Would you ride with arm cast on?

[Suby2]

I wrenched my thumb by catching it in the stock fence. Was quite painful but got worse when I was doing up a girth. Cue visit to GP who sent me to A&E for an X ray. I have a partial thumb fracture which they are treating as a full one and have a cast up to just below my elbow.
The timing is really bad as I have just taken on a loan pony and I am keen to carry on getting him used to his new surroundings. We only go on steady hacks and he has been a really good boy so far.
I know I shouldn't ride but .....

P.S. Cast will probably be on for six weeks!

 

[w1bbler]

Well I did on my reliable, owned for years, knew inside out, regularly ridden one handed mare. She instantly worked out i couldnt use both arms properly & took the p*** big time.
On a new loan pony I would think it's a very bad idea 😢

 

[tda]

Well I've had my cast off today (2nd wrist fracture this year!)

I didn't ride, not even my steady oldie, it was hard enough doin all jobs one handed

 

[Fraggle2]

As a reckless teenager (more years ago than I care to admit ) yes I did, was even jumping with cast on.
Nowadays no don't think I would 😑

 

[PaddyMonty]

I would if it didn't significantly affect my riding but then I'm mad as a box of frogs so best not to follow my lead.

 

[milliepops]

I would if I thought I could manage it I'd hate to be laid off for that long.

 

[millikins]

I hacked with a small fracture to my shoulder sustained in a non riding accident. I was surprised how vulnerable it made me feel, and how I over compensated on the caution so rode worse than usual. In your case I think I'd stick to an arena/enclosed space at least for a couple of weeks.

 

[Tyssandi]

I wrenched my thumb by catching it in the stock fence. Was quite painful but got worse when I was doing up a girth. Cue visit to GP who sent me to A&E for an X ray. I have a partial thumb fracture which they are treating as a full one and have a cast up to just below my elbow.
The timing is really bad as I have just taken on a loan pony and I am keen to carry on getting him used to his new surroundings. We only go on steady hacks and he has been a really good boy so far.
I know I shouldn't ride but .....

P.S. Cast will probably be on for six weeks!

simple answer no

I had a cast on for 6 months give or take - I hated not riding but had to suck it up, I had 3 months off riding after hysterectomy and again just suck it up.

Why take the risk of further damage to your hand or worst coming off due to not being able to control the horse properly!!!

 

[RubysGold]

Personally no I wouldn't
Not even on my lovely quiet horse who I've ridden for a long time

 

[Damnation]

No.

Having ridden with a sprained ankle about 10 years ago, I have permenantly damaged that ankle. At the age of 25 it is swollen more than the other one, it hurts when cold and I go over it so easily it is unbelievable. (Twice so far this year).

Stop and rest. Get to know your pony on the ground

 

[xgemmax]

Depends how much you can use your arm, I rode with a fractured shoulder one handed on my safe old pony a few times but didn't feel very safe so probably wouldn't remcommend

 

[3OldPonies]

Personally, I wouldn't not only because of the risk of injuring myself even more, but because if you are insured and had an accident in which someone else claimed against you they could say that you weren't in full control because of your obvious injury (i.e. the cast) and therefore the liability lies with you.

Sorry to be so boring btw - it's just one of those days . . . .

 

[SpringArising]

No. Health before horses, always.

 

[Cortez]

Yes, but then I ride one handed anyway. I have also ridden with an ankle in plaster, and at a show too. Had to ask judges permission, and rode with the cast (and my toes) spray painted black.

 

[ihatework]

I'd probably tell someone else not to do it and then completely ignore that if it were my arm in plaster.

 

[Identityincrisis]

Take advice from me, I badly broke my ring finger and had to have an operation to repair it - note to everyone don't lead with the leadrope like reins!- I didn't ride but I continued with jobs, re-broke it on a haynet, had another op, and now 12 weeks on I'm still in a splint. Riding is now off for Winter as I have no movement or strength and they have told me it won't improve

 

[Cortez]

Take advice from me, I badly broke my ring finger and had to have an operation to repair it - note to everyone don't lead with the leadrope like reins!- I didn't ride but I continued with jobs, re-broke it on a haynet, had another op, and now 12 weeks on I'm still in a splint. Riding is now off for Winter as I have no movement or strength and they have told me it won't improve

Try one-handed? I have broken most of my fingers at one time or another (I'm quite old, and have had a rough life!), they all still work if a bit wonky looking. I have continued to work and ride with various splints (some I've made myself from lollypop sticks) but have always managed.

