Spinoff: What injuries have you continued riding with? [Archive]

LudgerFan

Oct. 30, 2009, 08:19 AM

Yes, that was kind of poor grammar. :lol:

Recent chiropractic and soft tissue "discoveries" in mac123 have caused me to realize that we as riders are an entirely different breed when it comes to pain tolerance. Seriously, she recently found out that she has ridden for YEARS with a torn groin muscle, on top of a HOST of other chiropractic ailments, including sciatic nerve pain and (we laugh about this) a head that wasn't on straight. Granted, she didn't know the groin muscle was torn. "Didn't hurt that much," she says. I think she's superhuman. :eek:

Out of curiosity, what injuries have you sustained and still continued riding? Did you even realize that you had sustained a serious injury and found out long after the fact? What's wrong with us??? :confused:

hellerkm

Oct. 30, 2009, 08:47 AM

Broke my back and pelvis when I was 8.5 mos pregnant with my son, dr's told me I would never walk again and that I should not ride again if I could walk. I had the baby healed and was back riding in less than a year, to this day I am 2 inches shorter in one leg than the other I have NO issues from this accident or when I ride.
Now the arthritis in my feet ( from them being stepped on and broken countless times) causes me pain every night LOL but I can deal!

MyGiantPony

Oct. 30, 2009, 08:56 AM

I think if we all post, the list will be huge. :lol:

My senior year in high school, I broke my right wrist. Had a show the next weekend, it was just a short cast, so I got permission to show without a jacket. Had a great show, won lots of ribbons, until my last class of the day...had a great course until the last jump. Horse jumped big on the out part of the in and out, my cast got in the way, I fell off...and broke my left wrist.

Broke my neck, rode a lot sooner than I probably should have.

Various back injuries through the years.

Bursitis in my ankles - just pulled the stirrups off the saddle and rode. (It was great training in my jr. eq years anyway.)

Bogie

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:07 AM

Equestrians Make Poor Patients (http://equineink.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/equestrians-make-poor-patients/)

I'm guilt of riding with broken ribs, another time with a broken hand, etc.

Back when I was a kid we were expected to get right back on after falling. Years later I learned I had an old fracture in my back from one of those falls . . .

MsRidiculous

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:10 AM

Cracked tailbone, broken ribs, broken elbow..

Must have bonked my head too many times, I'm not very smart. :p

AmandaandTuff

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:10 AM

Broke 4 ribs, tore my left shoulders rotator cuff, broke my nose, dislocated a shoulder, broke my knee cap, tore the tendons in my left leg, broke my tail bone, and my favorite of all:

I was dragged by a horse (owner demanded knots in the ends of lead ropes!!) and horse too off, taking all skin off the palm of my right hand and my pointer, middle, and ring finger. I was also left with sand and cuts everywhere. I got out some tape and napkins and continued my jumping lesson on a horse that used a pelham, double reins of course. Ouch.

With the knee and tendons doc said don't ride for a year. I had a competition that weekend. You can bet I was riding.

myvanya

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:14 AM

I rode with undiagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis for a few years until it fnally stopped me. Once I started getting treatment I started riding again (duh). I have ridden with cracked ribs, a sprained ankle (while on a hunt), a pulled neck muscle,a broken nose (did that at a show) and a broken jaw. I think that's it, but I'm not sure- one too many concussions perhaps but more likely my lackof coffee this morning. I don't count broken toes :lol:

Couture TB

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:16 AM

Hmm, let's see: Broken ribs, sprained ankle, torn tendons in knee (did you know you can bend the leg stabalizers to jump position?), broken nose, sprained wrist, broken nuckles, broken tailbone, when I shattered my ankle and split my tibia striaght up I rode with my cast on to keep my TB I had for sale in shape, later I stress fractured all the places in my ankle that broke when jumping but rode for 4 months on it like that (great ankle brace) till show season was done and all my sales horses but two were gone then I had surgery, concussion (husband was not happy but that horse was NOT going to learn that he could get a rider off and get away with it), muscles in neck that were so weak from damage that I got daily migrains (just got out of PE for that and all is well) hmmm I know I am forgetting something.....

Buglet

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:18 AM

I broke both of my arms just above my wrists when a horse freaked out while being loaded in a trailer. My casts were only from the elbow down, so I could still bend my arms. I was riding a week later and competed in the adult amatuers with my casts on. Luckily my jacket fit over them. I got black casts so it kinda looked like I had gloves on :lol:.

I also was kicked in the chest which resulted in broken ribs and a lacerated liver (required emergency surgery). Dr. told me no riding for at least 4 months. I was back in the saddle in 8 weeks. It was pretty uncomfortable for the first couple of weeks, but I couldn't resist. My husband wasn't very happy when he saw me jumping.

LudgerFan

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:22 AM

Good grief! It's worse than I imagined it would be! :eek::eek::eek:

Why do we do this to ourselves????

Renn/aissance

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:29 AM

Scoliosis leading to my hips being on two different planes, a neck jammed forward and head jammed down (I can't pull my shoulders back, my neck back, or my chin up.) Herniated disk. Concussion. Broken foot. Various assorted strains and sprains. Those labels on NSAID bottles are just giving us suggestions for dosage, right? So I can take 4 Aleve at a time three times a day? ;)

jumpingmaya

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:31 AM

Good grief! It's worse than I imagined it would be! :eek::eek::eek:

Why do we do this to ourselves????

