Would you ride with an injury? (human...not horse!!)

I went to docs and ended up getting x-rays when i could not straighten my knee. It turns out it was due to an ankle sprain in 2007 which i did not take care of. Went to doctors on the thursday and told not to ride under any circumstances. I had frensham spons ride on the sunday ! he was not impressed but gave me a concoction to take for pain relief.

went to spons ride - only made it half way round, wasted my time, horse and mate who drove me there ! still have pain now in my knee - just ordered some spreger bow balance stirrups in hope ! Went to have xrays and was told to have at least 10 weeks not riding, resting, was riding again after 5 weeks !

so yes, but would not recommend it, i will always have pain and discomfort, all because of a sprain i did not rest or get physio on in 2007 !

Made me learn our boddies needs care aswell as our horses!

x
 
If your doctor or specialist said no, and you did, then you are silly. You only have one body, and it can be damaged - if things aren't allowed to repair properly, they happen time and time again, and you suffer later for it. I've learned that the hard way once I got over 35! I can understand it if you're a pro rider, whose livelihood depends on it, but for the rest of us, its pretty stupid.
 
In 2009, my sister had a nasty fall XC which resulted in a badly broken collarbone. She was told to have 8 weeks off in a sling, with gentle physio.

2 weeks later her pony and her did a triple clear at PC area eventing to finish 7th/ 120 people (round heights were 1m, 1.05m and the jump off was 1.10m...), week after that was PC camp which she attended, 4 weeks in was the PC area eventing (same course where she broke the collarbone... 1m in height) where she came 3rd and qualified for the National championships. 6 weeks in, she went to the PC champs. n8 weeks after, she put the sling back on and attened fracture clinic, where she was told she could start gentle riding again if she liked...

In 2010 she had her collarbone plated as it had healed well, but with a massive overlap meaning that she had muscle wastage and was in a lot of pain (it was an inch shorter, meaning it wasn't sitting correctly). She was told 6 weeks off which she stuck to religiously. She's now facing another operation to have the plate removed with another 6 weeks off, which she'll stick to as well. I wouldn't go against doctor's orders- she had an amazing last summer on her pony in 2009 and doesn't regret it and would probably do the same again, but the healing process has been massively dragged out!

One advantage she did have is my mum is a radiographer and kept a very close eye on how it all looked- if it had been something more serious (her back, or broken limbs) then orders would have been strictly adhered to!
 
I broke my wrist last year, I was back in the saddle schooling, jumping and hacking after two weeks. My doctors reccomended no riding but I think they knew I would. Hence x rays every two weeks for 9 weeks.
 
Probably be silly to.

I had a dislocated finger the day before PC championships and didn't bother going to doctors as I wanted to ride the next day so my mum popped it back in and fed me up on pain killers.

My finger is now totally mangled and dislocates randomly all the time. Listen to your doctor or you'll be making things worse for yourself.
 
I competed a few years ago with damaged ligaments in my shoulder; it was the final of a team accumulator competition so if I hadn't competed the team I was in would not have been able to be placed - and we were lying in the lead with only this show to go. I went last so if someone else in the team didn't go well I wouldn't have competed, but with 2 clears I went in to jump. All was well until ginger horse put in an almighty leap and I ended up dislocating my shoulder completely - still made it round clear and ended up champions :D

Several years on and my shoulder is still a mess, every time I ride it aches.. So, no, it really wasn't sensible to ride with an existing injury.

(But would I do the same again - probably ;) )
 
was told not to ride when i broke my ankle, popped on the pony shortly after she was good as gold despite cast bumping her. my ankle healed a funny way and causes pain when i ride short and push weight right into the stirrup-however that was because i walked around 'normally' when i was meant to use crutches as i cannot stand them.
 
Sort of...I wa assaulted in December, and had my knee VERY badly broken. I've been following my docs advice and taking things easy, but they also told me it would do me good (after around 6months) to do some gentle riding...

I have knee surgery a week on Tuesday, to rebuild the kneecap/cartilage and will need three months back in a leg brace....doc seems to think I'll ne gently riding again in 3-4 months, though I'll need a year of physio.

I did once go for a snow jumping lesson, wi Carol Mailer, the day after breaking my rein holding finger...that hurt quite a lot, but hasn't done me any harm though.

I play it by ear depending on the type and severity of the injury, and generally follow docs advice.
 
