Hip fracture update & website reviews needed!

Sarah_Jane

Sarah_Jane

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Sorry it is not exactly a competition post but as it concerns me getting fit so I can get back and compete I can get away with it ;)

Most of you know that 6 weeks 3 days and 18 hours ago (no I am really not counting :P ) I came off my lovely new young horse in a freak accident and badly fractured my hip! I basically broke the ball off the top of the femur and the doctors spent the evening before rushing me off to theatre telling me how bad it was and that I may never ride to the same level again (Wasn't the best thing to be telling someone upset and in a lot of pain :( )

Had a good surgeon who was used to patching the military up in war zones and the result was quite a bit more metal work.

DSCF1306-1.jpg


Anyway today was my 6 week check up, unfortunately I couldn't see my surgeon as he is doing some military training in Germany but he has promised a phone consultation next week :) Luckily I saw a very personable young doctor (Mum reckons good marrying material instead of the planned vet or farrier with my recent history! :D ) who explained things really well and was relatively positive.

There is not a huge amount of healing showing yet, they wouldn’t expect it, the main thing is the fracture is stable and the pin and plates are secure and have not moved. There is still a concern that where I broke the ball off the hip it could die off, it is too early to tell but if it looks good at about the 6 months stage it is most likely to be ok.

I can now progress to partial weight bearing, getting physio and exercising in a pool, this should start to strengthen the leg up and hopefully in 6 weeks I can progress if x-rays are ok to exercising without crutches. The bad groin pain I have is relatively normal so that was a relief although on the down side I still can’t drive which is very frustrating! I am hugely relieved and feel I can start positively planning my recovery and actively promoting it rather than being at that terrible waiting stage. Do still have to be careful not to push things too quickly though.

Riding wise I will wait to have a proper chat with the surgeon regarding how much I can do how quickly. The physio is booked for Tuesday!

Sarnie is getting very bored of Mum with crutches and looks like a hairy yak!

DSC_0005web.jpg


I have not been wasting the last 6 weeks although it is amazing how when you have so much time on your hands you procrastinate and waste much of it :confused: ! Anyway I have moved my website over onto new software, I want to have another push for sponsors and wanted a slightly slicker site albeit in the vane and with a similar content to the old one. I am quite proud as it has been going 2 and half years now and I average about 4 blog updates a week and think it has been an honest reflection of my amateur eventing. In busy months I can get up to 15,000 visitors a month and even in winter I get about 6,000!

Anyway please can people have a look and let me know any major mistakes, things you don't like or anything you would like added? While I still have time on my hands it is a good time to make changes in line of what people want. Also I want it to be a true reflection so potential sponsors can find out about me and get to know me (warts and all). A quick plea would love more people to contribute course pictures as well. :cool:

All thoughts and constructive criticism welcome.

www.shoestringeventing.co.uk
 
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Glad to hear you are mending and you sound fairly positive which is great considering how frustrated you must be! I had a look round the site, much of the feel is the same as you say. Very little in the way of errors struck me, just on your sponsorship page, the bit about Youtube, the photo covers part of the text. Sarnie looks beautiful.
 
good news re hip me thinks :D just remember to take things quietly ;)

With site my immediate thoughts are: (will be fairly harsh as web design is a hobby but hopefully all constructive)
Main page : banner needs major work as looks a bit tacky as very pixelated in parts (might be able to help you with this ;) )

The rotating images are too big so take a while to load leading to gaps, also I would say too fast they seem to be on 3 second interval I would change this to 5 personally (like you have on sarnie's page) so the viewer can actually take in the photo rather than just a quick glimpse. I would also remove a few of the fuzzy pictures/badly framed pics as although showing what you can do they look like the poor second cousin quality wise compared to the focused well cropped shots.

Some of your sponsor pics are pixelating, you either need better quality pics or need to reduce them in size so they don't pixelate. Would also not have 'Supported by' in italics personally.

The menu bar is good was going to say some links broken but these seem to have corrected themselves!!

You also have facebook and twitter images at the bottom right of your page that do nothing. Would be good to actually link them and make them live.

On your page it may just be due to IE8 which I have at work but the sponsor images overlap the text. On sponsorship page there are similar issues. This is most likely due to the software you are using to be honest. Can I ask what you are using? Also on one before last line on sponsorship page it is left justified whereas lines above and below are center justified which makes it look odd!

Overall very good site though. The banner would be my main thing to tweek (seriously happy to help you with this just let me know as can easily do it over weekend) which will give a much more professional edge, that plus the sponsor images.
 
