# Broke my leg



## texasgal

I just wanted to say that I am sorry .. Heal quickly .. ride soon!


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## autumnheart

Oh no! That stinks! So sorry to hear that. I really hope you start feeling better soon. I would be very discouraged if I thought it would be a whole year or more before I could ride again, so I can imagine you must feel very down about that. 
I've never been seriously injured before, never broke a bone or anything, so I can't say I've had a time where I wasn't able to ride. Hopefully someone else will have their opinions on how long you'll have to wait.


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## BlueSpark

i broke mine brushing a stallion. He was stung by a bee and jumped backwards, catching my leg. Didn't need any platees or screws. A few months after I was on the old dead broke gelding riding stirrupless. Be optimistic, it will get better


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## ChemE

Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement. This is just another test that we're going through right now and we'll make it through. It may be a long road but I will learn a lot in my journey. I tell myself to be patient but I miss riding everyday! I guess I'm having withdrawals.


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## BooBear

Well, I'm not exactly the voice of reason, but here's my experience:

Back in 2007 I broke my ankle falling off of my guy when he spooked. The doctor told me no riding for 6 weeks. I was back on 3 days later. It probably wasn't a good idea, but I felt I was ready and I guess I was. Just listen to your body and you'll know when it's safe for you to get back on. Having metal plates and screws might make it take a bit longer, but listen to yourself and trust yourself to make the right decision. =)


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## smrobs

Wow, that's a horrible way to end a ride. I've never broken my leg (yet), but I have broken both arms.

When I was 9, I was riding a horse that a doctor friend of ours was considering buying for his daughters, who were younger than I was. My brother and I were loping down a road when the horse I was on saw the boogeyman in the bushes and he darted left. I didn't and when I landed, I shattered my left arm. My story is very similar to BooBear's. 1 pin, 4 screws, and an external fixator later, doctor said absolutely no horses for at least 8 weeks or until the fixator was removed and I was put into a normal cast.

Within just a few days of getting home, though, I pestered my parents enough to let me back on my old bombproof horse.

With it being a leg, though, that's different as you really need to be able to _use_ it to ride. I would want to wait until I could at least walk around on it without the aid of crutches, then, when I started back riding, I would do it slowly and probably ride without stirrups for a while.

You just take your time and get well, you're horse will still be there for you no matter if it takes you 3 days or 3 months. If you want to ride, then by golly, go ride. Just take it slow and only do what you feel completely, 100% safe doing.


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## ls6firebird

dont be stupid and ride with plates and screws in your leg!!!! it takes a long time for all that to heal right. i shattered the lower part of my tibia and my ankle (at work, not horse related). i started with 3 screws and had 2 more added later with an internal bone stimulator. i ended up with 5 surgeries total. i never did anything to hurt the healing process. just wanted to make sure ya realize that if theres screws and plates, its not just a simple break that they throw a cast on and call it good. like i said, i never did anything i wasnt supposed to with mine, and it still didnt heal back the way it was supposed to and i ended up losing my leg below the knee


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## ohmyitschelle

I have a very similar experience. In 2009 I was riding my mare with another horse, and we had a freak accident which made my mare bolt. On a sharp corner back to home I managed to lose a stirrup and fell off landing completely on my right leg. I broke both my tibia and fibula cleanly and have a metal rod right down my and two screws. I can COMPLETELY sympathise with how you're feeling right now as I was there also. It took me eight months to walk full weight on that leg (with crutches as aid) - but don't be alarmed - I had a previous weak right leg from an ongoing knee injury, and so this did contribute. My recovery was incredibly slow to a lot of medical politics and not as much support as one would hope for. I pray for you that you're getting the right kind of support and physiotherapy from your team over there. Are you getting any help with the muscle groups in your leg? It's incredibly important in the upcoming weeks to slowly improve with medical supervision. I was given the wrong information in the first 8weeks, and didn't attempt to walk because of it. I had little physiotherapy support to keep the muscles from weakening further, and thus was in a wheelchair for some time. When time to see the specialist, he asked why I wasn't walking - his advice had been not to! Anyways, with your own healing ability aside, it relies heavily on your willpower and motivation. I'll be honest with you. Everything was a mission. I became depressed watching people around me being able to walk themselves to the darn toilet or shower by themselves. Not being able to look after my horses (I had two at the time) also got me further in the dumps and it led to eating extra - not a good idea! 

