"I shouldn't be riding but ..."

[Theocat]

i'm currently recovering from a fractured spine and am absolutely not allowed to ride (or do much else ) Beautiful day today, though, and I miss riding horribly - if I had something reliable I'd be tempted to be getting back on board already. Last week I watched a lesson where the rider had to dismount onto one leg and hobble back to the yard as a result of a previously injured ankle, and yesterday after a short scratching session a friend helped me turn my horse out - except i had to do the gate while she held the horse, because she has a sprained wrist.

I'm going to be sensible and stay on two feet until I have the all clear (for once), but what's the worse injury you've all ridden with?

 

[FlyingCircus]

Once got knocked out by horse's neck coming up and hitting me in the face when she took an...interesting leap over a showjump. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have insisted on getting back on upon coming around!

 

[henmother]

Hello theocat !! I currently ride with a broken back and incomplete spinal cord damage . My spine is secured with two metal rods and eight screws . After the accident I served a 6 month ban . Then , after snapping a rod and having further surgery to replace rods and insert a cage to replace my non existent vertabrae , I served another 6 month ban. I ride now, if I didn't have my horse I can honestly say I doubt I'd still be here. I ride with a body protector and an airjacket.
I'm glad you are going to wait for the all clear , and I appreciate how difficult it is not to ride. Take it easy , wait for your back to heal. My spinal surgeon doesn't want me to ride at all, because the impact the lower back has to absorb is substantial . He sees that I need to ride , he doesn't get it but I think he kind of understands .
Good luck with your recovery and please be careful .

 

[Illusion100]

I can tell you from sorry experience riding with healing spinal fractures can have horrendous consquences.

I've carried on riding with fractures and dislocations and in the long run it's been me who has paid the price for it.

Really pleased you are being sensible. It may be agonising not being in the saddle until you've been given the all clear but one day you will thank yourself for it.

Speedy recovery!

 

[Leo Walker]

If you've got a brace then you might be ok to get on, but you wont be able to get off. Take it from someone who is less sensible than you and has been there, done that and got horribly stuck :lol:

 

[lawa]

Currently dealing with three with a reoccuring knee dislocation missing anterior cruciate and medial and lateral meniscus tears. Consultant next week!

 

[Red-1]

I got on with a full length plaster cast on my leg, for a broken knee cap. My leg stuck out, but it was nice to have a walk round. I had heard so much about people "losing their nerve" that I needed to know I was going to be OK.

I was silly.

I am glad you are not being!

 

[Shay]

Another for unstable spinal fractures here. L3 and 4. I was told I'd not ride again (and sold my horse whilst still in hospital rehab). A good and understanding physio later I have ridden - and could still if I wanted to. I have to ride in a very heavy duty corset thingy although I have a light one for day to day and now -some 10 years on - can often go without. But to be honest riding just hurts too much. (And probably is not responsible.) But I am far from not doing anything with horses. My daughter has competition horses - eventing now, SJ when she was a junior. And we still have her first ridden, now very much a family pet. I'm active in the local pony club and am harboring hopes when daughter is finally off to uni and / or I am not paying for her eventers that I can start carriage driving. Even if you can't ride again the future is far from horseless.

 

[EQUIDAE]

I fractured my hip and carried on riding. I had a week off but couldn't leave it any longer, and only had a day off work. It wasn't a break, just a hairline fracture but still smarted a bit

 

[Greylegs]

Many years ago, I once got on my old horse with my shoulders braced back due to a fractured collar bone ... sustained when I fell of someone else's @£$%?! horse!!! Had to take my arm out of the sling to steer properly!! Probably wouldn't do it again though.

I once watched a friend ride a beautiful dressage test minus stirrups and only wearing one boot, because her other ankle was in plaster at the time ... I think we've all been guilty of pushing the "sensible" boundaries at times ....

OP ... please be sensible about your injury. Frustrating, but you should really take it easy until you've got the all clear.




.... alternatively .... I have a very sensible highland, if you're desperate ............ (didn't type that honest .... )

 

[Sleipnir]

Not me, but a rider I knew had her arm broken in several places when a nasty mare kicked her right in the elbow - and she just couldn't stay on two feet! She was riding her youngster one-handed merely a week after the accident took place. Had others on the yard help her saddle the horse and off she went.

