Are horse people just tough when it comes to pain?

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A friend of mine has posted on Facebook that she is in so much pain and is bored from not being a work due to a broken toe. She has an office job and has been signed off sick for 4 weeks. She also says her dog is driving her potty as she can't walk it.

Last year I broke my big toe and fractured a bone in my foot, I did evening and the following morning stables before going to hospital. While they were x-raying the found a healed fracture in the centre of my foot, which I didn't know about. Also broke my finger in 2 places last month which I didn't bother going to hospital about until last week AND dislocated my thumb about 4 years ago and spent an hour finished off turning out before I got it fixed at A&E.

10 years ago I was also involved in a head on car smash, the car that hit me was doing around 80mph, I was lucky to be alive and got out with just a severed ligament in my foot, concussion and glass in my face and eyes (same foot as the break) I was back at work the next day - Yard work, hobbling around with a bandage over one eye and a plastic bag on my foot because it was RI week and no-one else to cover the yard.

Are horse people tough or do they just get on with it because they have to? Don't get me wrong, I was in agony with both foot accidents and the thumb but I kind of ignored it, took lots of pain relief and dealt with it. I didn't have weeks off work - even though I would have been entitled to it. Are we just an odd breed? :)
 
Think we must be, "touch wood" not had anything serious injury wise but I think years of old school can you move it? YES well get back on and finish your ride has toughened us all up...
 
Yes I think we do just get on with it. Not always a good thing though- I know a few people who probably wouldn't be suffering such severe long term impacts from old injuries if they'd been a bit more careful with immediate treatment, rest and rehab.
 
I think we're just used to picking up injuries, so probably do deal with pain better than most people. I got kicked in the ribs last year, god knows how I didn't break anything but had severe bruising, yet was back at work a day and a half later mucking out a full yard of horses and doing normal yard chores. Though I couldn't pick out feet to start with!
 
I'm a medic at equestrian events and honestly, most of bus are tough as old boots.
I too have carried on with a serve fracture in my hand (that apparently should have been pinned) and minor one in my foot

BUT there are a few right whim about, who lie on floor when there is no need andbsime who go off to hospital in an ambulance, to then come back to show later without So much as a bruise or limp
 
i wouldn't say that! I broke my finger in spectacular fashion (spiral fracture) that needed operating on and bone grafting. The instant i done if my finger went up like a balloon and couldn't get my ring off. I was crying with the pain from about 2 minutes after i done it until about 45 mins later when we got to A & E and they put me on gas and air! So no, i don't think being horsey makes you tough, totally depends what your pain threshold is!
 
I think horsey people do tend to just get on with it rather than 'bothering' the doctor.

However I will say that I now go to the doctor's a bit quicker if it isn't just an 'ow'. I've had several serious health issues in the past that would have been picked up sooner if I'd not just carried on with the assumption that they would just resolve themselves. One in particular ended up in blood transfusions and hospital stays.
 
I sometimes think we should go to the docs more often than we do. I know I have several long term repercussions due to not "bothering" the doc with at the time :/
 
Im currently recovering from a nastily broken and dislocated ankle, at the time i did it i was told by the ambulance people how hardcore I was. My ankle was obviously broken (pointing ways it never should), I looked at it just as I hit the ground, told the instructor of the clinic I'd broken my ankle and to call an ambulance, I then called work to tell then I wouldn't be in to work the early shift the following day and then patiently waited for the ambulance to arrive.
 
4 weeks signed off with a broken toe - damn, I knew I should have gone to A&E when I broke mine instead of hobbling into work in trainers (and I had to walk about 400 m from the car park to the office). Likewise when I broke a rib, I even packed and carried heavy boxes of books with that one as the office was being refurbished - so yes I reckon horsey people are tough as old boots - certainly much more so than many premier league footy stars who get paid wads even when injured!
 
I think we are tougher and less likely to "give in" to an injury or to pain. I also think its because we are in the mindset of having to be fine as we have the horses to do regardless of how we feel.They are totally reliant on us and having 4 I feel guilty at asking for help if I am unwell so I tend to just crack on !
I broke my leg in 2 places 4 years ago after coming down on the road badly. Got up, caught the bad baby horse and somehow got back to the yard,put him back in the field and drove to A&E. Couldn't get out of the car and had to be helped by a passer by and a very kind nurse going back to her car who got a wheelchair and helped me into the hospital where I was promptly sick as the pain hit. I got such a telling off by the consultant but I honestly didn't think it was that bad !!
I find I am very short tempered with people that go off sick at the drop of a hat with minor ailments.
 
