Injured hand - uh oh...

[Sol]

Brilliant start to my xmas hols! Was mucking out yesterday, nowhere else to put horse as the yard was like a skating rink so didn't want to tie him up (he's an idiot at the best of times, can you imagine?) All fine, he always just stands there munching and doesn't move a muscle, tied up or untied.
Then due to the water crisis (ALL taps on the yard frozen) one of the liveries decided to knock the water containers off the tack shed to take home & fill.
Cue lots of loud banging, horse who hates loud noises shoots backwards/sideways straight into me, hit my head & my hand.
My head's fine - my hand isn't

my 3rd finger on my right hand is rather swollen, and bruised. Can bend it pretty well but for the swelling and it's stopped aching now. Did go to A&E but gave up waiting after a few hours!

My worst worry is more the fact that this is the finger that usually suffers when I ride... because Danny likes to lean on my right hand.

And yes, I know he shouldn't - and I don't intentionally let him but it's so bloody difficult not to! It's like he takes hold of that one side of the bit, and if I loosen the rein off at all, it all goes to pieces no matter what I do. I don't have the physical strength in my legs to force him to bend as I want, and he just doesn't listen! Carrying a whip just makes him buck.

His balance is none existent, he's now decided to turn deaf to any of my aids which are supposed to HELP him, and I really don't know what to do next. He apparently doesn't do this for my instructor because she 'doesn't let him do it' but whenever I don't let him do it he just takes the piss...

I would love to see what he made of the pessoa as I think some decent work on the lunge would help him - only issue there being I don't think he's ever been taught to lunge, and we have to hire the school to lunge as we cant use the outdoor arenas.
Am I totally wrong in thinking that it might be best just to take him right back to basics? Work in-hand and ridden over poles to work on his co-ordination, lots of halt-walk/a few walk-trot transitions (ignoring canter for now as his canter is cr@p) to get his balance sorted and sit him back on his hocks, lots of bending, changes of bend in walk/trot as he tends to struggle with the actual change of bend. Working up to small jumping grids from trot to shift his weight back and get him to listen... Would think that shoulder-in would help also, but he ignores me when I ask... grrr

Am I just being insane? I'm not looking forward to trying to ride later with my incredibly dodgy finger....

Hot chocolate & cookies for you all....

 

[kerilli]

well, i'd keep icing your finger, and possibly strap it to the next one before you ride. i'd put rein below little finger so it's not pushing against injured one at all.
it sounds as if you need an instructor who can show your horse how to carry himself, and then show you how to maintain it... it's not exactly helpful or constructive of her to say that she "doesn't let him do it"... well, woo hoo for her, she's obviously Anky or something, it'd be more useful if she said what she does, what she feels how she reacts, etc.
back to basics sounds like a good idea. teach him to react to the voice and to weight commands (shoulders coming back more = whoa, for e.g.) and as little on the reins (esp right one) as possible for a while...
hope that helps a bit.
hot choc and cookies sounds fab... only cookies i have here were supposed to be part of a Christmas present, i'm tempted to eat them and replace them!

 

[Sol]

Yes, planning on strapping it up anyway - in fact, will go do that before I forget! I'm probably still moving it around too much

I don't want to just stop having lessons with her, she is a good instructor and both me and Danny have improved a lot, I just feel like there are some things that need sorting first. I have a few weeks break from lessons anyway as she's on holiday for now, and I also plan on looking at doing more clinics & training with him elsewhere next year if I can find transport.

I'll give it a go and hope nice simple things will get through to him - eventually!

Aww, do it

Nobody will know... as long as you replace them that is!

Thank you!!

 

[Echo Bravo]

Go to the hospital and have it x-rayed. My 3th finger was broken by my young pup at the time, doctor says 3 months after caste off and still not right and painfull, but I know the problem and take care I don't do anything stupid.