 

[Identityincrisis]

Try one-handed? I have broken most of my fingers at one time or another (I'm quite old, and have had a rough life!), they all still work if a bit wonky looking. I have continued to work and ride with various splints (some I've made myself from lollypop sticks) but have always managed.

Hmmm the horse is just young and quite hot (I'm sure your's are too!) but I just decided to rough him off for the winter as he hasn't had a proper break since he was backed

I hope I get more movement back, as currently, it's a lever waiting to get broken again! but the Dr's weren't optimistic of any movement

 

[ycbm]

Yes. Especially if the only thing actually broken is my thumb, not my arm. Why does a thumb fracture require a full arm cast to the elbow ? Being me, I'd probably be taking the cast off. I took the cast off my severely broken wrist earlier this year at three weeks and three days, because I heal bone quickly and I wanted to get physio into the tendons. I used a range of splints for a few weeks. They are absolutely amazed at my range of movement now, it's totally unexpected given the severity of the two displaced fractures.

 

[MileAMinute]

No. Not worth it. Just suck it up and wait til it's off.

 

[Cortez]

Hmmm the horse is just young and quite hot (I'm sure your's are too!) but I just decided to rough him off for the winter as he hasn't had a proper break since he was backed

I hope I get more movement back, as currently, it's a lever waiting to get broken again! but the Dr's weren't optimistic of any movement

Have you severed the tendon? You need to get thee to a physio ASAP.

 

[Identityincrisis]

Have you severed the tendon? You need to get thee to a physio ASAP.

No just mashed the bone so a plate from knuckle to knuckle. I'm getting NHS physio...... do you think I need something different?

 

[stormox]

Ted Edgar rode Jacato in the Hickstead Derby with a broken arm, in a plaster cast.......

 

[Cortez]

No just mashed the bone so a plate from knuckle to knuckle. I'm getting NHS physio...... do you think I need something different?

I'm not a physio! You have a nice NHS one; hopefully should be able to help.

 

[Identityincrisis]

Ted Edgar rode Jacato in the Hickstead Derby with a broken arm, in a plaster cast.......

It's do-able but I would imagine he did that as a career choice, I don't imagine the op's career is as a SJ'er. A bit like the Pro motorbike riders who ride with broken collar bones/legs/shoulders etc, their careers depend on it

 

[blitznbobs]

If you ever want your hand to
Work again properly do as the medics say... Don't risk permanent disablement for 6 weeks riding...

 

[catwithclaws]

When I was 16 I broke my ankle and had a cast from toes to the knee. I was naughty and still rode. Looking back I'm furious with myself for taking the risk - please don't risk it, especially on a horse you don't know well

 

[Bav]

Yes. Naughty I know, I broke my thumb last year by falling off and clinging onto the breastplate, wrenching my thumb back. I didn't have a cast but did have a properly moulded splint done by fracture clinic/hand therapy. The only thing I couldn't manage was doing the girth up, it never actually affected my riding at all.

 

[Suby2]

Not sure why he put such a long cast on but he did say he knew I'd be back out doing the horses despite it! Have to go back next week to the fracture clinic so will find out more then. I know 6 weeks isn't that long in the grand scheme of things. Guess I will have to grin and bear it. On the plus side it gets me out of quite a bit of housework!

 

[Annagain]

When I was 16 I tore the tendon away from the muscle in my arm. They operate to re-attach anything more than 95% detached and mine was about 92% so the worst of both worlds. Surgery would have been horrible but it would then recover fairly quickly, and of course leaving a tear that big to heal itself meant it took forever. I did it 2 days after my last GCSE and there was no way I was wasting that extra month of school holidays. I'd wait for mum and dad to go to work, sneak out of the house to ride and make sure I was home before they were.

These days I think I'd be a bit more careful - especially on a new horse I didn't know particularly well. I knew as long as I was hacking my boy alone he wouldn't get silly and I also know that he would stop dead at the end of our canters as he knew every inch of our hacking land. Could you do lots of ground work and get to know him that way?