception to being lunged. Seriously painful and had to cancel a gig as couldn't bend my fingers enough to play. Musician + horses = bad combination :D

Hope you're properly healed and better soon, it really is very painful! :)
 
Never put photos on here before....hope other can see them!?

Yea was painful, and having to change the dressing daily meant pretty much ripping the scab off each day.
 
ohhhhhh cant see pics but sounds awful and hey we all learn from mistakes and pass on our lessons to others - so hope feeling good soon - big hug hun xxxx
 
Ouch! I made the same mistake once and cut the inside of all my fingers :( it really hurts doesn't it? Funnily enough though I was teaching my novice sister to lunge today and she didn't think she'd need them. Suffice to say she was told she had no option!
 
Can't see the pic but sympathise. I once had lunge line pulled through my hand by mad horse, with gloves on and blistered all over and trip to a and e. Not nice
 
CalllyH said:
Can't see the pic but sympathise. I once had lunge line pulled through my hand by mad horse, with gloves on and blistered all over and trip to a and e. Not nice
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I've had this happen to me as well, except i wasn't wearing gloves. My hands were numb for about 10 mins afterwards.
 
Listen up everyone. 2 years ago I ended up in our local hospital's plastics ward after a stupid riding accident. One of the nurses told me (with great relish!) that some time back they'd had an old farmer type on the ward. He'd been standing on the lane side of a metal 5-bar gate, chatting to a friend and twirling his Shire horse's reins, wrapping them round his hand as he nattered. The horse was the FIELD side of the gate. A shotgun went off very close and the horse spun and bolted - a true bolt. The reins sliced the farmer's hand straight off and it went bouncing across the field still tangled in the reins.

Never, ever, ever wrap a rope or reins round your hand or allow anyone else to if the other end of it is attached to a horse or even a shetland pony.
 
Hi

Could not see photo but thought I would add my bad experience to this!

Both my hand injuries would have been MUCH worse had I not been wearing gloves, so just wanted to reiterate that everyone should wear gloves riding and handling horses.

My right hand - whilst riding a few years ago, my horse not not only launched but spun as well causing my little finger to get a bashing and got tangled in my reins resulting in dislocating the finger at the knuckle and damaging all the nerves and tendons. Weeks of treatment - getting back some movement but not particularly successful and still looks deformed!

My left hand - whilst attempting to jump school my daughter's event horse (silly me!) I parted company and once again caught my left hand in the reins and broke the tip of my little finger and split the tendon - not a good look!

On both occasions the hospital said I would have had much worse damage had I not had gloves on, as not only did they protect the skin from being damaged but enable me to wave with all fingers on my hands!!

It sends a shiver through me when I see kids riding and handling horses (loading etc) without gloves, as I know from first hand (!) experience the pain it causes!

If I knew how to, I would load photos of my hands and it is not a pretty sight!!

The joys of riding!!
 
I would also like to add that leather gloves are better as cotton ones, even with the reinforcement on the fingers are really no good. My friend was lungeing in cotton ones, the horse took off and the rein ripped straight through her gloves and finger!
 
rubyrumba said:
I would also like to add that leather gloves are better as cotton ones, even with the reinforcement on the fingers are really no good. My friend was lungeing in cotton ones, the horse took off and the rein ripped straight through her gloves and finger!
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Yes, totally agree, the cotton gloves are pretty much hopeless!

I wear protective leather gloves - does not have to be really expensive ones though as I often buy gardening gloves which are made from thick leather, but soften with use!
 
Glad I'm not the only one to have done in retrospect, a silly thing!!

I knew don't wrap rope round hand, but suppose it was a bit of arrogance, 'il be al right' attitude!!

Sorry you can't see pictures, I can in the thread :S dno what I've done wrong!!

The farmer's hand thing is gros!! I was very lucky in that case lol!!

Snowcrew - ouch!!! Much worse than mine! Fortunately mine was more cosmetic than real damage like yours!!

I have a nice red scar at the moment, work mates all commenting still, and they like to spread the rumour that it's due to some S&M accident, rather than a horse!!!

Hands are really bad to hurt, you don't realise how much you use them till you injury one!!
 
Yep, also a good lunge rein or lead rope helps, I was lungeing my horse in leather gloves as he was being a bit difficult, he takes off bucking and the lunge rein got tangled as it whipped through my hand, breaking my index finger, I wasn't able to wag it at him for weeks! Maybe if I hadn't had a horrid cheap lunge rein rather than a softer cotton one it might not have got tangled.
 
Ouch! I've had several broken fingers and severe rope burn from a bolting youngster so can empathise with you. I currently find myself getting caught up when leading mare and foal to turnout and am having to pay particular attention to where the ropes are after a few times of finding one wrapped around fingers, something I would never normally do. I used to wear gloves all the time but when I misplaced them during a house move I haven't replaced them, I will do this asap having read the posts on here!
 
Box_Of_Frogs said:
Listen up everyone. 2 years ago I ended up in our local hospital's plastics ward after a stupid riding accident. One of the nurses told me (with great relish!) that some time back they'd had an old farmer type on the ward. He'd been standing on the lane side of a metal 5-bar gate, chatting to a friend and twirling his Shire horse's reins, wrapping them round his hand as he nattered. The horse was the FIELD side of the gate. A shotgun went off very close and the horse spun and bolted - a true bolt. The reins sliced the farmer's hand straight off and it went bouncing across the field still tangled in the reins.

Never, ever, ever wrap a rope or reins round your hand or allow anyone else to if the other end of it is attached to a horse or even a shetland pony.
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Oh - a likely story! Just why was this "farmer" on one side of the gate with the horse on the other? A shire horse with reins? What actual sliced the hand off?

Hands are pretty well screwed on and if one was wrapped up in bridlery the first thing that would happen in the scenario above is the farmer would be smashed into the gate - he'd be in hospital for a bit more than a missing hand! If after the initial smash something didn't give then the weakest link would go; however; you'd be surprised just how strong all the ligaments in one's wrist are - it needs a severing action - plenty of things on a plough team to do this but not as explained.
 
Oh dear OP. Poor you. Yes get them gloves on and learn to let go and stop wrapping things around your hand!!!
 
I wont post my gross picture but always wear a hat and concentrate when lungeing even the smallest pony if you dont when its getting cheeky and your attention is distracted when it makes a bolt for the gate and you fly forward..... you land on your head finding the ONLY stone in a very hard field and bury your impact resistant sunglasses into your eye.

It was dumb,it was stupid and now I have a holiday to go on looking like someone gave me a pasting!!
 
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