Good to hear the healing is going well. I am a lurker on here as not really a CR but love your site.

PS sometimes the medical staff come up trumps as when I broke my wrist the Orthopedic surgeon was really quite worth the pain ;)

And my physio has become a great horsey friend :)
 
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As I sent them I checked the picutes for Great Witchingham were still OK (no reason they shouldn't be as I haven't made any change to photobucket) but the BE 90 takes you to a link for Goring Heath. The others were fine.

I thought the rest of the site was good and informative, I'm sure others on here will provide tips and feedback.

Glad to hear you are making a steady recovery and things are looking better. Looking forward to lots more updates and comp reports next year.

JD
 
Glad to hear it was a positive visit to the hospital and hope things continue in the right direction.

Just a small thing on the website to add as not managed to have a full look but in your description of Sarnie it says:

"She is a talented jumper being careful and consistent show jumping and successful at the limited BSJA with have done with her"
 
Santa_Claus said:
good news re hip me thinks :D just remember to take things quietly ;)

With site my immediate thoughts are: (will be fairly harsh as web design is a hobby but hopefully all constructive)
Main page : banner needs major work as looks a bit tacky as very pixelated in parts (might be able to help you with this ;) )

The rotating images are too big so take a while to load leading to gaps, also I would say too fast they seem to be on 3 second interval I would change this to 5 personally (like you have on sarnie's page) so the viewer can actually take in the photo rather than just a quick glimpse. I would also remove a few of the fuzzy pictures/badly framed pics as although showing what you can do they look like the poor second cousin quality wise compared to the focused well cropped shots.

Some of your sponsor pics are pixelating, you either need better quality pics or need to reduce them in size so they don't pixelate. Would also not have 'Supported by' in italics personally.

The menu bar is good was going to say some links broken but these seem to have corrected themselves!!

You also have facebook and twitter images at the bottom right of your page that do nothing. Would be good to actually link them and make them live.

On your page it may just be due to IE8 which I have at work but the sponsor images overlap the text. On sponsorship page there are similar issues. This is most likely due to the software you are using to be honest. Can I ask what you are using? Also on one before last line on sponsorship page it is left justified whereas lines above and below are center justified which makes it look odd!

Overall very good site though. The banner would be my main thing to tweek (seriously happy to help you with this just let me know as can easily do it over weekend) which will give a much more professional edge, that plus the sponsor images.
Click to expand...

Thanks all taken on board just the sort of issues I need to address. Interesting I running Chrome and not getting any of the overlap issues or with IE but it is version 7.

Using Serif Webplus X5
 
Zuzan said:
Good to hear the healing is going well. I am a lurker on here as not really a CR but love your site.

PS sometimes the medical staff come up trumps as when I broke my wrist the Orthopedic surgeon was really quite worth the pain ;)

And my physio has become a great horsey friend :)
Click to expand...

I have been well looked after. Glad you enjoy my site anything further you would like to see?
 
Bearsmum said:
As I sent them I checked the picutes for Great Witchingham were still OK (no reason they shouldn't be as I haven't made any change to photobucket) but the BE 90 takes you to a link for Goring Heath. The others were fine.

I thought the rest of the site was good and informative, I'm sure others on here will provide tips and feedback.

Glad to hear you are making a steady recovery and things are looking better. Looking forward to lots more updates and comp reports next year.

JD
Click to expand...

Thanks updated, also a big thanks again for providing the pictures :D
 
FlyingCoo said:
Glad to hear it was a positive visit to the hospital and hope things continue in the right direction.

Just a small thing on the website to add as not managed to have a full look but in your description of Sarnie it says:

"She is a talented jumper being careful and consistent show jumping and successful at the limited BSJA with have done with her"
Click to expand...

Whoops lots of mistakes in one sentence - now changed - Thanks
 
glad all going well...

Just a thought ...you are looking for sponsorship towards a lorry - why not make something of the number of people who will see the lorry (sign written up) on the motorway as you travel to events etc.... How many miles will you be covering ?? It becomes quite a lot of exposure so may appeal to someone - remember there are a lot of people who will pay to have someone travel around with a 'mobile' sandwich board...
 
I am so glad you're feeling a bit better! The x-ray is SCARY!!!

In terms of website – will just point out a few things that could easily be resolved and would make things better, more legible and professional looking:

• I'd avoid the yellow background, especially in the main content area – its quite harsh on the eyes, I think white would be better.
• Avoid centered text - harder to read. Left-aligned much better.
•*Personally find the slideshows on horses pages distracting - I would prefer a manual click-through as distracting to read text when images are flickering. (I realise you can change this yourself as a viewer, but not sure most people would know.)
• agree with Santa Claus about image quality/pixellating

I'm viewing in Chrome on a Mac, btw.
 
