Is this a risk

[Pinkvboots]

Okay so broke ankle on 28th November I can walk without crutches in the boot thingy they give you at the hospital, I have been mucking out doing yard stuff luckily my horses just walk to there stables when the gate is opened from the field, I feel quite confident handling them but the boot thingy has no protection for the top of your foot it's just velcro straps so obviously it's majorly exposed of hooves and so forth so any suggestions what I could put over my foot or do you think it's just a risk too far, I can't put any normal boot or shoe on my foot at the moment it's just still quite swollen and I have a lack of movement u til I start physio in a few weeks. I only really want to change rugs check feet and tack up for my instructor do think I am expecting to do too much?

 

[Snitch]

Okay so broke ankle on 28th November I can walk without crutches in the boot thingy they give you at the hospital, I have been mucking out doing yard stuff luckily my horses just walk to there stables when the gate is opened from the field, I feel quite confident handling them but the boot thingy has no protection for the top of your foot it's just velcro straps so obviously it's majorly exposed of hooves and so forth so any suggestions what I could put over my foot or do you think it's just a risk too far, I can't put any normal boot or shoe on my foot at the moment it's just still quite swollen and I have a lack of movement u til I start physio in a few weeks. I only really want to change rugs check feet and tack up for my instructor do think I am expecting to do too much?

I can’t think of anything by way of protection for the foot to mitigate the risk of accidental further damage.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I can’t think of anything by way of protection for the foot to mitigate the risk of accidental further damage.

so it's basically a risk

 

[Snitch]

so it's basically a risk

I think so, but more experienced horse people may have some good ideas to mitigate risk. Good luck and get better soon.

 

[Shooting Star]

Have you looked at easy access shoes?

One of my grandparents had a botched op on her foot and had permanent swelling and minimal movement but used to get leather shoes that were extremely wide and opened fully across the front with big Velcro fastenings, not sexy but needs must!

Had a quick google and padders brand pops up, can’t remember if that was one of them she used or not but maybe worth investigating - a decent leather shoe is probably no worse than a jodhpur boot?

 

[Pinkvboots]

Have you looked at easy access shoes?

One of my grandparents had a botched op on her foot and had permanent swelling and minimal movement but used to get leather shoes that were extremely wide and opened fully across the front with big Velcro fastenings, not sexy but needs must!

Had a quick google and padders brand pops up, can’t remember if that was one of them she used or not but maybe worth investigating - a decent leather shoe is probably no worse than a jodhpur boot?

thanks for that I will have a look I think I am being a bit premature as I can't walk barefoot properly the big boot thing allows me to do everyday things without actually using my ankle as it should, although my horses are generally very good having an exposed foot is not ideal.

 

[Shooting Star]

Ah yes maybe a bit early for that suggestion, still plenty of google time to find a stunning pair if they take your fancy - you’d definitely be the yard fashionista!

 

[PapaverFollis]

It is a risk but sounds like a calculated one... depends on the horses, how well you know them and how mobile you are if they start to shift around while you are checking them over. Can you minimise further by asking instructor to tack up themselves? (Understand that might not be the done thing but it reduces the risk to you a little).

I think I would risk it with my current horses if so had to but one of the previous horses I didn't handle at all without full PPE even while I was uninjured and fully mobile! Hence him being a previous horse.

Can you fix any kind of padding to the top of the boot? Duct tape?

 

[Pinkvboots]

One of my horses I know really well funnily he was the one that fell when I broke my ankle I think it was just a freak accident his never fell before had him 11 years, I have always been a boot kind of girl never wear trainers around horses I just like my feet protected, just trying to think of something I could put underneath the velcro to offer some protection, it just made me aware today as I had someone ride and she wanted help with the girth I ended up holding my foot up as I thought it was the safest option rather than get it stood on.

 

[ycbm]

I would buy a very, very big welly, cut off the sole, split it up the back, then duct tape it on to go to the yard. You're a girl after my own heart !

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I have to admit, although I am usually pretty safety conscious, that when I had one of those boots, for a broken metatarsal, that I just carried on as normal around the horses but it was in summer, so no mucking out etc. Do your horses routinely stand on your feet? I found that ours were very careful around me, although of course if they are spooked accidents can happen.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I would buy a very, very big welly, cut off the sole, split it up the back, then duct tape it on to go to the yard. You're a girl after my own heart !

what a great idea I think I have some old Wellington boots that could be cut up if not I will be going to home base for a cheap pair, I just hope I don't live to regret it!

 

[Pinkvboots]

I have to admit, although I am usually pretty safety conscious, that when I had one of those boots, for a broken metatarsal, that I just carried on as normal around the horses but it was in summer, so no mucking out etc. Do your horses routinely stand on your feet? I found that ours were very careful around me, although of course if they are spooked accidents can happen.

no they don't tend to stand on me I think in all the years of having them I have been stood on twice they are fairly sensible most of the time, one of them is terrified of the crutches so I have scraped them and I can walk without them now anyway, my other horse used to chew them if I left them lying about funny how different they are.