Horse-related injuries - a poll

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Lucy_Ally

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As there seems to be a few of us injured by our beloved horses at the moment I though I would do a poll!

Would be interested if you work with horses and how this affected you and whether you returned to riding or not. How long did it take before you were riding again?

Just a nosy post really!
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My entire back is covered in scars from falling off about five years ago and being dragged down a gravel track. I probably should have gone to the doctor to have it all cleaned but I didn't... I also couldn't sit down or lie on my back for weeks!
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Also one of my feet looks a bit wierd (and I can't feel it as well as normal) because a horse stood on it and I reckon he damaged all the nerves in my foot. Never mind!
 
I found that really hard to fill out actually... Ive had a few injuries never went to the doctor because thats me... But it tends to be non visible damage thats still around! Part of my foot between my toes no longer has feeling, and I have an akle that gives way on me every so often (although thankfully seems to be doing so less and less) after having been pulled over by a clysedale in the mud, and then have him striking off into canter on my foot... Left me unable to work for 2 days, probably should have gone to a+e, but nevermind hey! lol
 
I snapped my right collar bone in two places last January. There were disagreements over whether to plate it or not, but I pushed for plating so was operated on a week after the injury.
Didn't come out of surgery very well and was hospitalised for 2days. 4 days after surgery I was hit with a massive infection, which carried on for the whole 4 months I had the plates in.

By the time I had the plates removed I was pretty ill, having been on painkillers and 4x usual dose of v. strong antibiotics (on doctors advice!) and my body was rejecting them so much that they were visible, as the infection had ruptured the original stitches
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Because of the lack of skin there it was borderline on whether they would take a skin graft to reconstruct the area... they didn't and now I have a massively stretched scar
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Anyhoo, I was back on board my safer mare as soon as I could lift a saddle up there after plating, but I didn't get back on Boo (the offender) for a while, and instead spent more time working her from the ground. I think it was 4 weeks before I got back on her.

I bagsey the prize for the most complicated simple injury!
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I was black from hip to ankle on both legs when the old Appy fell on me in a ditch, I was leading her when a pratt pulling a trailer got so close that she bounced me into the ditch and then walked all over my legs! I then led her home (three miles) and decided that I couldn't possibly go to A&E and tell them that. I was bruised for about three weeks. She did miss my head, though I watched her shoes pass over my face.
 
I have irreversible spinal damage following a fall when I was about 15 - long story short I came off and went under horse at speed and got my back badly kicked and trodden on.

I now have almost constant discomfort pain in my back, very bad muscle damage and for years bad muscle wastage on one side and I have very sensitive nerves that if agrevated do one of two things; either send the most excruitiating pain up my back and down my legs; or send total numbness down my legs or arms (depending on which nerve is aggrevated). I actually prefer the later although it is very inconvenient at times.

I've also suffered broken shoulder, foot, hand, ribs and very bad whiplash from horse related accidents and I have buggered ligs in my right knee from a nasty fall that also involved me getting trodden on - I have now learnt to just let go of the reins!
 
i've had a broken toe, broken little finger, cracked wrist, dislocated collar bone, at seperate times but worst was when i received a double fracture of my right femur, dislocated right hip, cracked pelvis, partial dislocation of my right knee, broken right fibia, cracked right tibula and a total displacement of right ankle which required recostructive surgery when a "ba5tard" vile rearer flipped over on me when i was 15....
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it still gives me gip now.......
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I have a permanent dent in my lower leg where my horse tripped and rolled on me trapping my leg between his body and the only brick end on the bridleway! It damaged all the soft tissue and muscles but luckily didn't break it!
At the moment I have 2 grazed knees where my horse trod on my heel and pulled me forwards so I fell full length onto the concrete path!
 
I've had a sprung collar bone, broken ribs with internal bruising from bening used as a launch pad after being ditched, dislocated shoulder from hanging on to the reins have had two op's and 8 years of physio, damadge to both knees from being kicked in one and trampled on the other(not on the same day), loss of sensation in one foot from getting trapped in a gateway, damadged ligaments in neck from hitting a wall, no feeling in tip of thumb from having it bitten off and a badly fractured wrist two op's lots of metal work and it's still stuffed!
and we all still love horses why????????
 
Chipped collar bone, concussion (twice), broken ribs, massive bruising, almost broken neck (pinched the spinal column hard - permanent altered sensations in one hand). Damaged pride (lost count). Do broken finger nails count?
 
I was very lucky really,worked with horses for 10yrs and never injured,got a chestnut tb mare on loan and the damn thing nearly killed me,lol,wasnt her fault,was 12 and had hard life,sweet as sugar to handle,and ridden unless faced by anythig bigger than a transit van!!Sadly she went back,wish i could have justified reschooling but at that age cheaper more sensible options(owner wanted alot and i went for a baby instead,best move ever)!!
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I fell off my friends horse a few years ago when he put in a dirty stop at a jump, I landed on my feet which was the worse thing I could have done as I bent my knee the wrong way. Incredibly painful ligament damage. The most annoying thing was my horse was lame at the time & he would never have done that to me!!
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ouch! why do we do it?? i've had two broken hands, broken foot- which had just healed when a stupid human stood on it and broke it again - oh the pain. my most serious injury was inflicted by my horse but it was caused by my stupidity- i decided it was a good idea to repair a rug while it was still on him so sat down on a stool no bigger than a foot high and started to repair it, next thing i know i'm coming round on the concrete yard bleeding from my ear - horse had spooked and knocked me over. one ambulance ride later i had a fractured skull - that headache lasted a while!! and the after effects lasted for months afterwards.don't normally bother with a&e as a general rule.
 
rotational fall xc when I was 16 resulted me lying on the floor with a suspected broken spine.