VRIN said:
glad all going well...

Just a thought ...you are looking for sponsorship towards a lorry - why not make something of the number of people who will see the lorry (sign written up) on the motorway as you travel to events etc.... How many miles will you be covering ?? It becomes quite a lot of exposure so may appeal to someone - remember there are a lot of people who will pay to have someone travel around with a 'mobile' sandwich board...
Click to expand...

Have to say it is something that I don't promote too much although would consider it if that 'big' sponsor ever came along. The trouble is as soon as I put anything on the side of the lorry I am pulled into more rules because as far as Vosa is concerned I lose my 'amateur status' Iwould then need an operators license, comply with tacho rules etc. etc!
 
Sarah_Jane said:
Have to say it is something that I don't promote too much although would consider it if that 'big' sponsor ever came along. The trouble is as soon as I put anything on the side of the lorry I am pulled into more rules because as far as Vosa is concerned I lose my 'amateur status' Iwould then need an operators license, comply with tacho rules etc. etc!
Click to expand...


Ah yes!!! best avoided!!
 
little_flea said:
I am so glad you're feeling a bit better! The x-ray is SCARY!!!

In terms of website – will just point out a few things that could easily be resolved and would make things better, more legible and professional looking:

• I'd avoid the yellow background, especially in the main content area – its quite harsh on the eyes, I think white would be better.
• Avoid centered text - harder to read. Left-aligned much better.
•*Personally find the slideshows on horses pages distracting - I would prefer a manual click-through as distracting to read text when images are flickering. (I realise you can change this yourself as a viewer, but not sure most people would know.)
• agree with Santa Claus about image quality/pixellating

I'm viewing in Chrome on a Mac, btw.
Click to expand...

Yellow is meant to be very pale with have a play with background. Have removed the poor quality pictures. Have a look with what I have done on Sarnies page re pictures is that nicer?

Thanks :)
 
Glad you are feeling positive it must be so frustrating for you but at least you are slowly on the mend. One good thing is it is winter and you get to stay in the warm you will be back to full fitness for the summer :)

Love the website well done I wish i could get mine looking so professional but I have no time. One thing I would change is on the horses page on the breeding next to some of them it just has a ? i would take that out if you don't know breeding just leave it blank rather than have by ?

Good Luck with the sponsorship drive :)
 
claire_p2001 said:
Glad you are feeling positive it must be so frustrating for you but at least you are slowly on the mend. One good thing is it is winter and you get to stay in the warm you will be back to full fitness for the summer :)

Love the website well done I wish i could get mine looking so professional but I have no time. One thing I would change is on the horses page on the breeding next to some of them it just has a ? i would take that out if you don't know breeding just leave it blank rather than have by ?

Good Luck with the sponsorship drive :)
Click to expand...

Thanks I do know breeding now added just needed to check spelling!
 
tigers_eye said:
Glad to hear you are mending and you sound fairly positive which is great considering how frustrated you must be! I had a look round the site, much of the feel is the same as you say. Very little in the way of errors struck me, just on your sponsorship page, the bit about Youtube, the photo covers part of the text. Sarnie looks beautiful.
Click to expand...

Sarnie is beautiful (underneath all the hair!!)
 
Looks like you're healing well then :)

My dad broke his hip coming off my horse a few years ago and had pins put in - I can't remember exactly how long it took him to get back in the saddle but he's back to the same level he was at before - a higher level actually :D

Not that he's at the same level as you :p

Good luck with the physio :)
 
blood_magik said:
Looks like you're healing well then :)

My dad broke his hip coming off my horse a few years ago and had pins put in - I can't remember exactly how long it took him to get back in the saddle but he's back to the same level he was at before - a higher level actually :D

Not that he's at the same level as you :p

Good luck with the physio :)
Click to expand...

Thanks always good to hear positive stories.
 
My BIL broke snapped his lower leg in half in a freak skiing accident, he has some slight vasculitis but has made a remarkable recovery given at one point they actually mentioned amputation! His is screwed and plates with titanium plates and srewa, so like yours serious metalwork! It's a long slog but he followed his consultant's advice to the letter and is back fighting fit! He did a lot swimming in the early days, great to hear its positive news so far. Hope you are still chuckling at the Daily Mail posts!
 
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