 

[Hanson]

I had one of those 'where did that come from falls' in the summer last year, just got unbalanced by a spook and hit soft ground still in riding position. It hurt when I hit the soft ground but didn't think much of it. Having lost my nerve riding before, I got into my head that I HAD to get back on so I wouldn't get scared.

Can't remember that ride. I had cracked a rib or two and sprained my hip. Didn't ride for a week after that.

Also had surgery on both hands last year and stupidly got on with stitches still in. Rode one handed. Thankfully mare is a saint. But stupid really. Why do we do it?

 

[Equine_Dream]

I fractured my wrist in a riding accident last summer. I had the cast on all of 24hrs before I made my OH cut it off (he works in the building trade) and was back riding

 

[rachk89]

I rode while still healing from a broken knee. Stupid really but I really wanted to just sit on a horse. Knee hurts now and again but that is just usual pain from previous breaks.

Please stay sensible though and don't ride with a broken back. Is paralysis worth a short ride on a horse? You will get better and be back on them in no time.

 

[pippixox]

i rode 1 handed with my other arm in a sling, after breaking my wrist. I did it at the start of the summer (not actually falling off a horse!) and was going insane not riding. but only went with company and both my horses are very chilled.

but, other than the health and safety risk of being one handed, it was not hindering my fracture healing, unlike in your situation. all the best

 

[Hexx]

Not as serious as yours, but going stir crazy not riding after breaking my hand/wrist. I managed to sneak onto the yard and get the tack out, tiptoed across the main yard and into Gus's box. Got the saddle on, and was just getting the bridle on, when a voice came over the door "What are you doing!". Oops rumbled! "Just tacking up" says me - "show me your hand", so I presented the one that didn't have the large plaster cast on it (might get away with it). "No, the other one" came the reply! Needless to say, the horse was subsequently untacked and I was informed by friend and the YO in no uncertain terms that I was not riding until the cast came off, and only then on a lead rein! Lead rein? I've been riding 35 years!!!!!

 

[YorksG]

I brroke my wrist slipping on ice, about a week before our mounted carol service, a few years ago. Having stood in the rain while the farrier shod or trimmed our four the day before the service, I found that I could subtly mold the plaster cast so that I could hold the reins in that hand I then hacked the mare to the service and back, a total of three hours in the saddle That wrist is a bit dodgy in cold weather..........

 

[rachk89]

I brroke my wrist slipping on ice, about a week
before our mounted carol service, a few years ago. Having stood in the rain while the farrier shod or trimmed our four the day before the service, I found that I could subtly mold the plaster cast so that I could hold the reins in that hand I then hacked the mare to the service and back, a total of three hours in the saddle That wrist is a bit dodgy in cold weather..........

It would be even if you hadn't rode. I broke my wrist when 11 and it hurts at times in cold weather. Didn't ride at all.

 

[Theocat]

I've got off VERY lightly in comparison to some of you!!! We're all excellent at telling each other to be careful, and useless at listening I hope those of you still injured are all recovering - it is making me feel much better knowing others are in the same boat.

 

[jules9203]

I was sensible and didn't but after my hysterectomy I felt well enough to get back on after 4 weeks. I waited until the 6 weeks were up but only because a lot of people would have been very cross with me! It is worth taking the time to let your body heal!!!

 

[showjumpingharry]

major whiplash soft tissue injury in my neck and a hairline fracture in my hip, I fell off and hit a brick wall

 

[Kezzabell2]

i'm currently recovering from a fractured spine and am absolutely not allowed to ride (or do much else ) Beautiful day today, though, and I miss riding horribly - if I had something reliable I'd be tempted to be getting back on board already. Last week I watched a lesson where the rider had to dismount onto one leg and hobble back to the yard as a result of a previously injured ankle, and yesterday after a short scratching session a friend helped me turn my horse out - except i had to do the gate while she held the horse, because she has a sprained wrist.