Depends what the injury was :)
I broke my wrist when I was a lot, lot younger and was lead out on a short hack.
When I had an accident and found myself under an ISH (by accident!) and stretched the ligaments in my foot, I was only able to ride without stirrups as there was no way I could get my foot in the stirrup or bear any weight on it! I have before (stupidly) given my OH my crutches, left him at the yard and gone out riding when my knee was bad, but then again its never really healed properly and thats probably why :o
If I broke my back or neck anything really serious I probably would follow docs orders to the letter
K x
 
I rode with my broken wrist (both times - the second break's x-rays showed that Id broken it before!) I just thought I had a weak left wrist - turned out it was broken. When the second one was in a cast I still rode out, but only roadwork - it was fine as long as I remembered to get on from the wrong side and not try to grab the reins!! Needed my original break plated though in the end - and i still have the plate and pins in, from 16 years ago. Nobody has mentioned taking them out though - so Im not going to suggest it !!

As for my neck - I did ride when it was broken - I rode 2nd and 3rd lot the day I did it, knew there was something wrong becuse my head was spinning so badly, but Id had such a *******ing for letting go of the horse Id been on,I wasnt going to tell my boss I really didnt feel well... after a week it was down to a headache though - and then it was fine. God only knows what would have happened if Id had another fall though - bearing in mind what the specialist said to me a year later when it was found, I dont think another fall with it unhealed would have been healthy at all. (she said that if Id been diagnosed at the time of my first hospital visit (a week after the fall) Id have been in a halo, and that I was incredibly lucky that all the chiro and osteopathy Id had as well as the physio and other treatments (had a friend who worked in a practice and she and her collegues all had a go at me over a course of months!!) didnt damage me further.

Im not allowed to ride any more (well I am, but there are such caveats on it that unless I find the perfect horse, its not worth trying) and my wrist is a funny shape from the breaks thats had.

So basically - I did, but had i known about things and been advised not to ride, I wouldnt have done. They dont stop you doing fun stuff without a reason, and long term its not worth it. (Totally understand the competition stories though !!!!!)
 
I've ridden with a broken wrist and a broken foot and a mild concussion. When I smashed up my knee I got back on pretty much as soon as I could walk again (took nearly four months to reach that point) although only for a little walk. Waited another couple of months until I resumed full duties but I was still three months ahead of schedule set by the doctors.

I pretty much know my limits and if I feel I can ride I do. Hasn't done me any harm yet.
 
Would depend what it was. I got kicked in the head and ended up with a mahoosive black eye and some butterfly strips across the wound. I rode two days later - on my boy though who I completely trust. It wasn't the most sensible thing to do, although the doctor didn't actually say not to! Anyway, 5 days later, I was riding a new horse at work and got bucked off and my hat slipped over the cut (which was healing up well) and split it open again, so I now have an extra scar as well as the original one. I learnt my lesson after that and although I still rode, I was very careful until it had completely healed. I even didn't go hunting! Which I was really disappointed about but it just wasn't worth the risk!
 
a horse stood on my calf and I've had problems walking on and off. doc finally advised to stop riding permanently which I managed for 3 months.

I now have 2 ponies, ride almost daily and my leg is a lot stronger as I took it slowly and built it up - stoppping if there was the slightest twinge.

It depends on what it is. They can't figure out wha's wrong with my leg. I can be walking and then suddenly collapse so have to be especially careful around the ponies.
 
I've had acromial decompression & tendon shave and still ride. It hurts a bit but I don't really care.
 
I popped my ankle ligament really badly a couple of years ago. After 2 weeks, I was getting cabin fever, so strapped the damn thing up and off I went riding! Very naughty as it hurt like hell......had to cut down on riding, but didn't then give up completely.....
 
My daughter injured her pelvis the other week and a couple of days later rode in a very small ODE, she probably shouldn't have, she didn't really get the best from herself or her horse, but had no ill effects either.
 
i've ridden with injuries but most were when i was alot younger and more foolish, leg in plaster from the knee to ankle, broken ribs, severe rope burn which went through to the bone on my fingers just hours before i was meant to show my pony, wasn't going to miss that so bandaged up i went and did the show then went to the hospital after i won! also ridden with broken collar bone but that was after it had a bit of healing time (14 days if i remember right). got kicked by a horse on my elbow half way around a 2 hour trek, in the middle of nowhere so had to carry on, by the time i got back to yard i couldn't feel any pain so untacked all the horses and sorted them out before a friend took me to hospital.
 
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