Sounds like self torture huh... :lol:
well I'm not that bad...

Did ride with broken ribs because "that horse was going to learn it just can't buck people off and get away with it", then really didn't stop riding while they healed (even though I don't recall sitting the trot AT ALL)... Rode when I had Mono in high school even though the doctor said not too (splean could have ruptured)- but it was winter in Florida.... wasn't about to stop at the best time of the year!!!!
Other than that... bruised tail bone, broken wrist (in a cast)... but I still don't compare to most of the posters above!!!!

Lazy Palomino Hunter

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:33 AM

Well, I flipped a mare over a 3'9" swedish oxer (TOTALLY my fault), and she stepped on me. I had a hoofprint literally just between/below my collar bone and shoulder joint... a few inches up or over and I would have crushed something. The urgent care center x-rayed by shoulder to see if any ribs were cracked. They weren't, so the drs sent me on my way.

A year and a whole lot of crippling pain later, I come to find out that I had a) torn my trapezius, and b) compression fractured a vertabra in my thoracic spine. Since I was still growing at the time, and neither thing was treated, my trapezius has a ton of scar tissue and my spine developed some lovely curvature (and because scoliosis wouldn't be bad enough, I have kyphosis... a big ol hump in my spine (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/farreach04/comparison2.jpg) between my shoulder- obv that's me on the right).

Ya know, it's been about 7 years since that happened, and I still regret not having better diagnostics done right after the injury... mostly because I wish my shoulder didn't have crippling pain every day, but also because I would still be capable of sitting up straight. When I was showing competitively in IHSA after my injury, I had to wear a Shoulders Back so tight it made me bleed... but hey, it disguised my hump (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/farreach04/sbc/PalTrot.jpg), and that was all I cared about! Who really needs to move their arms the day after a horse show anyway?

PNWjumper

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:43 AM

Everything short of broken bones really. Well, a broken tailbone was something I rode through...broke it on the way out to a horseshow on an icy morning....it hurt like HELL to ride all week, but you can bet that I wasn't about to forfeit my entry fees! And it was my first horseshow back after having my daughter (she was 10 weeks old), and some stupid part of my brain apparently felt like it needed to prove that I could still ride :lol:

I showed in the AO Jumpers 12 weeks after breaking my ankle a few years ago. I tried to ride with my cast, but there was just no way (my ankle was broken and my fibula was broken clean through right below my knee). I hopped back on the day my cast came off (my doctor said "12 weeks before you get back on a horse") and rode without stirrups for 4 weeks and then started my stirrup time back up a few weeks before the show. It was excruciating pain every time we landed off of a big jump, but my ankle felt amazing when it was over. My PT couldn't get over how quickly I regained mobility in my ankle....guess that's what happens when you crunch the joint around for a week! :cool:

I had a decent flipping fall this year too. Don't remember 45 minutes of time, and I was in the ER after my MRI asking if the ER doc would write me a letter to let me back into the show (didn't know about the no-showing-after-a-head-trauma-without-written-release rule until that fall). The doctor laughed at me and said NO HORSES for at least a week. I went into a walk-in clinic at the crack of dawn the next day and got a new doctor to write me the letter and then showed all of my horses for the rest of the week including the one who flipped, and it was one of those just phenomenal showing weeks that made me glad I did it!

But I would be horrified if anyone I knew or loved did any of the same.....and I would NEVER ask one of my horses to do something if I thought they were even the tiniest bit sore or out of whack. I guess I just have zero sense of self preservation. :lol:

PNWjumper

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:49 AM

My husband wasn't very happy when he saw me jumping.

Hmmm.....yes......this seems o be a common sentiment among my friends and their husbands with a double emphasis on my own husband :lol:

LudgerFan

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:52 AM

You all do realize we are totally going to be cursing ourselves when we are 40 and beyond?!?! :no:

LSM1212

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:52 AM

Oh lord... let's see.

Fractured 4 vertebrae (2 in my neck, 2 in my upper back). Don't have a single vertebrae in alignment anymore because of the major compression. I got lawndarted about 18 years ago... cracked my helmet in 1/2... air lifted out. Not fun. Kinda did the Chris Reeves thing but I'm walking. But I do see the chiro every 2-3 weeks and go to weekly PT sessions (MT and Cranio Sacral work). Seems to help.

Torn rotator cuff in left shoulder along w/ muscle/ligament damage in that shoulder. Still bothers me today and don't have full range of motion even after 4 month of therapy. Stupid school horse that ducked out at the last second in front of the jump.

Tendonitis in my right ankle, issue w/ my left knee that needs injections from time to time. Probably from the strain of riding.

So yes... I'm a chronic pain sufferer and still ride. Actually... riding helps me feel better. My PT people noticed a huge difference when I stopped riding because my horse had colic surgery the first part of July. I just started trotting him about 2 weeks ago. And I feel a bit better.

Also born w/ a hip defect. My right hip has a forward rotation/tilt. So I really have to work at keeping that leg forward as it slides back naturally.

Those are just the major ones... have broken my foot twice and still rode... have bruised my tailbone and pulled my groin muscle, etc. etc. etc.