In the end I snapped out of my depression and put in the hard yards. It was blimmin' hard work and three years later I still suffer from the cold with the metal rod freezing my leg over in winter or feeling irritated in the summer. Sometimes I feel incredibly weak through that leg, and still can to this day feel the fracture line aching even though it's healed! But after 8months, I started to walk with a limp for short bursts, by 10months I could walk for much longer. I was able to ditch the crutches around that time too. About 11 months after the accident I rode a mare who I used to own who I knew inside out and was safe as. A few days later I rode my mare I fell off of and I'm so glad I stuck at it to get to that point. It took a further two years to convince myself I was actually okay to ride, and apart from being in and out of the saddle, since Jan this year Honey and I have been rather solidly making our way back to where we were pre accident.

I have to say being back around my horses, even on crutches was the BEST medicine for my injury (okay maybe second, I quite liked that morphine drip I was attached to in the first two days in hospital, would have LOVED to have taken it home in the first two weeks back at home which were hellish for me haha :lol. If you can, try and visit your horse - when you're moving again. Even being able to groom him in the future WILL lift your spirits and give you a sense of 'returning' to your responsibilities as a horse owner. Be diligent in your recovery but don't overdo it - I had a couple of setbacks because I tried to do too much. Allow your body to dictate, but don't ignore your mind too much... sometimes it pays off to push a little harder, and sometimes you're just being foolish. You are the best at knowing your own habits to judge this.

Good luck with your recovery, I'm wishing you a much better one than myself! If you want any more info or support, please contact me. I'd be happy to be there to help in any way I can, as I know what you're feeling all too well!


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## Susan Crumrine

Well I also got bucked off and broke my tib/fib
It was a very bad break and I have a titanium rod, plates and screws.
I was in a wheelchair because I had broken my right ankle the year before.
It hurts some every day. I don't mind, some days, when I limp, I just think about Dr House, he makes the limp look good. HAHA>
Just take your time and follow the Dr's orders and in no time you will be riding again!


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## ChemE

Ohmyitschelle, wow what a recovery! Your experience is the type that I keep reading about. My Docs instructions are to be non weight bearing for 6-8 weeks. Guess it depends on what the X-rays show. It's been 4 and my thigh is getting pretty skinny. I do some leg lifts everyday to get circulation and to keep strength. I just know my calf muscle and all other ligaments are just atrophying. I will work hard at PT but I know that it will be difficult. Thanks for sharing your story. 

Susan, do you remember how long after your accident before you rode again?


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## Susan Crumrine

I am a surgeon's worst nightmare. He called me "rambunctious.." 
PLEASE don't do what I did. I don't know if my limp is because the break was so bad or because I could not seem to follow the DR's orders. He did say it was a very bad break and refused to show me the before pics. 
I do not remember how it broke, but he thinks Stetson landed on it (he was still bucking...long after I hit the dirt.....)
I was riding regularly, probably nine months. 
Because my plates and screws are on the inside of my ankle and right below the knee on the inside, it does bother me when I ride.
I hope yours is not so bad!!


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## ChemE

it's real bad. The tib broke in 5 pieces. The bone came out of the skin just above my paddock boot. I was crazy and looked at the pictures from the ER. It was like those gruesome broken legs from haunted houses. If you're brave, type compound fracture tib/fib in google and look at images. Yuck! Both bones were put back together with lots of plates and screws. I imagine they will bother me when I ride, but at least I will be riding!


