Spinal fracture and huge confidence hit, the future is a scary unknown :(

[Sossigpoker]

I came off badly in 2007 and needed an ambulance as I also couldn't move. I was left to rot for 5 hours in Bournemouth A&E and needed morphine just to sit up after that. They literally then handed me a prescription for tramadol, diazepam plus crutches and sent me on my way. Barely an examination.

Miggy, you've had rotten luck and it's just 'one of those things'. Losing a stirrup instantly makes you much more likely to come off, so I certainly wouldn't dwell on whether this makes you any worse a rider! Are you up for swimming at all, to gently get the back mobilised? I second finding a private physio if you can. I'd also investigate back jacks. I've just tried searching for them and wonder if they went bust as the website doesn't work, but they were marketed by KC La Pierre (Institute of equine Podiatry). Basically a comfy cycle seat with a waist harness to hold the seat against your rear, meaning you could walk around and sit down whenever you needed to (It was designed for farriers with bad backs, but would be perfect for dog grooming). Probably wouldn't take much to make one with the correct tools.
View attachment 129861

Bloody hell that's awful.
I had excellent care at the RUH in Bath,.was seen by a consultant within 10 minutes of being brought in and straight into a scanner. I was really impressed
I was attached to the back board all the way through with a sign at the end of the bed saying not to move me.
The experiences you both had are shocking.

 

[Miggy99]

Bloody hell that's awful.
I had excellent care at the RUH in Bath,.was seen by a consultant within 10 minutes of being brought in and straight into a scanner. I was really impressed
I was attached to the back board all the way through with a sign at the end of the bed saying not to move me.
The experiences you both had are shocking.

That’s really good. I’ve got a really high pain threshold so they just decided it was muscular. Goodness knows why they didn’t immediately X-ray/scan, I assume they just thought I’d be a quick in and out. The most annoying bit was that my husband had to come and collect me from the hospital I had the surgery, they didn’t even offer a transfer back to the local hospital, just transferred me over 2 hours away and like oh yeah phone your husband to collect you, you can go home today!

 

[Sossigpoker]

That’s really good. I’ve got a really high pain threshold so they just decided it was muscular. Goodness knows why they didn’t immediately X-ray/scan, I assume they just thought I’d be a quick in and out. The most annoying bit was that my husband had to come and collect me from the hospital I had the surgery, they didn’t even offer a transfer back to the local hospital, just transferred me over 2 hours away and like oh yeah phone your husband to collect you, you can go home today!

I think we are such sturdy folk us horsey people....but maybe we shouldn't try and deal with the pain in these situations as medics don't realise just how tough we are.
I was screaming my head off and on morphine so I definitely wasn't trying to be polite about it , the pain was horrific !

Another time I went around my business for 2 weeks with a broken shoulder before going to hospital. They said it can't be fractured if I've lived and worked with it for 2 weeks - it was !

 

[Errin Paddywack]

A friend of mine had a fall off her horse and hurt her leg. Hospital said no break so sent her on her way. She was a traffic warden so on her feet all day. About two weeks later her leg swelled up so back to hospital. This time they found a break so she was then off work for a good length of time.

 

[Quigleyandme]

You don‘t need me to tell you that you have sustained a serious injury with all the ramifications, physical, mental, financial that follow. I’m 65. When I was 63 I was catapulted off my horse during a saddle fitting. Without warning he bronced the length of my arena and attempted to jump the fence which is when I came off. I was tightening the girth and had my leg hooked over the saddle and I’d thrown away the contact. I landed with my legs crossed and I found I couldn’t uncross them without lifting my top leg off with my hands. The outcome was six displaced pelvic fractures which healed extremely well and quite quickly without surgery but the thought of getting back onto my horse was frankly terrifying. He is only four and 18 hands. I have the most amazingly patient, understanding, non-judgemental and discrete friend who just by being there helped me with my nerves so much. She didn’t have to do or say anything she was just there being her calming, wise self. I wish you lots of luck with your recovery. X

 

[SEL]

[Inappropriate quoted content removed]

I've been wondering how you were doing. Please, please don't think that a PSSM horse is indicative of every other horse you will ever get on. Mine is retired to a field (not entirely managed, but I don't ride her so it works) but I ride both of my other two and neither have that out of nowhere explosive behaviour you get with a PSSM horse. My youngster was on his toes yesterday but it was "normal" ridiculous behaviour. My PSSM mare could go from plod to bronc in a blink of an eye.

