Riding after a sprained ankle - how long?

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gemisastar

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I sprained my ankle two days ago, stepping down a step - I've had it x rayed and it isn't broken although extremely swollen/bruised and sore - I can just about weight bear. Have had to call in sick to work (12.5 hour shifts on a hospital ward!) - I've no idea how long this may take to heal and more importantly, WHEN I'LL BE ABLE TO RIDE! Doctor at a&e was useless, he didn't even examine it!
 
I sprained mine back in April and like you was non weight bearing for 1st couple of days, didn't/couldn't ride for a week and when I did get back on it was definitely flat work/hacking only. Took best part of a month before it felt strong enough for me leave the ground jumping. Make sure you follow RICE rest, ice, compression & elevation. I wish I had added arnica into the mix but hindsight is great. Walking boots are great to help support the ankle, couldn't have got my riding boots on to begin with because of the swelling!! Listen to what your ankle is telling you re riding again.
 
No imperial evidence for arnica being of any assistance... but rice definitely. A sprain can take anywhere up to 3 months to heal properly but ride when you feel it is stable enough to do so.
 
I got kicked in the ankle a month ago, not sure if the bone was cracked or chipped, but it was very swollen. Got back in the saddle after 3 weeks, but only 10 minutes at a time. Managed a 30 minute hack after 4 weeks and can now walk the dogs for 20 minutes. My biggest problem is finding footwear that doesn't have seams in the wrong places.
 
After a week my ankle is so swollen still - the issue isn’t riding but getting a boot on. So sore I can’t walk first thing then it eases after a while.
If I was a horse I would be given the month off and looked after - as a lowly human I still have to look after everything! It does seem as if it is going to take for ever for the bruising to completely subside, which is mildly depressing. Not much help - but very sympathetic x
 
Soft tissue injuries take a while to heal. RICE protocol, and vitamin C every day (not a mad amount, just a normal amount) If you can't get a boot on, you probably oughtn't be throwing your leg over the back of your horse. #ThingsMumsSay
 
I have chronically injured ankles and I really recommend these braces.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ankle-Brac...e+aircast+a60&qid=1565282740&s=gateway&sr=8-5

I must admit I have never let them stop me riding although I brace them up and stuff my feet home in the stirrups to avoid flexing the ankle which is pretty bad style but works for me. I did break my ankle at one time in my younger days but just took the stirrup off and ride with the plaster in the leather :D Not that I'm recommending it to you, but with a good brace and plenty of strapping you I've always got away with a lot.
 
Ugh, I'm SO annoyed this has happened! I didn't have a chance to rest it initially as I actually had to come home yesterday (it happened on holiday) so actually spent the majority of the day hobbling around airports! But will be on box rest from now onwards - goodbye summer rides 😭
 
Keep icing it if it's still swollen and hot. I broke and sprained mine nearly 4 weeks ago and was icing it for 3 days. I got back on after 2 weeks. Hacking only, with a wrap around support (I use Beskey).
 
I think a sprain is arguably worse than a break tbh. I would ride without stirrups or very long ones. However when I broke mine the gentle flex was good got it. Not sure re sprains
 
I sprained my left ankle a year ago and I'm sorry to tell you it took months to fully heal. But the good news is that I was able to drive all the time (despite needing to use the clutch) and was also able to ride almost immediately so hopefully you will be the same (I changed from using boots to walking shoes with a heel plus chaps). My physio said it was because the pressure I used when driving or putting my foot into the stirrup to mount, kept my ankle straight. Whereas walking over any type of unlevel or lumpy surface was agony despite using a support bandage.

Apparently, it's all the little tears in the ligaments which take the time to heal and any disturbance to them can slow the healing. I'm also not that young and apparently age also slows the healing down, i would honestly say it was a good 9 months before it was strong enough to join my friends on a walking holiday and even now I'm careful on it.
I like the look of the support brace mentioned by Gloi, I would have used that if I'd known! And definitely follow RICE info until the worst of the swelling goes down.
 
Depends how stupid you are. I wrecked mine a few months ago, didn't ride the next day, but rode at least one, often two or three each day after that. Probably didn't facilitate a speedy or smooth recovery. I wouldn't recommend it, tbh, it was deeply unpleasant and, at times, bloody painful.
 
I sprained my ankle clumsily dismounting. It hurt but I got back on & did 3 hr pleasure ride. Boot stopped it swelling but overnight it swelled up & bruising came out. Was able to ride about 5 days later though dismounting was done pretty gingerly! Took several months to feel right. I then resprained it. I iced it straight away & used arnica & has healed much quicker
 
Hehe. I did get a (rightfully) telling off from HHO when I was riding post op with a broken ankle. And I did listen.. for a few days but just couldn't resist.