Yep.... us horse people are nuts. :D

ETA: LudgerFan ~ I'm close to that 40 year mark. But like I posted above, I am better if I continue to ride. It's when I stay stationary, that my problems are worse. And there isn't another activity out there that mimics riding and helps me as much. So broken stuff and all? I'll be riding for awhile. ;) Heck... my old pain management Dr and chiro told me shortly after my accident that I would be in a wheelchair by the time I was 40. Welp... ain't gonna happen! Have been through many specialists over the years and finally found the right rehab Dr. I am off all pain medication and do more alternative medicine.

mikali

Oct. 30, 2009, 10:06 AM

I came off my horse at a horse show, where he stepped on me. Both of my legs swelled from below the knee to my toes almost immediately but I could still point, flex, push, etc my toes with the paramedic. He didn't think anything was broken... so (since life goes on) I walked and rode on it for ten days before going to my family doctor who promptly sent me for x-rays... apparently I had broken my left fibia.

I remember one of my first lessons as a child "you are not a horse rider until you have come off at least 100 times", so it was natural to come off and just get back on. Later when riding with some of the bigger names in the industry, you just didn't get to complain about pain. Even though that voice in the back of my head was saying "Ouch" and just kept working through it...

LudgerFan

Oct. 30, 2009, 10:30 AM

Renn/aissance

Oct. 30, 2009, 10:34 AM

You all do realize we are totally going to be cursing ourselves when we are 40 and beyond?!?! :no:

We'll be on a LOT of medication!

horsetales

Oct. 30, 2009, 10:41 AM

I remember when I was having problems with my Lupus and the DR told me I shouldn't ride. yeah you can guess what I was doing that afternoon :lol: I've also ridden with a broken tailbone. Riding with broken toes is alot better than trying to walk

Indy

Oct. 30, 2009, 10:42 AM

I have a herniated disk in my back. The extent of the pain riding causes my back depends on the horse. The fall that did that to me also tore cartilage in my ribs & broke my tailbone...I took about a week off from riding after it (and I got back on after the fall and finished my ride).

I ride with chronic tendonitus in my right ankle. I also have pretty constant pain in my left hip and groin area, sometimes down into my thigh, which I'm pretty sure is some sort of soft tissue injury but I don't know what and don't want to deal with doctors so I suck it up. Riding aggravates it.

My shoulders & elbows are creaky, they snap and pop all the time, but I'm not sure why. My right foot was smashed by a half-draft mare and I still have issues with it, but nothing that riding really bothers.

see u at x

Oct. 30, 2009, 10:46 AM

My chiropractor recently wanted me to take some time off from riding because of a degenerative disc and sciatic pain. I told him that's difficult for me to do because I have one horse who basically requires regular schooling, otherwise she becomes a bit of a handful with too much time off. With my other horse, I was at the tail end of our summer show season and was not going to miss the last 2 shows. I ended up taking 2 weeks off, buying a Thinline pad, and then was right back in the saddle.

My best friend yelled at me and questioned whether or not I'd be able to ride in 20 years because of all the damage I am potentially doing to my back instead of allowing it to heal. Maybe it's the wrong attitude to have, but I feel like I don't know that I'll be on this earth 20 years from now or if I am, whether or not I'll be able to ride for other reasons. I mean, what if I'm in a car accident (God forbid) or something else happens? I liken it to the "live like you are dying" mentality.

Personally, I think it's different for equestrians vs. other athletes because for us, we have a partner that we are constantly working with. Sure, some of us can put our horses into training with someone else or ask someone to ride them for us, but not all of us can do that - nor do we want to. It feels like there is more of a sense of urgency to get better and be out there doing what we love to do. And I've noticed that a lot of us will never push our horses past their limit, but when it comes to ourselves and our bodies, we usually push harder and faster than we should.

myvanya

Oct. 30, 2009, 10:47 AM

My riding with a broken jaw thing was because after my head got run over by a horse after a fall when I was 5, we went to the ER and they said nothing was wrong. At my dental cleaning a weak later they found a compound fracture on one side and a simple fracture on the other. I had not only gotten right back on after my head got run over, but I continued to ride while my jaw was broken for quite a while.

I find with my arthritis I do much better if I ride (and run). I had a podiatrist try to tell me to stop riding due to a swollen joint on the bottom of my foot (it feels like walking on a rock and is permanently swollen now)...I suggested very politely he should try to stop breathing :winkgrin: I find I can use far less pain medication if I ride even though I am usually in quite a lot of pain.

MyGiantPony

Oct. 30, 2009, 10:55 AM

You all do realize we are totally going to be cursing ourselves when we are 40 and beyond?!?! :no:

I'm 44 and none of my current issues are related to horse injuries.

Most of my problems are due to having gained such a huge amount of weight from my thyroid disorder. Left knee is from slipping and falling in a wet parking garage, right knee is from over doing it on the dance floor at a club last year. rotator cuff is from lots of bone spurs grabbing the tendons.

Been working out at the gym for about 4 weeks now and already feel so much better!

indygirl2560

Oct. 30, 2009, 12:36 PM

I tore some stuff in my right knee and have tendonitis. I took a few months off at the recommendation of a specialist, bu since nothing was helping, I went back to riding. If I ride in regular Fillis irons, I can barely walk 30 after riding, but if I ride in my flexible stirrups, I have a lot less pain. I've had MRIs, a billion xrays, physical therapy, visits to orthopedic surgeons/specialists, and they all have different things to say. One said, I have small tears in my patella tendon, another said I tore something from soccer and it never healed correctly, another said I just have tendonitis, and another said nothing is wrong. The same guy who said nothing is wrong told me they could operate on my knee; operate on what since he claimed nothing was wrong?! I'm in nearly constant pain, (it ranges from slightly painful to really really painful and I can't walk), but I won't give up riding if rest and other treatments weren't doing anything and they can't pinpoint the issue. I'm sick and tired of the crap my health insurance has put me through but it's my parents' insurance and I can't afford a different company on my own. :(

RugBug

Oct. 30, 2009, 12:42 PM

My back has never been the same since getting left behind at a jump when I was sixteen. I kept riding, finished the lesson with tears in my eyes, but I'll be damned if I let one fall or said a word to my trainer during the lesson. I dismounted, sliding off the horse and onto the ground...I couldn't walk it hurt so bad. I was off a horse for a week.