Am I the only person to find the "carry on regardless" brigade just a little bit irritating? I'm no wimp but I just think it's commonsense to take a bit of care of my body as I want it to last a long time. someone I know dragged herself round her yard on all fours in the mud when she broke her ankle, rather than respect her bravery I thought she was a bit stupid. I've also known people ride with a broken arm and when they are clearly very unwell. However, I wouldn't take four weeks off with a broken toe although from experience, I do know it can be very painful!
 
I really think it depends on the injury! I had a big maxi cob stand on my foot and it was sore and it bruised, but there was no major swelling and I found if I didn't bend my toes too much it was relatively pain free! Then about a month later a rabbit hole collapsed under my foot (on a walk not in the fields) and I rolled down the hill. That really hurt, I iced it and elevated it (after walking/limping a mile home) and the next morning it was hugely swollen. So I went to the hospital and they gave me an x-ray. Ankle was just sprained, but I had three healing fractures in my foot which were left alone to carry on as doctor was happy with the way they were healing and had my ankle strapped up for a while.

So I broke three bones and walked around on them for 4 weeks, sprained my ankle and couldn't bare to put weight on it (pain killer and crutches helped here tremendously!) It really does depend what you have done, and how you have done it I think! Maybe I have just been fortunate that I haven't had any major breaks, as I have found muscular stuff and bruising is much more painful and the broken stuff is found after the fact (well except for more recently broken finger and that was mis-shapen so I knew I had done something and got it seen to. The doctor thought it might also have been dislocated, which fortunately wasn't the case!)
 
Bessi said:
Im currently recovering from a nastily broken and dislocated ankle, at the time i did it i was told by the ambulance people how hardcore I was. My ankle was obviously broken (pointing ways it never should), I looked at it just as I hit the ground, told the instructor of the clinic I'd broken my ankle and to call an ambulance, I then called work to tell then I wouldn't be in to work the early shift the following day and then patiently waited for the ambulance to arrive.
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Ooh Bessi, I feel your pain! I fell down the stairs in March and broke my ankle in 3 places and dislocated it. It's all been pinned and plated and I'm having weekly physio. The physio said with a bit of luck I'd be riding by the end of the year. I first got back on in June ;). They also said I wouldn't be walking unaided unaided for 6 months and I did it after 2 ;). I think it's a combination of things - we're more likely to have injuries and also when you've got a horse you can't just not look after it (well I can't, anyway) and it's very physical but you just have to get on with it.
 
I think it's a combination of factors here

- we know our horses rely on us
- many in the industry are either self employed or the employer, and if we don't work, we don't get paid

From bitter experience, I have found that soft tissue injuries are often a) more painful and b) take longer to heal than fractures

And I also agree with those who say that we should take more care of ourselves if we want our bodies to last.
 
Two years ago I fell off jumping, landed a bit funnily and fractured one of my vertebrae and did some nerve damage in my shoulder. Got up and walked around for a while in agony as I knew it was better to get back on straight after a fall- which I then did. Needless to say, it was complete agony so I got off very quickly. Everyone at the stables told me to go home and have some ibuprofen. My mum drove me to the hospital instead and they all asked me if I came in by ambulance or helicopter! Spent a week in there and was in a wheelchair for 3 months. I think we are all a bit too 'grit your teeth'- I should not have got up after my fall to be honest, but equally I think many others are wrapped in cotton wool! Maybe we need to invent a happy medium? ;)
 
Bessi said:
Im currently recovering from a nastily broken and dislocated ankle, at the time i did it i was told by the ambulance people how hardcore I was. My ankle was obviously broken (pointing ways it never should), I looked at it just as I hit the ground, told the instructor of the clinic I'd broken my ankle and to call an ambulance, I then called work to tell then I wouldn't be in to work the early shift the following day and then patiently waited for the ambulance to arrive.
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Same thing for me last year. Went to A&E where they had to straighten and put a cast on. The nurse couldn't understand why I was so quiet about the procedure. I just said after childbirth, or 4 broken ribs, this was a doddle. The nurse on the ward where I stayed overnight (had to have a plate and pins) couldn't believe that I was able to inject myself with an anti clotting drug without a peep. Must have a high pain threshold. I still think one of the most painful things is having a foal jump on your foot...........
 