I'm not saying that means you should get back on nor that you should get back on Blue but I'm pretty good at reading horse behaviour and I started to doubt myself too with my PSSM mare. Its only when I started riding others that I realised it was her and not me - then I made the decision to retire.

I don't know why some PSSM horses can be managed for years but then go so very wrong and be so very hard to fix.

I hope you get good news with the x-ray and I really hope you are up and about soon xx

 

[4Hoofed]

OP also don’t knock your riding! Our worst injuries can come from the silliest falls. I nearly dropped on my head the other day fiddling with my equi dry as walking on the road. No reins not paying attention and the jolly ginger giant who never bloody spooked spotted a sheep that was on a bank on ther other side of the hedge and sidestepped like half a meter at most. I ended up clinging on his shoulders, one armed, ass in the air for dear life with a very bemused sheep/sheepdog/farmer all having a good laugh as Casper literally sighed and looked at me his face literally said all the bucks and baby moments and this is what gets you?? I was determined not to fall as I defo shouldn’t be riding. And at 18hands I can’t mount out and about with two arms let alone one. But we all have trips off that we think we should have sat! Makes you no less of a skilled rider! You’ll have plenty of time for ground work in your recovery and can work on reactivity? Ie life is scary but instead of spooking/bolting like in you accident we can respond differently so you feel safer??

 

[Pippity]

I've been wondering how you were doing. Please, please don't think that a PSSM horse is indicative of every other horse you will ever get on. Mine is retired to a field (not entirely managed, but I don't ride her so it works) but I ride both of my other two and neither have that out of nowhere explosive behaviour you get with a PSSM horse. My youngster was on his toes yesterday but it was "normal" ridiculous behaviour. My PSSM mare could go from plod to bronc in a blink of an eye.

I'm not saying that means you should get back on nor that you should get back on Blue but I'm pretty good at reading horse behaviour and I started to doubt myself too with my PSSM mare. Its only when I started riding others that I realised it was her and not me - then I made the decision to retire.

I don't know why some PSSM horses can be managed for years but then go so very wrong and be so very hard to fix.

I hope you get good news with the x-ray and I really hope you are up and about soon xx

You've got no idea how much that message means.

The problem is that, if I do manage to ride again, the sort of horse I'll need is the sort that never hits the market or, if it does, is way out of my budget.

I'm not making any rushed decisions, because I know I'm not in the right mental place right now, though.

 

[vmac66]

Give yourself time to heal, it's very early days.
A freind had a fall 3 months ago, not horsey related
He fell 20ft onto concrete and was airlifted to Stoke hospital.
Injuries included 2 broken vertebrae one of which was completely crushed. Several broken ribs and a broken jaw. He looked like he had been in a car accident
3 months later he got back on his horse , something at one point we didn't think he'd ever do.
Take each day as it comes, you'll get there.

 

[nagblagger]

Deleted as advised

 

[SEL]

I'm going to sound a bit harsh, so I apologise, but if you have had surgery and are fit to go home why should you be transferred back to your local hospital, possibly spending another night in a hospital bed?
Obviously if your husband was not able to collect you, transport would have been provided to take you home.

there's a time and a place for scrolling on by ..... this is one of them.

So completely and utterly irrelevant given the OP's current predicament.