I was removing the aircast boot, sitting on the yard floor to force my ankle into my riding boot and then hopping (with my poor horse in hand), to the mounting block and off I went, with my riding boot encased in vet wrap. Fellow liveries were horrified/amused!

It was the only thing that kept me sane whilst being non weight bearing, the freedom of being on horseback!

Bloody stupid though and would have served me right to fall off.
 
Michen said:
Hehe. I did get a (rightfully) telling off from HHO when I was riding post op with a broken ankle. And I did listen.. for a few days but just couldn't resist.

I was removing the aircast boot, sitting on the yard floor to force my ankle into my riding boot and then hopping (with my poor horse in hand), to the mounting block and off I went, with my riding boot encased in vet wrap. Fellow liveries were horrified/amused!

It was the only thing that kept me sane whilst being non weight bearing, the freedom of being on horseback!

Bloody stupid though and would have served me right to fall off.
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I had just started riding a youngster (The brown stallion in another post :D ) and had just started cantering him when he went a bit fast, slipped on a corner and fell on my foot. Off to A&E and plaster on a sprained and cracked ankle and signed off work for 6 weeks. Well in the flurry of youth I wasn't going to waste that time so it was plastic bag over the plaster, stirrup off and plaster in stirrup leather and crack on with schooling the young beastie. He soon got used to the feel of the plastic bag :D . Never told them that but did get some strange looks from the staff when they took the plaster off as I had managed to get it stuffed full of shavings and hay. Joys of a misspent youth.
 
Mine wasn't anything like as bad as Michen's, but I went for the "stay in trainers and ride bareback" approach when I couldn't get my boot on the buggered ankle. Then, when my sane and sensible pony ditched me out hacking bareback (bloody pigeons), I upgraded to riding tacked up but with no stirrups on my saddle.
 
While I'm enjoying the stories of how you've all got on and carried on, friend whose horse lives with mine is a nurse and she would lynch me. Although I am definitely going to buy a support brace, i don't want this to happen again!
 
gemisastar said:
While I'm enjoying the stories of how you've all got on and carried on, friend whose horse lives with mine is a nurse and she would lynch me. Although I am definitely going to buy a support brace, i don't want this to happen again!
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Do have a look at the Beskey wrap around ones. I'm wearing mine now and it's been a life saver. I bought two of them last year when I had stress fractures and they were fantastic then, too. Now I only need one on the broken ankle, I rotate them and wear one while the other is being washed.
 
Keep an eye on it & if it doesn't heal quickly go back to the doctor,I twisted my ankle in October, went to A&E for an x-ray which didn't show anything, then did it again about 3 months ago, I'm still lame so recently an x-ray, which has shown a previously broken ankle! I think that maybe it was broken in October but it couldn't be seen as it was so swollen.
If my horse was lame for that long I would have got a vet out but I just took pain killers & muddled along, I'm now waiting for an appointment with the fracture clinic, I have been told to keep weight bearing exercise to minmum which isn't easy when you've got animals to look after. I can ride at awalk but trotting is hard.
Very impressed with the stories of you lot who carried on whilst lame!
 
When I broke my foot many moons ago I was back in the saddle after a few days, I just rode without stirrups, trot was out for a couple of weeks so it was walk to canter transitions to start with then trotting with no stirrups, does your core and seat the world of good.
 
I do still advocate though.. I bounced back from my broken ankle way quicker than the norm and I attribute that entirely to the riding, keeping it moving. I was able to stand up in the stirrups for an afternoons hunting 5.5 weeks post op and was happily skiing 3 months later. My break was fairly simple (medial malleolus, required a few screws) but my private physio did say the riding really helped (although the risk was obviously stupid if I'd fallen off on it).

There is countless evidence now for weight bearing as soon as able, and I was happy to have a forward thinking surgeon who said to weight bear as soon as I physically could. Many with the same break are told to not weight bear for 6 weeks plus... and I am convinced they end up with more problems further down the line.
 
Thank you for this thread 😂, I done the same thing around a month ago and even walking around on it makes it painful. It’s really affecting my knees as well as I don’t know if I’m carrying myself differently and have pain after being in car for 20 minutes etc in them.

I tried to ride which I managed in pain but it was completely swollen again 1 hour later.

It’s still swollen after a month! I have a wrap for it but I’m going to try arnica as well. Sorry for jumping on! Hopefully you will be back up and running soon.
 
Fransurrey said:
Do have a look at the Beskey wrap around ones. I'm wearing mine now and it's been a life saver. I bought two of them last year when I had stress fractures and they were fantastic then, too. Now I only need one on the broken ankle, I rotate them and wear one while the other is being washed.
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I shall look it up. I’ve broken my fibula just above the ankle and in a cast. So, worried my ankle will be weak when the supports are taken off. I’m 4 weeks in 😩
 
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