I'm going to be sensible and stay on two feet until I have the all clear (for once), but what's the worse injury you've all ridden with?

probably just my ankle, like your friend! I fell off the muck trailer and did the ligaments in on the side of my ankle, it was so bad, I couldn't wear heels for about 7 months! it was my left ankle too, so getting on was painful getting off was interesting, trying to land on one leg from a 16'2 :/

 

[Pedantic]

When I broke my collar bone I was a good boy and didn't ride for 9 weeks, but for pain, I once pulled a groin muscle thing riding up an embankment, I was in agony and really struggled to ride home, everyone said it would be a 6 weeks job, well after one week of not riding I was fed up so I took painkillers and put pain cream on said groin area, my Paramedic friend at the yard told me off for getting on "very carefully" oooooofffffffsss onto my Po, but I said nope desperate to ride, I went off along the canal, then two Weimaraner's off the lead came bounding up to us running round and round barking, so we are spinning round and round, the pain felt like the scene in the shower from Physco stabbing me over and over in the groin, so gave it another week, then tried again, damn painful, took another couple of weeks of painful riding before it finally started to subsided.

 

[Tobiano]

Crikey all you poor crocks! Do please let yourselves heal properly x

I took a very ungraceful flying leap off my bucking 4 YO - felt pretty uncomfortable but felt I must get on and canter again or I never would. Realised that may not have been the best idea after I went to A&E, had to lie on the floor while waiting to be seen as very uncomfortable, and then they insisted on me staying in overnight as they thought I might have damaged a kidney (I hadn't). That was a bit of a dismal trip - I had to ask my not-very-friendly ex husband to take me to hospital as I couldn't drive, i had to phone my wonderful secretary from work to bring me some clothes as I had nothing with me (bless her for doing that on a Sunday!) , then I had to do a 2 hour conference call for work the following morning from the hospital bed :/ Nothing like being prepared!!

 

[Orca]

I came off a rearing and fly-bucking stallion once. After he got me off, he attacked me, rearing and landing on me, trying to grind me into the ground. I passed out at some point.

I immediately got on the next horse to compete (XC) and passed out in the saddle out all the way around �� - later found out I'd been riding with a broken breast bone, broken ribs, broken coxyx, concussion and muscle damage to my right thigh. I definitely shouldn't have been riding!

Didn't lose my nerve that day but it was the beginning of the end for me.

 

[Pedantic]

I came off a rearing and fly-bucking stallion once. After he got me off, he attacked me, rearing and landing on me, trying to grind me into the ground. I passed out at some point.

I immediately got on the next horse to compete (XC) and passed out in the saddle out all the way around �� - later found out I'd been riding with a broken breast bone, broken ribs, broken coxyx, concussion and muscle damage to my right thigh. I definitely shouldn't have been riding!

Didn't lose my nerve that day but it was the beginning of the end for me.

Yea, but other that....you had quite a good days riding ;-)

 

[NZJenny]

I got tipped off my young horse and put my hand out = fractured wrist. However once it was nicely cast, it didn't hurt (much), so I rode quite happily with that.

However, fractured ribs (same horse) and got back on way to early. The first 5 km were ok, but the 5 km home were agony.

So if I had to pick between the two injuries .....

 

[Orca]

Yea, but other that....you had quite a good days riding ;-)

I did!

(Adrenaline has a lot to answer for )

 

[Nakipa]

I am currently 4 weeks into a 6 week stint in plaster after breaking my ankle falling down three stairs. I am desperate to ride but it's my left ankle and consultant reckons no riding til mid May. Meantime my not very horsey hubby is ready to divorce me because he is currently doing 3 horses and various assorted farm animals as due to thick mud and heavy rain I can't help.
I am going to owe him big time after this.

 

[Hoof_Prints]

Ouch ! get well soon, last year I managed to break too many bones, broke both wrists in two places and rode in casts, told off by the doctor but the physiotherapist said I recovered remarkably fast and she put it down to the riding ! I also rode with a smashed up foot (horse fell and landed on it) , I had a young horse to school and another to keep fit so off came the stirrup and I rode in the cast ! about one week after surgery I was jumping 1m courses in arm casts and hacking out cantering in the foot cast. I went hunting with a really bad back , don't actually know what was wrong with it but it was more painful than the breaks ! Funnily enough, it really helped the pain after a hipflask of port and a few jumps !