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## Susan Crumrine

Yeah my leg aches all the time.
The screws need to be cut down some...you can see them sticking up under my skin...Lol
It hurts to ride stock horses, gaited not so much.


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## ohmyitschelle

I also find it hard to ride sometimes as my fracture area sometimes aches and my foot regularly goes numb. I also have issues when trotting that my stirrup leather rubs my leg and annoys the tibia that has the rod in it. For me I too was told non weight bearing. Apparently that has more than one meaning!! I can't look at my X-rays they give me the heebie jeebies. I also have a little lump on the bone where it had a bit of calcification I think occurred. Sometimes I'll touch it by accident and sit there shuddering. 
At the moment there's an ad on tv about degeneratal arthritis in the knee joint. My other injury involves my knee and so whenever I hear the crunching noise of that I have spasms throughout that leg. My accident has made me incredibly squirmish!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Susan Crumrine

my surgeon stuck my rod in through my left kneecap! It was months before I got sensation back and then I wished I didn't. I have the lumps too...
I guess it's the price we pay...LOL


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## ohmyitschelle

Mine was put in at the base of my kneecap area and it loosen it all up!! Not good as my kneecap comes out momentarily whenever it pleases and puts me on crutches everytime. 
I'm just thankful that I can still ride and will continue to even though it's painful, it's just a reminder to let me know where I've been and how much I love my sport and horse!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Saddlebag

When I broke the plateau I followed doctor's orders to a T and it healed in very good time. The proof was in the xrays. With fractures involving joints it's best to follow orders. When people get anxious and use the joint too soon there is a high risk of losing the limb. I'd rather follows orders and keep mine.


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## WickedNag

I broke my leg very badly... 23 months in a full length cast, 5 months bed rest and 3 surgeries, the leg was broken if 5 spots and the Achilles tendon was torn off. I broke my leg in Feb. Started riding again the next spring. Had a great horse that didn't mind me mounting from the other side after my husband put me up in the bed of the truck and was ok if the cast would bump her once in a while.


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## Ladytrails

I have never broken a leg but last spring I broke my wrist. I had my son's wedding in 5 weeks so I was determined to be out of the cast and did some research - eat lots of cottage cheese, cheese curd for a quicker recovery. They contain something called K2 which is responsible for laying down the foundation for baby new bone cells to attach during the healing process. Without adequate K2, healing will be slower. My fracture was, according to the dr, worse than he originally thought but it healed faster than usual. I was out of the cast for the wedding. 

I know your fracture is way, way worse than mine but maybe this will help you; it's relatively new research and it takes a while to get out into the medical community sometimes. Best of luck, I imagine you're going nuts with boredom!


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## ChemE

Yep, going nuts here. Nothing else to do. I typically never watch TV or just sit around. I work a lot then play hard. It's all come to a standstill. Thankfully I like cottage cheese and have been eating it. I have also stopped drinking alcohol, coffee and soda. Increased drinking milk and fortified orange juice. Tried some bed yoga today. That felt nice.


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## ohmyitschelle

I hated sitting around doing nothing too. I'm a uni student so I had to defer my first semester... by the time the second one rolled around I was granted the opportunity to study completely from home... passed both papers with good grades so I was pleased considering I never went to a single lecture!! 
But I actually got a guinea pig as a new friend in my darkest part of recovery. We had her in a cage on wheels so I could take responsibility for her and she pulled me out of my funk as I was able to look after her sitting down. If it wasn't for her, I probably would have struggled far more than I did to get up and on with things!


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## dee

Drink Comfrey tea - it's called "the Bone Knit Herb." Doesn't taste very good, but it does seem to help. I broke my ankle many years ago and was in a walking cast. Walked a little too far in the pasture and was in agony...1/2 mile from the house. My mare at the time was normally quite a pill, but she was very obliging when I called her over to the stump I was sitting on. She carried me up to the gate with no tack whatsoever, cast and all. Hubby met us at the gate and chewed me out royally, but Sugar, my mare, got a scoop of oats for being such a good girl!