When I was 17, I tore my medial collateral ligament in my knee water skiing, I'm sure it didn't help that I went to Foxfield the next weekend for two weeks of intense riding. I wore my knee immobilizer any time I wasn't on a horse. :lol:

I managed to pull my groin muscle at that camp, but continued riding anyway.

Broke my humerus in two places a little over 4 years ago. The bone took about 4 months to START healing (should've been completely healed at 3 months). MRIs and CT scans during the failure to heal showed that I had also torn my deltoid and traps. I did do PT for 11 months but never did get full ROM back. The musculature of my arm is still visibly deformed. I will never swim well, serve a tennisball or volleyball anything like I used to, and dear God, if I'm ever in a situation that I'm dangling off the side of a building or cliff or something (not likely :lol:), I'm screwed. My neck and shoulders are constantly tight and achy...massage therapy helps, but after months and months with no permanent results, I stopped. BUT, I can ride and thankfully with minimal pain, so that's all I care about. I will never braid again as the arthritis in my fingers can barely take the stress of 'mane-taming' braids let alone show braids. Not too big a loss because I was only an okay braider anyway. :winkgrin:

I'm having some "full" feelings in my right knee currently. I'm hoping it's just the increased from riding twice a week to riding 10 times a week. We'll see.

3DogNight

Oct. 30, 2009, 02:24 PM

Riding with broken feet or hands, sprained ankles, etc. has been standard, of course. Now, the arthritis from those old injuries bothers me more than the original injuries did.

My biggest setback has been the four spinal fusions over the last 6 years, plus three surgeries to correct problems with my wrists and elbows.

While I certainly don't ride anywhere near as much as I used to, I can still manage to get on every once in a while for a quiet little hack (and maybe pop over a fence or two if I'm feeling REAL good). My mare is a saint, and I trust her completely. On another horse, I might not take the chance. Of course, I pay for it for a good week following the ride, but it's definitely worth it. At almost 44, I just pray that I will still be able to do this for the next 20 or 30 years. According to my surgeons, I'm not EVER supposed to get back on a horse, but I don't think they understand that the hope of being able to ride again is what kept me going after each of those surgeries and the months and years of PT and pain management that followed. I'm also a firm believer that in moderation, pain killers are your friend.

Mac123

Oct. 30, 2009, 02:25 PM

We're all screwed up. Although I am feeling better after reading about some of you... :lol:

There's not room on my chart for all the issues....we're currently working on 10 different things. Just found out yesterday about an old injury I can't remember doing...but explains a lot!

Dr. says he has to take extra time to think about what he's going to do with me and how to approach things - about 3xs more than "normal" patients. He said everyone on the earth has a purpose...and mine must be to keep him humble and challenge his knowledge. I couldn't figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing... :winkgrin:

JustTheTicket

Oct. 30, 2009, 02:33 PM

[QUOTE=AmandaandTuff;4469562]

I was dragged by a horse (owner demanded knots in the ends of lead ropes!!) and horse too off, taking all skin off the palm of my right hand and my pointer, middle, and ring finger. I was also left with sand and cuts everywhere. I got out some tape and napkins and continued my jumping lesson on a horse that used a pelham, double reins of course. Ouch.

QUOTE]

Not to be snarky, but why didn't you just let go of the lead rope?

DMK

Oct. 30, 2009, 02:42 PM

Aside from all the "normal" riding with injuries, when I almost cut off my thumb this summer (if I was a horse, I would have severed my collateral ligament, deep flexor tendon, suspensory ligament and high nerved myself for good measure), I actually decided to take a "new" approach. I decided I would treat my catastrophic injury kind of like it was attached to the horse instead of my hand. You know, follow the vet's orders... :eek:

Oh, OK, I was riding 5 weeks after surgery, but the rules were I had to tack my own horse up and not be on vicoden. And I was stuck walking until I could chaps on. Oh wait, About 3 weeks later I figured out I could wrap polos around my legs and do just fine. Technically it's still a project to put on chaps, but it's doable. But I only rode my old hunter who is a fine, safe candidate and I didn'tget on the 2 year old until I was "officially" cleared to ride 10 days ago.

Tif_Ann

Oct. 30, 2009, 02:45 PM

Well, I tore two tendons in my ankle by stepping in a hole in pasture on the way out to catch my horse ... and still rode the four hour trail ride that I was catching him for. My boots helped keep the swelling down ;)

Then ... four weeks later I missed a step coming downstairs at the barn, and since I am an idiot was wearing a 3" heal on my bad ankle. Landed on my knee on concrete, blew it out completely (ER doc swore it was going to be a shattered knee cap but the x-rays disagreed). Was on crutches two weeks, not supposed to even go near a horse for at least 6 weeks ... but after about ten days I couldn't take it anymore so set the crutches down and got on my boy bareback just to walk around the arena. Was back riding fully before those six weeks were up.