 

[oldie48]

The human body is amazing, we have horrible accidents and most of us heal but it takes time. tbh I sometimes think it takes longer to heal our minds but generally those heal too, given time. I won't bore you with the details of my "little accident" or that of my lovely trainer but both involved serious damage to our spine, the good news is we are both riding (and I'm 75) probably better than ever, well trainer is, I lack puff!. It's all about "time". Get your horse sorted, you don't need to think about selling at this time, get your healing sorted and that may mean being patient and then see where you are. We all react differently, I decided to stop jumping (not a difficult decision as I was pretty useless anyway), trainer sold her GP horse but now is riding a wonderful horse and is really "back in the game". Give it time. My younger daughter is a doctor and if I complain about pain she always says keep taking maximum dose of the pain killers and keep moving but I have healed sometimes we just need to stop. Good luck

 

[scats]

Obviously mine was a leg break and not back, but the NHS physio was totally pointless for me. The sessions were 10 minutes and basically they measured the angle of my range of motion and then made me walk up and down in the boot (which I was doing anyway).

The physio told me that most people they get in are very cautious after breaks where they have had metal work in, and are tentative about moving the limb too much, but when she found out I was an equestrian she just laughed and said that by nature we tend to just chuck ourselves back in to life as soon as we can and rehab ourselves naturally. I didn’t even go to my last session as I was getting more physio walking from the hospital car park to the department than I was getting in the session!
So you may want to consider a private physio if you feel it’s something you will benefit from.

If you’re bored, there’s a very long thread that I made last winter documenting my whole journey. People on this forum were my lifeline and I’ll never forget the support I had.

 

[Miggy99]

[Inappropriate quoted content removed]

That sounds so horrific, I'm so sorry I'm lucky that I know my boy spooked at the wind, rather than anything else, but feel exactly the same as you with regard to getting back on. I hope your xray was OK and that you'll be on your feet again soon

 

[Miggy99]

OP also don’t knock your riding! Our worst injuries can come from the silliest falls. I nearly dropped on my head the other day fiddling with my equi dry as walking on the road. No reins not paying attention and the jolly ginger giant who never bloody spooked spotted a sheep that was on a bank on ther other side of the hedge and sidestepped like half a meter at most. I ended up clinging on his shoulders, one armed, ass in the air for dear life with a very bemused sheep/sheepdog/farmer all having a good laugh as Casper literally sighed and looked at me his face literally said all the bucks and baby moments and this is what gets you?? I was determined not to fall as I defo shouldn’t be riding. And at 18hands I can’t mount out and about with two arms let alone one. But we all have trips off that we think we should have sat! Makes you no less of a skilled rider! You’ll have plenty of time for ground work in your recovery and can work on reactivity? Ie life is scary but instead of spooking/bolting like in you accident we can respond differently so you feel safer??

Yes I've definitely sat some things that a lot of people wouldn't have over the years! My boy is currently being an absolute arse for the girls looking after him. It's like he's reverted back to when I bought him at 2.5yo testing the boundaries. One of them is going to work on groundwork with him for me, but he has got bolshy and dominant on the ground when leading in and out. I'm hoping it's just because I've vanished from his life and he's confused and worried and that consistency from this looking after him will bring him back around to the lovely horse I know

 

[Miggy99]

Give yourself time to heal, it's very early days.
A freind had a fall 3 months ago, not horsey related
He fell 20ft onto concrete and was airlifted to Stoke hospital.
Injuries included 2 broken vertebrae one of which was completely crushed. Several broken ribs and a broken jaw. He looked like he had been in a car accident
3 months later he got back on his horse , something at one point we didn't think he'd ever do.
Take each day as it comes, you'll get there.

Oh wow, that's an amazing recovery from some horrid injuries. I broke a rib backing my horse (not his fault whatsoever), but I can't imagine the pain if I'd done that and the vertebrae at the same time let alone jaw as well. He sounds like superman! I hope he continues to recover well

 

[Miggy99]

The human body is amazing, we have horrible accidents and most of us heal but it takes time. tbh I sometimes think it takes longer to heal our minds but generally those heal too, given time. I won't bore you with the details of my "little accident" or that of my lovely trainer but both involved serious damage to our spine, the good news is we are both riding (and I'm 75) probably better than ever, well trainer is, I lack puff!. It's all about "time". Get your horse sorted, you don't need to think about selling at this time, get your healing sorted and that may mean being patient and then see where you are. We all react differently, I decided to stop jumping (not a difficult decision as I was pretty useless anyway), trainer sold her GP horse but now is riding a wonderful horse and is really "back in the game". Give it time. My younger daughter is a doctor and if I complain about pain she always says keep taking maximum dose of the pain killers and keep moving but I have healed sometimes we just need to stop. Good luck

