How long were you off riding with a torn ankle ligament

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NELSON11

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Nearly 5 weeks ago I got my left foot stuck in a fillet string hanging over a stable door. Turned to run as was late for my next appointment and went upside down on the concrete yard. Ouch

My left ankle/foot twisted inwards and literally the swelling/pain started straight away. I thought at first had broken it, but no according to the docs etc, ligament damage, Have it nicely strapped up, Strong Pain relief and treating myself with electrotherapies (I am a Vet physio). Knew it was bad as I am a tough cookie and cried like a baby for 5 hours afterwards

Have had to keep walking/hobbling (due to my job) but just wondered how long did yours take to heal? Still excruciatingly painful to flex my ankle. Trying to elevate as much as possible but desperate to get on my boy who is due to have another vet assessment in 3 weeks after all his issues.

Any stories would be most welcome.

Thanks :)
 
I did mine playing netball, (about 3 years ago maybe) I took time off from all my high impact sports for about 3 months (jogging, kickboxing) but as soon as I could get a boot on I was riding again.

In fairness I'm not sure if mine was as serious as yours, I was convinced I'd broken it at first, rolled about on the floor crying in pain, it hurt sooooo much and I'm normally one to get up and say that I'm fine if I can. But I could walk/hobble and wasn't strapped up or anything when I went to casualty.

it's still not 100% now, although I can do everything I used to do before. it twinges when it's under pressure and I can't play netball but that's a mental thing, I'm scared if I turn or change direction too sharply or something I'll injure it again.

Don't know if that helps, but I found the most painful part of riding was getting my boots on, the actual riding bit was fine.
 
I had about 10 weeks off :( sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it was in a cast for 4 weeks of that. When I did get back on I couldnt rise to trot or it would give way and really hurt. I still have to ride in proper boots with good ankle support or it gives way but its fine in jod boots and gaiters just not yard boots.
 
Took a fall from a clients horse 6 weeks ago and did what sounds very similar to your injury. Foot was twisted and ankle appeared broken to begin with. No break but significant swelling and ligament damage. Right leg.

The best thing I did was see a private physio. He has done a lot of massage and mobilising of the ankle and significantly improved my mobility/ability to walk within the first session. NHS physio (when the appointment has finally come through) has made it worse with her exercises and has also blatantly ignored my point that I need to increase flexibility in terms of pushing heel down for riding (as I work as a freelance instructor/rider). She had me walking around on my tip toes! I have limited flexibility in my ankles anyway so this was only making it worse!

With permission from the private physio I started swimming/pool walking 3 weeks after the accident. I had help to get into/out of the pool and poolside and just spent time walking up and down in the pool (as I'm sure you realise as you are a physio, because the water took my weight I was able to push for more flexibility without loading weight onto my ankle). I was also able to swim very gently. This increased my flexibility.

4 weeks after the accident (again with the go ahead from physio) I started driving again. I also got on a clients very quiet horse for 5 minutes to see if I could tolerate riding. It was uncomfortable but got progressively better. The physio was of the opinion that repeated small movements would help the ankle -especially as the movements would be exactly those which I wanted to improve. Last week I managed a full half hour session on a straightforward and comfortable horse at a local riding school (chose to do this as none of my clients horses are reliable enough to ensure I could concentrate on me rather than them. The one exception which I had tried out only has a field to ride in and it is currently waterlogged!).

Am also now doing small amounts at the gym, only on the bike, rower and upper body machines. Bike is absolutely fine as long as I keep the resistance low. Rower is uncomfortable (and it has to be a rower with a single strap foot fastening so the foot is free to lift if needed) but bearable and actually makes the ankle feel a lot freer afterwards. I have lost a LOT of muscle power and have become rather 'blobby' (ie, took me 8.5 mins to cycle 2km, usually do 5km in 12 mins. Struggled to ride leg yield effectively as had insufficient co-ordination over leg muscles) which might be a big consideration for you depending on what issues your boy has had.

If I hadn't sought private treatment and had followed NHS reccomendations I would only just have stopped using the splint boot they issued me and would still be on crutches and unable to drive. I haven't been able to claim from my insurance as I didn't break anything but the physio has more than paid for itself in terms of me being able to get back to working etc.

I still have swelling (which physio thinks may last up to 6 months) and there is still pain but it is slowly improving.
 