Then ... saddle slipped while going around a corner at a hand gallop, landed hard on the frozen arena floor. Badly bruised my hip, cracked at least one rib (the pain from the hip was so bad I didn't feel the rib for over a week), thankfully was wearing a helmet since I was handgalloping because my horse was being so naughty at the canter so we were going to "ride through it" ... went home, alternated ice/heat and lots of pain meds ... got up to ride in a jumping clinic the next morning and a dressage clinic the day after that. The clinicians only come this way once or twice a year and I was NOT going to miss the clinic. I did stay off my horses for about a month after that (I also got the flu during this time, last January, so that helped) and it took me a while to get back up and running after that.

Abbeyroad1791

Oct. 30, 2009, 02:49 PM

superpony123

Oct. 30, 2009, 03:06 PM

rode with a partially shattered foot once. it didn't hurt much, just took the stirrups.

got multiple hair fractures in pelvis, rode a week and a half later--the fractures did not hurt NEARLY as much as the muscled i pulled in my back and leg at the same time - mostly that was what kept me from riding because i could not walk with the muscle pulled, had to be on crutches. it was only a little ouchy (the pelvis) when i did a lot of sitting trot, or if i rode a bouncy horse (which i tried to avoid)

bruised a few ribs once, it was painful but rode anyway

i'm more of a weenie when it comes to actually being ill, though. but i think it's because whenever i get sick, it's usually some kind of respiratory thing and i end up not being able to breathe because of the dust and stuff. i had a very serious upper respiratory infection a while back, and wouldnt leave my house (except to go to ER because my throat was closing up) for a week, it was so bad. and then i had bronchitis. i didnt ride for a few days from that either.

Void

Oct. 30, 2009, 03:12 PM

Broken Tailbone, bruised rib cage, broken fingers, broken toes and a torn labia... yea that last one was awful

WorthTheWait95

Oct. 30, 2009, 03:34 PM

I rode with a fractured ankle for most of WEF my junior year in high school. It kept swelling really badly and I was having trouble getting my tall boots on but didn't really think too much of it since I could walk fairly pain free (most likely b/c of the numbing effect of too tight tall boots). I ended up coming off in a class and landing on my feet which broke the ankle and that's when we discovered the old fracture. Ouch.

I ended up with four screws and plate in my ankle and was on crutches for close to six months. Major bummer.

dani0303

Oct. 30, 2009, 03:39 PM

Let's see...broken collarbone (2 weeks off), fractured neck (3 weeks off), fractured pelvis (4 weeks off), broken arm and 2 ankles (rode as soon as I got the cast on), torn ligament in my ankle (happened at a show and rode all weekend)

I'm currently riding with a torn muscle in my back and a pelvis that is jammed up from a bad car accident. It may hurt while I ride, but it's better for my sanity

LD1129

Oct. 30, 2009, 03:41 PM

I have herniated discs down in my lower back near my right hip from a fall I took jumping a few years ago. I have ridden with a sprained ankle last winter that was painful. I have bad scholiosis and Kyphosis (sp?) so I am pretty tolerant of back pain since it never goes away. Other then that *knocksonwood* I have never broken anything and I have taken a lot of bad falls.

JustABay

Oct. 30, 2009, 03:55 PM

My grief list:
Dislocated shoulder, damaged rotator cuff, broken tailbone, cracked ribs, broken both hands and all my toes, 3 herniated discs, 1 torn disc, messed up my SI joint, and got kicked in the head, resulting in reconstructive surgery. My jaw still aches and it's been over 2 years. THe back pain I can deal with it, but barely. Everything else I rode through it, or worked through it....Except the kick...I was at home for a while after that!:lol: I would rather ride in agony than sit at home pain free

Seven-up

Oct. 30, 2009, 04:03 PM

Bruised ribs from bronchitis, not even a real injury!

Torn ACL-- don't think that counts though, because I did take some time off from that one

Possible fractured fingers, maybe just sprains (same finger, a couple of times, and I never go to the doctor)

Did something to my rotator cuff (no doc again)

Tons of back issues and plenty of little bumps and bruises from things that weren't very memorable.

All in all, not too bad. (Knock on wood!)

Showjumper28

Oct. 30, 2009, 04:29 PM

Ive ridden with serious concussion (yes I fell off head first and got bsck on). I proceeded to ride 3 other horses after that.

I rode with 4 broken ribs less than a week after I broke them. I was definitely not ready and it hurt, but it was my job.

I also rode with a crushed knee after a horse flipped on me and fell on my knee. I also rode 2 horses after that. By the time I was done my knee was so swollen I couldn't drive home and had to have someone pick me up.

And I would do it all again, not sure how stupid that makes me. :lol:

Peggy

Oct. 30, 2009, 07:51 PM

Definitely past the 40 y.o. mark here. My back doesn't always feel so great. I think I sprained my ankle once (not HR) but I was supposed to go look at a horse the next day so I wrapped it up and kept on trucking. My baby toe got stepped on a number of weeks ago (OK, back in August) and while, slightly odd-looking, the pain is mostly gone despite the fact that a horse just recently stepped on it again. If I had to wear Sex in the City shoes I'd be cooked. It was right before I went back to school (teaching) and the most comfy shoes I had were FloJo flip flops. So I lectured in those and found something that was more appropriate for lab. Riding was fine, it was walking that was the issue.