Horse is currently being a pain for the girls looking after him so he has a sports massage booked for next week to rule out any tight muscles etc. He's being bossy being led to and from his field, I think because I've abandoned him and he's so bonded to me. But hopefully he'll soon realise they're looking after him, and now I'm more mobile I hope to go and see him at the weekend and again next week for his massage. Hopefully when he realises I'm still around it may settle his mind. He's only known me as his one human for 3 years, and is only 5.5yo so it must be so traumatic for him seeing me on the floor where he snuffled my legs almost asking "mum why aren't you getting back up" to being led away by someone he doesn't know and not seeing me again for over 3 weeks I hate to think of him so confused and unsettled.

 

[Miggy99]

Sorry for all the delayed replies everyone, I wasn't getting notifications that I had replies!

I'm now 23 days post-fall and 20 days post-op. I'm no longer using crutches and am getting about the house and up and down the stairs ok. Went out for a walk with husband and one of the dogs on Monday for an hour (usually a 20 minute route ). My back and core muscles were aching for a few hours after, but were fine again by the time I went to bed. I'm generally just taking paracetamol morning and evening now with ibuprofen if I'm feeling stiff and the occasional tramadol if I need it.

We're actually going out for a Christmas carvery tonight, which will be a test as the first time I've sat on a dining chair since the accident, so I'll take some painkillers in my bag just in case! I'm hoping to go and see my horse over the weekend and again next week so I can be there for his sports massage appointment. He's been acting up for the girls looking after him, so I'm hoping that seeing me and realising I'm ok will maybe settle him a bit. I think he thinks I've abandoned him. I'm all he's known for 3 years so it must be horrible for him not knowing where or why I've vanished

 

[Vodkagirly]

Sorry for all the delayed replies everyone, I wasn't getting notifications that I had replies!

I'm now 23 days post-fall and 20 days post-op. I'm no longer using crutches and am getting about the house and up and down the stairs ok. Went out for a walk with husband and one of the dogs on Monday for an hour (usually a 20 minute route ). My back and core muscles were aching for a few hours after, but were fine again by the time I went to bed. I'm generally just taking paracetamol morning and evening now with ibuprofen if I'm feeling stiff and the occasional tramadol if I need it.

We're actually going out for a Christmas carvery tonight, which will be a test as the first time I've sat on a dining chair since the accident, so I'll take some painkillers in my bag just in case! I'm hoping to go and see my horse over the weekend and again next week so I can be there for his sports massage appointment. He's been acting up for the girls looking after him, so I'm hoping that seeing me and realising I'm ok will maybe settle him a bit. I think he thinks I've abandoned him. I'm all he's known for 3 years so it must be horrible for him not knowing where or why I've vanished

I have a cushion to sit on and another for lumbar support that really helps. Hard seats and or no backs are a nightmare!
Hope you have a good night

 

[Vodkagirly]

Memory Foam Seat Back Pain Support Booster Cushion Chair Car Pillow Lumbar Lower | eBay

Ideal for preventing and easing lower back pain when seated for long periods.

www.ebay.co.uk

Memory Foam Cushion Seat Pillow Coccyx Orthopaedic Back Pain Relief Office Chair | eBay

Designed to help yourelieve lower back pain and allows you to sit for longer periods. Item Type: Seat Cushion. High grade foam for supporting. Reduce slouching & fatigue or use as a great support for your lower back.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Miggy99]

I have a cushion to sit on and another for lumbar support that really helps. Hard seats and or no backs are a nightmare!
Hope you have a good night

We had a really good night, lovely food. My muscles are killing now though so back in my pjs reclining on the sofa to ease the pressure! Those cushions look great, thankyou

 

[I'm Dun]

You've got no idea how much that message means.

The problem is that, if I do manage to ride again, the sort of horse I'll need is the sort that never hits the market or, if it does, is way out of my budget.