I think anyone who works outside and with livestock or machinery or generally in the outdoors world will generally pick up a higher pain tolerance than those who live a "softer" life.

Pain is in the mind and as such if you are in an environment where pain happens you become more accustomed to it. As such when things happen that cause pain and injury your mind is already partly prepared for it. You've been there, you've hit your thumb with the hammer enough times that you grow more capable to tolerate it; but also to tolerate that kind of sudden sharp pain.

Meanwhile people who live lives which are less physically demanding are going to have less experience and less expectation of injury; as a result when they do get hurt its far more of a shock to their system. They have less tolerance to deal with the situation and thus feel more pain and are more likely to hold up for longer to recover because they've never really pushed their body that far before to know their limits as well as those who have already been there done that and got the Tshirt and cast.


I would also say a physically active life leaves the human body in a better condition to recover; whilst a more couch-potato life leaves you far more likely to endure additional pains ontop of the injury because your body isn't as physically in good condition (even though the person might not feel that day to day).


Those who are self employed and/or who care for livestock also tend to have more of a "bull headed" approach to recovery partly because of how they are often aware of how without them things do fall apart; even if just in the short term. Of course some people take this viewpoint too far and can short term try to "solider on" which results in them causing crippling long term debilitation or damage to themselves because they do refuse to pause to recover properly.
 
I've always tried to soldier on through pain however I have learnt not from horses but through the training for my job, that it is much better to seek medical aid quickly and rest as much as possible to avoid further damage.

The sooner you deal with something the less of the impact in the long term.

I tried to do the carry on regardless routine when I fell off last year. I eventually saw a Physio who said quite plainly, If I had seen her straight away then I would have been fixed in a week rather than requiring 6 weeks worth of treatment.

I no longer think soldiering on regardless is admirable but a bit silly. Obviously you may not be able to just sit at home and rest, but you do not need to ride necessarily and always get someone to help if you can.
 
Abi90 said:
I've always tried to soldier on through pain however I have learnt not from horses but through the training for my job, that it is much better to seek medical aid quickly and rest as much as possible to avoid further damage.

The sooner you deal with something the less of the impact in the long term.

I tried to do the carry on regardless routine when I fell off last year. I eventually saw a Physio who said quite plainly, If I had seen her straight away then I would have been fixed in a week rather than requiring 6 weeks worth of treatment.

I no longer think soldiering on regardless is admirable but a bit silly. Obviously you may not be able to just sit at home and rest, but you do not need to ride necessarily and always get someone to help if you can.
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100% agree.
I think all us "horsey folk" have a bad habit of gritting the teeth and getting on with it and now working in A+E has made me realise... that is not always the best option!!
 
Not sure whether we are tough or moronic, well I seem to be the latter at least.

I've carried on riding (as in I didn't come off so I wasn't getting off) with a cheekbone #, dislocated jaw, a cerival vertebrae # on 2 separate occasions, dislocated shoulder and dislocated fingers. I've also ridden the same day/day after with a lumbar vertebrae #, a ruptured disc, more shoulder dislocations, a hip # and rib fractures.

I'm slowly but surely learning to back off for a little bit after recent health issues including another hip # and recent surgery. It's just not worth 'soldiering on' so quickly after getting battered around I've realised, it's paid for in the long run.

That said, I have a very high pain tolerance which I think has lead me to do stupid things while injured, if it was lower I'd probably be in better shape than I am now.