In my case the whole thing is exacerbated by the fact that my dad is a doctor and, in his case, the axiom about the shoemakers shoes going barefoot was definitely true. We didn't see the doctor unless it was a regular checkup or catastrophic. And it wasn't as if he could do all that much as a psychiatrist.

klmck63

Oct. 30, 2009, 08:20 PM

I think if we all post, the list will be huge. :lol:

My senior year in high school, I broke my right wrist. Had a show the next weekend, it was just a short cast, so I got permission to show without a jacket. Had a great show, won lots of ribbons, until my last class of the day...had a great course until the last jump. Horse jumped big on the out part of the in and out, my cast got in the way, I fell off...and broke my left wrist.

I did the EXACT same thing except instead of breaking my other wrist I road rashed my face. I actually had no problem riding in a cast.

When I asked the doctor if I could continue to ride he said "Oh, you ride horses? Trails and things? Sure, sure." I just nodded and smiled :)

PNWjumper

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:10 PM

My back has never been the same since getting left behind at a jump when I was sixteen. I kept riding, finished the lesson with tears in my eyes, but I'll be damned if I let one fall or said a word to my trainer during the lesson. I dismounted, sliding off the horse and onto the ground...I couldn't walk it hurt so bad. I was off a horse for a week.

I had to laugh when I read this. If ever there was a sport in which the athletes (at least the human half) all have the similar screw loose in their brains...

When I was 16 or 17 I was riding my Junior Jumper in a clinic with a local BNT. He had us going over a 4' - 4'6" course and I inadvertantly took an end fence on an angle and took out the standard with my kneecap. I didn't say anything because I couldn't talk without bursting into tears I was in so much pain. But then the trainer put the fences up to 5' with a couple at 5'3"+ and had me go around again. I. could. not. resist. the lure of the gigantic fences (oh how I wish I still had that completely fearless streak in me!). I nailed it the next time and was on cloud nine. The trainer asked me how it felt and I started to say "great!" but all that came out was a sob and I literally collapsed off of the horse. My knee was HUGE by the time I slithered/fell off. Dunno if I did anything serious to it since I never went to a doctor, but it was tough to walk on for a couple of weeks.

To my teenaged brain it was worth every last sliver of pain to jump big big fences at home. :yes: Who am I kidding? I'd probably do the same thing today! :lol:

pinkme

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:32 PM

I fx 3 vertabrae when a horse fell down with me. I rode and did barn work for 2 weeks before my mom descided I wasnt just sore from the fall and took me to the Dr. I was riding in less than 3 months.
I dislocated my hip when a little mare stoped then descided she would go over the jump.
I cracked my jaw on each side when my mare jumped a tiny brick wall (2'3'') like something might eat her. I smacked the brim on my helmet on her neck, which wasnt tight enough (you know the trend to have GPA chin straps loose). GPA went behind my head and did the jaw damage. Got back on, and rode some more horses too.
I broke my foot 2 weeks before JAX. I just left my boot on for 2 days ( gross i know) b/c i was afraid to take it off. By that time, the swelling had pretty much gone away.
oh the things we do. I am currently riding/ living with a broken wrist that requires surg, untill then I descided I have too much to do to be in a cast.

Gunnar

Oct. 30, 2009, 09:55 PM

While riding in a Don Sachey clinic, Bodie slipped and fell, landing on my foot! While i wanted to burst into tears I bucked up, climbed back on and continued! My broken foot screamed at me over every jump. Twelve weeks in a cast I did not ride! Horses falling down is my worst fear. !

Currently I am recovering from a badly fractured tibial plateau. I cannot imagine getting on a horse! I am at twelve week post surgery but still cannot walk! Never, ever break your leg in this manner. The worst part is that I tripped and fell down after a long day of spectating at Menlo Charity Horsehow. I should have been riding that day instead of walking!:sadsmile:

Good luck to us all!!:sadsmile:

worth_the_wait08

Oct. 30, 2009, 11:00 PM

Geeze, my injuries are nothing compared to all of y'all's!

My worst injury was a shattered collarbone that required surgery to put screws and pins in. Too-loose saddle and a skinny, downhill, bucking pony gave me that lovely memento. I was riding less than a month later

Fell off when a mare pulled a dirty stop and wound up with a dislocated elbow-got right back on and got her around the course before the pain started to set in

I also have scoliosis which results in frequent, severe muscle pain in my back while riding

I've also ridden with a crushed foot and concussions before as well

BonhamsMom

Oct. 30, 2009, 11:18 PM

This is my first post on COTH and I must say, it is quite apropos....A few years ago I fractured my L3 vertabrae in my back and rode a few weeks later however; I am a young professional and today I had a hard fall coming off a horse who spooked while I was dismounting. I came down HARD on my left knee (which was locked straight; BONUS!) and just returned from the ER (crutches, knee brace, torn ACL or Meniscus?) and I have an eleven month old son. I use homeopathy and took Arnica Montana after my fall but it was still not enough.

The man who took my x-rays called me his "second bravest patient"---although he did tell me to stop crying twice. I guess I came in second to a woman who had her arm dislocated in a bronc riding accident (in Connecticut nonetheless)! I am in pain, wondering how I am going to teach four lessons on Sunday, and show our new working student around, and have eleven horses that I ride on a weekly basis but.....being a Mommy comes first and I am no good hopping around after a wobbly just-learning-to-walk infant, so I am going to let this one heal properly for once.