Turns out I had severe muscle and nerve damage, a lacerated ear drum and a broken finger (that no one noticed!) It still meant that I couldn't walk for a month or two though, let alone ride!

I still have large numb patches on my back that itch like crazy, and so many back problems I could have a chiropractor all to myself
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Somebody tell me why I am still eventing?
 
so far I think I've been lucky, and fingers crossed I remain that way! I'm a bit of a hospital phobic and if at all possible will run away to avoid a+e. I've been crushed under the same horse twice, a pony affectionately (not) known as Satan threw me onto the metal bit that joins a trailer to a car and I landed with full force on my elbow, couldn't move my arm for over 2 months and it swelled up like a balloon, I was out of the ambulance like a shot when they said I needed X rays and stitches. The only accident that's really shaken me tho was when my last horse just went crazy and I landed awkwardly on my back and couldn't move at all and there was nobody there to help. My back went a beautiful shade of purple and I didn't have enough movement in my legs to even get up a step for a while. Didn't ride for 4 years after that.
 
Broken hand with dislocated finger
Broken ribs
Broken pelvis
Have something wrong with my back that I can't spell or even pronounce!

and these are all just off my own horses. I hate to think what state I'd be in if my groom's job had been riding not driving!
 
Dislocated shoulder, big toe broken in 3 places, broken wedding ring finger (had to have my ring resized by 3 sizes!!) broken little finger and numerous bruises
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still love her though
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Compression fractures to 2 vertebrae, after being thrown off a pony that some crazy woman was trying to sell as suitable for novice children !
Broken foot when silly horse stood on it and then got offended as I tried to push him off, so went up in air and stamped on it again for good measure .
Oh and a fractured elbow when I fell off my friend when I was racing her against other friends, possibly whilst under the influence !!!!!
 
I chose my most recent injury. Went turf surfing, pelvis first, from my friend's horse. The shear forces (two surfaces moving against each other in opposite directions) caused the muscle to tear from the pelvis. Have a lump of scar tissue which hurts sometimes and I'm hoping it will settle down after a few years!! Some of the above look pretty painful!
 
fell off in the road and went face down into the tarmac - broken nose
bandaging a horses leg, he pulled a rug of the side spooked himself and kneed me in the face - another broken nose
got studded on my right foot - luckily no tendon or ligament damage just a big hole in my foot
fell off jumping and landed on the wing - bruise the size of a watermelon on my hip
horse bit my finger and broke it - twice

fingers crossed they don't get any worse then that - there are some nasty injuries here!!
 
Broken and dislocated elbow, still can't straighten out my right arm properly
Fractured tibial plateau (knee) had to be pinned and plated and a bone graft taken off my pelvis as the bone was compressed by 1.5 cm.
Have a massive scar down the front of my leg, 1/2 of my leg is numb and I still have a limp nearly 3 years later.
 
numerous injuries...
1) was flung into a concrete fencepost from gallop and slid down cartoon style - cracked to vertebrae. got on and rode home not realising. only realised when i went to hospital for something else years later. no lasting damage.
2) had a collision with the wing of a cross country fence - dislocated knee cap. the most painful thing ever. hospitalised for 10 days post operatively. now have a slightly weaker knee, but nothing serious.
3) landed over a fence out hunting and didn't turn in time, hit icy farm track. horse fell and stood on me as she got up. Broken ribs. no hospital. no lasting effects other than bumpy ribs!

also broken toes and fingers.
 
Fell off at gallop in a field after a really dry spell so was like hitting a wall. I was concussed, bruised (I mean black and blue) all down my right side and sprained ligaments in my knee.

My injuries sound minor compared to some of yours but it makes me feel better knowing it's not just me who falls off
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At the end of January I was kicked in the face, air lifted to hospital. Total fracture and displacement of upper jaw and pallette. Lower jaw fractures. Number of teeth lost. First lot of surgery has been to piece together and pin my jaws. The I had the jaws wired together to get them to set level.
I've got to wait a few months now before I can have the next lot of surgery which is a bone graft to replace the missing part of my top pallette and then I'll have implants to replace the lost teeth. Amazingly on the outside I am left just with a scar under my lower lip and one where they tubed me during the op. My X Rays look like a mechano set
Internally I have had a lot of confidence problems and am not allowed back in the saddle yet.

Prior to taht my worst injury was a fractured coxyx (sp) when horse & I somersalted into a show jumping fence which fell on top of me
 
When I was 14 (a good few years ago now
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), my pony tripped and fell, kicking me in the head in the process. I don't remember it - was knocked clean out. Spent just over a week in hospital but was temporarily paralysed down my left side. That gradually improved until I have been left with a slight stiffness in my left ankle and slight numbness in the foot (in that it's not a great indicator of the temperature of the bath water!).

Last April, my then rising two year old pancaked my lower arm between me and the horsebox door frame, leaving me with impressive bruising and swelling. Have been left with residual scar tissue in the muscle which is like a hard lump.
 
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