So after very recently getting a rib removed, an emergency vein graft and blood transfusions, I'm kicking back and letting someone else look after my lad so I can get a few weeks recovery in. :)
 
Yep I think we are tougher just because of the nature of being around horses. They stand on your toes, headbutt you in the face by accident, slap you in the face with their tails, you trip over while mucking out, slip on ice, fix fencing whilst getting stabbed by wire etc. all before you even get on and then get chucked off ;)

Something is always sore for me, my OH must think Im such a drama queen but actually he does the slightest thing like pull a muscle and its the end of the world whereas I just get on with it. My latest daily pain is from my hip which I smashed into a plastic jump block whilst I was backing a horse 4 weeks after having a full knock-out job emergency c-section with platelet transfusion 4 years ago, I ended up with it permanently numb on the skin round it and now the hip aches when I try to do anything terribly energetic like going for a run. I imagine most horse people are sore / damaged somewhere. But hey ho its all worth it ;)
 
Agree totally with Overread - we get used to it. Being trodden on, smacked in the head, finger ground by teeth, kicked, squashed, rope burns and that is in the stable before we think of getting on board followed by the even more numerous ways of dismounting again. As the saying goes, it isn't falling off that hurts, it is hitting the ground. Even though all these things can hurt a lot temporarily we realise that they are not that serious and that many hurts and injuries get better. I don't mean really bad things that need looking at properly.

People in other walks of life might simply never be in a position of suffering a painful injury. Once they leave school and maybe don't take part in sport much it has to be something quite serious for them to get hurt and experience pain.

I was having treatment from a sports injury specialist for a shoulder injury and he said that I seemed to have a high pain threshold and some of his football and even rugby player clients make a terrible fuss. I told him if things got too painful I would let him know. I think it is experience of numerous injuries. Although for pain muscle tears and muscle cramps can be absolutely terrible.

I have continued with caring for horse and stable duties, albeit carefully and slowly, with torn muscles, broken ribs and a stitched and bandaged hand - split the stiches though and still have the scars to show for it!
 
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I think yes we get used to the injuries, knocks, falls, toe squashes etc, but also we 'get on with it' usually because we have to; we are responsible for another living, breathing creature(s) and they still need feeding, cleaning etc. Plus if I called in sick at work with every horse-related injury I'd be unemployable!? And of course, what better way to forget your pain than being back with the gorgeous beasts!
 
I was guilty of this at the weekend... Pie spooked and landed on my foot when I was studding him. Nice lady at lorry next door applied arnica gel to my rapidly swelling foot and I quickly squashed it into my riding boot while I still could. It was stiff rather than agony so I assumed it was only bruising. The first aider was desperate to get his hands on me but I wasn't taking my boot off until my classes had finished!! A win and 2 ice packs later he agreed that it was just bruising.
Had it been agonisingly painful I wouldn't have jumped as I'd probably have fallen off and hurt myself more!!
 
I think it comes down to the fact that our horses need us! I've also had broken bones and still done horsey chores, today I've been ill (just a stinking July cold) and as iI left work my colleague very kindly said hope you feel better, don't be doing the horses tonight just go home and rest! .... Story what's that!?

I feel like a wimp of I don't carry on.. Most days I'm in pain with my back but it's normal now and ifiI stopped because of it, I'd never do anything!
 
I fractured my hip and had one day off work (to go to A&E). I was mucking out still and riding again after a week - I think we're tough...

I broke my leg and couldn't drive into work and was off work for 11 days before I got that bored that I walked the mile to work on crutches.

I also was back mucking out at 6pm after being discharged after day surgery at 3pm.

I don't do well with inactivity.
 
I can't speak for anyone else, but at less than four weeks I removed the cast from my double displaced wrist fracture to get some movement back into it. I bought a set of braces of different strengths. I use a very strong one for near the horses, a weaker one for out and around, weaker still for sleeping, and I remove it completely for watching tv. I'm gradually increasing the range of movement, and I already have more than I expected to finish up with.

I think we horse riders are tougher than others, but then again my local hospital know that I don't feel pain like other people do and I heal bone exceptionally quickly, so maybe I'm even more odd than most horse riders?
I'm thinking I may ride tomorrow - 4 weeks 3 days.

During my latest break I researched healing. It seems that painkillers suppress prostaglandin production, but prostaglandins are required for healing. So if you take painkillers, you're likely to delay healing. This might account for why I heal so quickly, because I can mentally suppress pain and therefore not take painkillers. I think that needs a bit of research. Volunteers?
 
I personally think a lot of horse people just like blowing smoke up their own arse by saying how tough they are lol
 
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