Moocow

Oct. 30, 2009, 11:31 PM

Wow, I am feeling so much better after reading some of these! I haven't had anything too major yet, knock on wood, but here's my list!

Jammed wrist which came with a concussion and a partially dislocated shoulder (if that's possible?) which I never went to the doctor for. In fact it was probably 4+ years before I realized there was something wrong with (it always hurt and made weird grinding noises but I thought nothing of it) that shoulder when I fell off a pony and put that shoulder back into place but popped the other shoulder out while I was at it! Now they both pop in and out whenever they feel like it. Oh, I also popped some ribs out of place, but they are still out - haven't bothered to get them fixed and the fall was probably 8 years ago!

Broke my tail bone apparently (it's now bent in at a 90 degree angle, but I didn't discover this until 7 years later when I went to go see an osteopath) as well as got whiplash. The collar of my show shirt apparently supported my neck well enough because as soon as I took it off after I finished up at the show, my neck swelled out past my jaw line! I couldn't turn my head for the first couple days, but after that I was riding again. Had a concussion with this fall as well, but I told the emergency workers I was a-okay. Also had a couple more concussions with falls that didn't do much other damage. Oh, and I've also had whip-lash two other times - once from falling hard on my side and hitting my head and another from being on the back of a bike going 300+km/h.. wweeeeee!!

Hhmm what else.. Broke my ring finger on my right hand twice, both while leading horses that decided to take off (still can't figure out how it happened). So the finger is now twisted and there's a nobby part sticking out - gross! Broke my index finger on my right hand while sliding a stall door with bars and somehow not removing my one finger from between the moving and stationary bars. I heard all three of those breaks ... eeewww. Also broke my toe, but like others, decided to keep my boot on for a while and that helped with the swelling.

My back is also horrible and a lot of it I think is stemming from my old tailbone injury. It makes me stand really upright to compensate for the pain therefore making me walk differently. All because of that tailbone I have problems with my ankles, knees, hips, back... eek! I will know more when I go to the doctor on Monday! I just had to leave my full-time grooming job because I was in such chronic excruciating pain (talk about not being able to even pick up feed buckets anymore!) so that sucks.

Oh! I've also been kicked in the face, but luckily I only caught the tail end of the kick, as well as managing to get my hand up between hoof and face. So I only had a bruised hand and some of my cheek was torn up on the inside. That one kind of hurt, but it wasn't so bad - could have been so much worse!

Twilight85

Oct. 30, 2009, 11:36 PM

Broken femur, June of 2009. Totally sick of being a fat crippled old lady so I am starting riding again Nov. 15. Physical therapy - pfft!!!

Lone

Oct. 31, 2009, 12:00 AM

Broke my ankle and tore all the major ligaments on the outside of the ankle (they disconnected from the bone and took off a few bone chips). It hurt, but I didn't realize it was too serious. Kept riding for another 3 months and took my C2 rating in Pony Club on it before going to the dr and realizing it was broken!

I've had two surgeries on my ankle and have always been back in the saddle as soon as I'm off crutches! The work without stirrups is great!

Troispony

Oct. 31, 2009, 12:49 AM

Mine aren't nearly as bad as some of yours!

When I was little I broke my arm in 3 places. The next two days I was riding and I didn't want to tell my trainer so I borrowed one big glove to put over my cast and she didn't find out until my mom told her. I showed that weekend and I was so so worried the judge would notice the cast that I spent most of the class tugging on my coat sleeve :D

Also rode with broken toes, tendinitis in both wrists, a sprained ankle, both kneecaps off track, and two self-diagnosed concussions (one from my friend knocking me off my chair before my class at a horse show, the other during a flat lesson when a lazy schoolie tripped over himself and fell)

Oh, the things we do for riding :winkgrin:

DressageFancy

Oct. 31, 2009, 12:55 AM

Gee, I've been riding since I was 19 (which was about 37 eons, I mean years ago) and I have managed to only dislocate one shoulder (young horse fell with me), break one toe (that I am sure about!), and totally blew the joint in my ring finger. I was back in the barn again with staples in my arm. No one else going to take care of/ exerise the horses. (I secured my elbow to my side with a dog collar and belt so I wouldn't forget and raise my arm.) Someday someone will have to drag my dead body off a horse and/or out of the barn!!

Surly Sue

Nov. 1, 2009, 05:06 PM

Various unknown painful events that didn't warrant a trip to the Dr. in my expert opinion :lol: One emergency room visit for a concussion. No biggie. Must have fractured a few fingers - have to get my wedding ring sized up every couple of years as my middle joint on that finger continues to calcify over time... when will I learn to keep my fingers closed over fences??? :lol:

justathought

Nov. 1, 2009, 06:56 PM

This is an interesting thread - maybe horrifying would be more appropriate.

As an elite competitor in a different sport, continuing to compete with the type of injuries listed here is not unique to riding (although the fact that riders are mounted - and the horse performs - allows riders to compete where some other elite athletes would be physically unable.

However, it strikes me that there are far too many injuries here that put the rider (and the horse) at greater risk for further injury and/or for may contribute to lifelong/chronic disability. The message sent - whether intended or not - to young riders to "be tough" and "work through the pain" EVEN when time off the the appropriate is simply wrong.