I did mine 6 weeks ago and am still not allowed to ride. I have private healthcare and had a scan and am having physio 3 times a week. I'm sitting here now wishing I could ride.
5 years ago I tore the other one and had to have an op. after that it's 3 or 4 months no riding!!
 
You poor thing :( I did mine alomst a year ago and it was so painful! They doctors told me 6-8 weeks off riding I was on crutches for 2 weeks back on riding in walk after 3 weeks only becuase i couldn't resist! It was still really painful but I started riding properly and jumping after 6 weeks but it took at least 2 months to feel 'normal' on a horse again. I still feel pain now and it is much weaker than the other ankle :( I don't think it ever really recovers to how it was before but enough to get on with a noraml life. I hope yours doesn't take to long but I would recommend physio it really helps and speeds up recovery.
 
Not my ankle, but I did an elbow ligament. Required surgery, but I wasn't riding for 3 months and still cant use it properly for jumping etc.
 
i did my ankle bailing off a bucking bronco heading for a wall -my foot got twisted and turned completely around (ouch) also broke my finger (boo hoo) i couldnt ride for about 6 weeks -mainly cos i couldnt get any boots on! painful for around 5 months tho.:(
 
Oh boy I wish I haddn't read this post !!! I am sat here with leg up 4 weeks after doing mine and this post doesn't give me much hope, had x-ray the day after it happened and told not broken just sprained, a week later mesage on answerphone to ring A&E to be told after another look at xray it may be broken. 4 weeks on it still hurts and I can n't get heel down so unable to ride. Hey ho I guess that's horses for you.
 
I did similar in terms of the feeling, I honestly thought Id broken it and couldnt get up for ages and when I did I couldnt weight bear and had to lean on my long suffering mare and hop back to the stable block. I did it landing on my feet during a silly fall :(. I had 1 week on crutches another week or so using a crutch for support and couldnt ride for about 6 wks. I was meant to have much longer off but couldnt afford the time so I rode bareback/stirrupless for several weeks. I am a fast healer however and I couldnt sink my heel for a long time either. Its still weaker than my other ankle and often aches after a days hunting etc (Im trying some flexi stirrups to help this) I tend to ride in spurs (roll ball type gentle ones) now as otherwise after schooling more than one horse it starts to hurt although its probably a good thing for my riding as it means I'm not "wriggling" my heel which is the reason it aches I think. Hope yours improves quickly :).
 
If any of you who are suffering are within travelling distance of Sheffield I can recommend a VERY good physio centre. They have done wonders for me and their client list goes to show how well respected they are. They don't cost the earth either. Feel free to PM me.
 
Similar to many on here, about 6 weeks after it happened I could ride again, but was without stirrups for a while, then very long stirrups and it is still weak and sore, about 2 years on. Ultrasound and massaging the scar tissue to break it up helped. Sucks though.
 
I'm stupid. When I sprained my ankle ( grade 3 ligament damage ) I had the nt day off work then got it strapped and went back.
I got fed up not riding after a couple of weeks, so started riding again.
However, a year later I sprained the same ankle, and it's been left weeker
 
Sorry. Stupid phone
It's been left weaker, with less flexibility in it and it's slightly swollen. ( I wouldn't pass a vetting ! )
In hindsight I shouldve rested more.
Kx
 
i injured my ankle 3 years ago, i landed on it having jumped off something it snapped and swole up instantly - I didn't do anything about it thinking it was just a bad sprain so I kept walking on it, riding and everything - regardless of the fact i was in excruciating pain. I later found out i'd torn all the ligaments, fractured a bone and had started to obtain scar tissue surrounding the injury - I still suffer from it but I still rode almost everyday with a near broken ankle :\
 
I have done both of my ankles. Thankfully a few years apart. Silly falls from horses. I strapped them up well (really tight with vetwrap) and rode after a couple of weeks. Was walking with a stick 'tho!! Took some strong painkillers as well. Getting on and off was hellish and brought tears to my eyes and made me talk in tongues:p
I can no longer ride in "normal" stirrups and need ones that pivot around.
I would say my ankles are tighter now and a vet friend said if I was a horse I would have been put down..ha ha.
I would agree about ankle support for riding now as well. 'Tho now I don't have pain I like to feel them securely held with boots.
Hopefully you will be riding soon xx

PS My ankles don't rock a sandal anymore as they kinda look puffy and cankle-ish.;)
 
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