I broke my foot last June. My current mare, Dancer, is a LOT taller than Sugar was, and I have a feeling she would not be nearly as obliging, so I didn't go down to the pasture unless I was on the tractor.


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## Sare1843

Hi there,
I too am bedridden. Through my own fault I broke my left hip and right tibia. I will be friends with my wheelchair for 3 months. I think you have 
Many good reasons to be scared and depressed - me too. I missed my 
First horse show ever.
I have decided to compartmentalize my depression and fear. I divide my days into parts. Getting ready for day; going out for a bit; taking a nap; 
Doing a hobby for a bit; emailing friends; trying something new each day that I couldn't do before; visiting with friends; visiting my horse; and so on.
You get the idea. I own this rehab it doesn't own me.
Try an online course. Invest in an iPad - it helps so much to keep in touch
With the world. I don't know what the future will bring to me but horses will
Be a part of it. I will set my own limitations.
Eat and rest well. I sleep best with my legs higher than my head.
Find what works for you. Sorry if this seems bossy. It's just what is
Working for me. This forum is great. Kind regards, karen


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## Saddlebag

When I broke my knee and wore a bent knee cast, no weight bearing I had someone park the quad near the bottom step. With crutches I was able to get on the quad and at least water the horses and visit with them. I healed in good time, perhaps from the vibration. The quad gave me freedom as I couldn't drive - my truck had a clutch.


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## ChemE

*Update*

So it's been 7.5 weeks and wanted to post an update in case there is anyone else out there who searches this site for comfort. I've been in PT for about 3 weeks now working on range of motion for my ankle. Saw the doctor last week at 6.5 weeks and he gave the ok to be 50% weight bearing. So I'm still on crutches but now able to touch down and start strengthening. I am still in bed most of the time when im not in PT. It still hurts a lot and swells like crazy. However it's all healing well. Doctor expects me to be walking without crutches on 5/16! It'll be a total of 10.5 weeks. I guess that is good even though it feels like an eternity. 

My horse is doing well. I have such nice friends that are bathing and riding him for me. At least I won't have to bring him back into work when I get better. He just came back from being lame for 3 months in January. That was not fun!

For anyone else out there recovering from an injury, stay positive and you will get better! Time heals all wounds.


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## dee

Glad to hear that your recovery is progressing well. The swelling will continue off an on for a long time. When I broke my foot last June, it took _forever_ for the pain and swelling to subside and for my foot to look normal. I suppose it didn't help any that Dancer accidentally stepped on my foot just prior to my "accident." (Her stepping on my wasn't what broke it - it was just bruised up pretty good.)

It wasn't until just this weekend that I was able to get my boots back on. I'll be ready to ride as soon as my son in law gets around to building my mounting block!


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## Couperjack

Hi
I am 3 1/2 weeks into breaking my arm. Let's just say until you break a bone you don't know how helpless you feel. In addition, the meds they give you for pain you can get addicted too fast. Mine was over a jump and he just launched me. I'm told I need to tuck and roll but it happens fast. The x Rays can freak you out too, complete break. I hope I'm not scared to ride again. I was leasing him but now feel he could do it again. In fact he has 3 days later. To someone else. He was always so steady Eddie as I would call him. It's scary and depressing not being able to lift anything, open jars, bottles etc. I'm at Thermal going to watch some riders and horses. Don't know how to feel....


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## Purplelady

Hello . I hope every one on this page who has broke a bone is feeling a lot better and it will not take to long before you,s are back on your lovely horse . I have broken a arm and a leg when l was very young not at the same time thou and not because of my horse as he was not bought for me till after I was married and son was a bit older . Take care all and sorry for going of mean story in add . Purplelady
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Saddlebag

Altho it must have been four years since the plateau broke, my knee still swells a bit from the vibration of a vehicle. After a ride to the next town, about 30 min, caution must be exercised when getting out of the vehicle.It walks out within a few minutes.


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