There are any nymber of injuries that one can work through - but many here are WAY beyond that

... as someone who functions with a chronic sport injury that could have healed with rest and treatment, acknowledging poor decisions about continuing to ride with injuries and creating a climate that respects and encourages young athletes to take care of their welfare is really important.

Amigo

Nov. 1, 2009, 07:08 PM

Wow compared to some of the situations I've read I feel very lucky!

I've been fallen on before on my leg and hip, gotten up and ridden the same horse and two others after in a lot of pain.

I've sprained my ankle and refused to use crutches at the barn, so I would just pull off my stirrups and ride that way.

I broke a bone in my hand when a pony took off with me and rode with some tape around it for a week before discovering the injury.

I've ridden for almost a month with a concussion until I found that my helmet had a giant dent in it and decided to get "that weird pain in my head" checked out. ;)

And then there was the time I finally learned to get to the middle of the jump when I was riding a small junior hunter and hit the standard. Mind you the standard was very thick and did not move when my leg hit it, dislocating my knee. I rode of course the next day with a soft brace outside my britches. :cool:

rizzodm

Nov. 1, 2009, 07:28 PM

I fell off yesterday and my lower back and neck are killing me. It's hard to get up hard to sit down but I managed to get on the horse today:)
It's kind of funny though because now I'm at home on the couch acting like a baby and can't do anything. I don't think its clicked yet in my hubby's brain that I was able to ride so I should be able to do things around the house:lol:

Dawn

Acertainsmile

Nov. 1, 2009, 07:43 PM

Last fall I rode with a broken ring finger. Never went to the doctor because I knew he would put a splint on. Went with DH to the doctor months later and was told it probably needed a pin in it. Thanks but no thanks.

In my younger days I rode/showed with a cast (broken arm) and broke a pony with my broken foot (also in a cast)... didnt get to do any showing with the cast on the foot though.

worth_the_wait08

Nov. 2, 2009, 12:26 AM

Broken Tailbone, bruised rib cage, broken fingers, broken toes and a torn labia... yea that last one was awful

How did that last one happen, if you don't mind my asking :eek:

Simbalism

Nov. 2, 2009, 12:39 AM

I fell and got dragged and broke my tail bone and rode the next day(in a 1/2 seat). I also fractured a bone in my foot playing soccer and continued to ride with it. I broke my hip and elbow, and although I was on crutches for 3 months( I was good and didn't ride) I got on and rode the day they told me I didn't need crutches anymore.

fourmares

Nov. 2, 2009, 12:51 AM

Mostly I just don't go to the doctor... I know I had a broken rib, a broken finger, a badly sprained ankle (took the sturrips off the saddle), a cracked or badly injured shoulder (never went to the doctor) , broken foot, whip lash... those are the ones I remember...

bumknees

Nov. 2, 2009, 05:54 AM

mmm sounds like we have a new clique.. The walking wounded..

Lets see..
2 bad knees which have been 'bad' for over 30 yrs.. ( gymnastics when younger pre june 1976) no carteledge, who knows the condition of tendons and ligaments assume they are still attched as I can still walk and stand. All I know every ortho dr I go to when they hear my knees creak and crack they want to inject and take xrays..
torn rotator cuff ( reaching for something on table)
not properly set ankle( fall off horse down a bank, over tree stump and over bush,,)
hip ( birth defect)
rode shortly after major surgery of the neurological type all dr's concerned had several litters of kittens when they found out..
cracked tail bone ( fall off wucked sm pony)

florida foxhunter

Nov. 2, 2009, 07:49 AM

Ha, ha.........count me in that clique! I have broken my neck (really) from a buck 15 years ago, had my left hand stepped on so badly I now wear a ring size 2.5 sizes bigger than I used to.(that was from a deer scaring a youngster in the woods)......have spinal stenosis in the lower back (although I just saw a fantastic doctor in Columbus GA at the Spinal Therapy Clinic that I think has unlocked my problem and is helping me a LOT). I also ride with NO carpel bones in my right wrist from surgery required from a undiagnosed break of my "navicular bone" (I never knew people HAVE navicular bones.....but they do in wrists and ankles and breaks are often missed in xrays (I had two).......I sure learned that the hard way). Fortunately for my ego at least, that break happened when I was driving my mule (NO, I don't own a mule or drive......it was a Kawosaki (sp?) farm vehicle) but now my wrist doesn't bend and I have to ride with a splint (if I fell and caught myself with my right hand I'd be in big trouble).........oh, and you should see my arthritus in my fingers!!!
Of course, I foxhunt (leading the field), show hunters, and train youngsters.......The only way I'll give up riding is when I am totally unable.........and then I'll be arguing for another smoother, quieter horse to keep on going (which I have in my barn right now, bringing along as a four year old!). I have it figured out.........he'll be 20 when I'm 80! We can retire together (or maybe I'll start driving then, just joking!!)

forestergirl99

Nov. 2, 2009, 06:50 PM

Well my list isn't as impressive as some of you guys, but I'm only 15. lol

I've cracked my tailbone twice.

Got kicked by a horse with shoes about 4 months ago, and yet somehow didn't break my arm. Now I just have a dent in my arm, random shooting pain, and it hurts when i rub across it.

Cracked a bone in my foot. Was supposed to where my boot cast thing for 2 weeks. Wore it for 2 days. lol.

And then there is just the normal back pain and knee pain. Sometimes I get random hip pain.

It's just part of the sport. :lol: If you think you can work with 1000lbs animals on the daily basis and not get hurt, well you're just crazy. lol