I'm not making any rushed decisions, because I know I'm not in the right mental place right now, though.

They come up all the time. My ex racer was the safest, sanest horse I've ever sat on. He was incredibly kind. The one time I did nearly fall off, he moved himself back underneath me. He wasnt expensive.

I have stayed away from this post as I'm one of the very unlucky ones who didnt recover properly, and I didnt want to be negative. The one thing I will say, is walk, as far and for as long as you can. Get yourself strong and it will help hugely. Dont waste your time with NHS physios either. Book into the best private one you can find. There will be one in your area that has a specialism in spinal injuries.

 

[Miggy99]

They come up all the time. My ex racer was the safest, sanest horse I've ever sat on. He was incredibly kind. The one time I did nearly fall off, he moved himself back underneath me. He wasnt expensive.

I have stayed away from this post as I'm one of the very unlucky ones who didnt recover properly, and I didnt want to be negative. The one thing I will say, is walk, as far and for as long as you can. Get yourself strong and it will help hugely. Dont waste your time with NHS physios either. Book into the best private one you can find. There will be one in your area that has a specialism in spinal injuries.

So sorry to hear your recovery wasn’t great. I’m now moving around the house and up and down stairs without crutches. I went to see my horse yesterday for the first time since my accident. I’m still unsure what I should do with him but the yard manager suggested possibly moving him to a yard where he can be out 24/7 as at the moment he’s in by night and although he’s happy in a stable, while he’s not working I think he’s getting bored and is acting up when coming in and out. Maybe 24/7 turnout for 6-12 months until I’m healed and can make a sensible decision may be the answer.

How are you getting on @Pippity

 

[Pippity]

So sorry to hear your recovery wasn’t great. I’m now moving around the house and up and down stairs without crutches. I went to see my horse yesterday for the first time since my accident. I’m still unsure what I should do with him but the yard manager suggested possibly moving him to a yard where he can be out 24/7 as at the moment he’s in by night and although he’s happy in a stable, while he’s not working I think he’s getting bored and is acting up when coming in and out. Maybe 24/7 turnout for 6-12 months until I’m healed and can make a sensible decision may be the answer.

How are you getting on @Pippity

I'm waiting for some equipment to be delivered to my mum's, at which point I'll be discharged from hospital and go to live with her for a month or so.

I have to wear a back brace if I'm doing anything other than lying flat on my back, and can only stay upright for 30 mins or so before the pain gets too bad, so I'm dreading the hour-long drive to hers. I'll be taking the full whack of morphine for the trip, even though it sent me fruit loops last time I had that much.

I managed to walk outside yesterday, which was a huge help mentally, but I'm still not in a good place.

 

[Miggy99]

I'm waiting for some equipment to be delivered to my mum's, at which point I'll be discharged from hospital and go to live with her for a month or so.

I have to wear a back brace if I'm doing anything other than lying flat on my back, and can only stay upright for 30 mins or so before the pain gets too bad, so I'm dreading the hour-long drive to hers. I'll be taking the full whack of morphine for the trip, even though it sent me fruit loops last time I had that much.

I managed to walk outside yesterday, which was a huge help mentally, but I'm still not in a good place.

Oh my god, I'm so sorry Was surgery not an option at all? My local hospital ended up getting a third opinion when the second opinion hospital said I didn't need surgery, but I'm glad the third hospital decided I did. The best suggestion I can give you for the drive home (mine was 2.5 hours) is to recline the seat only as far as is comfortable, I was more comfortable slightly more upright than I thought I'd need to be. And a couple of pillows either side of you to sandwich you in which will stop the rolling movement as the car goes around corners etc. I'm actually still using a pillow on my right hand side when I'm sitting on the sofa just to give me some support so I'm not leaning to one side!
If you want to pm me anytime please feel free to. And if you can find something you're able to do while lying down that will help your mental wellbeing. I'm doing some drawing, but maybe cross-stitch or an adult colouring book or something? My mum bought me a small wooden easel for £20 from Amazon for me to draw while sat on the sofa, but something like that could equally work while you're lying down to prop up a colouring book etc.