# Broken ankle healing time?



## JessieleeZ

I broke my ankle and tore some ligaments in a fall early this spring, I got the all clear to ride but am still having A LOT of problems. I cant get my heel down as far as needed/i would like and after a good canter or gallop im in insane pain  it screws up my entire leg. Ive tried everything, different saddles/stirrups, smoother horse ( lol ) different boots and different braces. Im guessing it just needs more time to heal up 100%, As soon as i get some extra $ Im going to go see a sports physical therapist but in the mean time i was wondering if anyone else has had similar injury's and what your healing time was like.


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## pepperduck

I broke my ankle almost 4 years ago now. I basically shattered my tibia and my fibula was in pieces. I now have plates and screws that will always be there. I broke my ankle in August and had my first surgery the next day. I started riding with my cast on (my doctor hates me) two weeks after I broke my leg. I was only walking. I was in my cast for 6 weeks, then I was put into a walking cast but I was NOT allowed to put weight on my leg until the middle of December. I did start seeing a physical therapist when I got the walking cast, and that really helped. I was riding, but riding without stirrups which helped to build my leg muscles back up but was not straining the joint. The first week I was able to walk in December I slipped on the ice and torn a tendon. So I was back to no weight for the next month. Then I had a second surgery. Another month with no weight on my leg. SO total of 7 months. I didn't have enough money to continue with the physical therapy for my leg which was really too bad. It is well worth the money and really helps. Be honest with them and tell them you can't afford it for long and the one I went to was great about working out a plan and giving me exercises to work towards and things I could do even when I couldn't see her anymore. 

4 years later I can still ride, but my ankle is not 100% to where it was, but I can get my ankle down and still ride well. I cannot run, it puts too much force on my joint and it swells. My physical therapist did NOT want me to wear a brace because they said it will get stronger if don't. I had to go back to my surgeon this past year because I was getting stiff, and I started going back to the physical therapist. 

My ankle is never going to be 100%. I had a horrible break, so I hope yours was not as bad as mine. It doesn't inhibit my riding though. I am really stiff and sore afterwards, and sometimes I ice it if I had an intense ride. There are just some things that I know I can't do anymore, like run (but I hated that anyway). 

Sorry for the novel :lol:


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## WickedNag

I broke mine in Feb of 1988 and finally got out of my last cast in Jan of 1990. Yep, 23 months in a cast and most of that was in a full length cast. I did learn to ride horse in my cast. 

I tore off the Achilles tendon, broke the ankle in three spots and the leg in two (horse accident) I had three surgeries and though it will never be 100% I do just fine with it. 

Good Luck to you!


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## Piaffe

My ankle (talus) was broke 7 months ago and still not close to healed  I hope it doesn't take too much longer!!! I need to get back to riding!

I can walk out of my cast/boot sometimes,but it still hurts and aches. 

Good luck and I agree you should go to a PT. I go 2-3 times a week and the flexibility of my ankle is excellent now...I had torn the main ligament too....now just the bone needs to get a move on....


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## livestoride

You can start range of motion exercises on your own at home to help build up more flexibitlity. Spell the alphabet in capital letters with your foot - it will burn before you get to Z and if it hurts stop where you are and build up to Z. Slow passive stretching against a wall with the injured leg behind you and knee straight with good leg bent in front will help stretch the Achilles. Hold for 10 seconds, repeat 10 times, 3 reps, twice a day. Start slow, don't bounce or force it or you can tear injured tendons/ligaments. Ice if it gets swollen. Get in to a PT when you can and let them know your end goal is to ride. Ankle fractures are bad injuries and can often lead to long term decreased motion, flexibility and some pain. You may just need to get comfort stirrups, have longer stirrups and live with a small reduction in pre injury abilities. Good luck!


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## Remington22

after surgery physical therapy is really essential for u because doctor do refer u through the physical therapist otherwise it can take so much time to heal after surgery......


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## CheyGurl17

3 years ago I was in a bad riding accident where my horse crushed me and slid on me for 100 ft. He went down so quickly, I had only enough time to pull up my leg. I was about to jump off, and it was too late. Granted we were galloping full speed and then suddenly went down. I spent a week in the hospital (in and out of surgeries to repair my ankle and foot, crushed it all). I was supposed to be on bed rest for 6 weeks, then maybe go back to school but keep it up mostly. Well on my second day home I was riding again (painful, and hard, but I learnt). 

Now 3 years later I still have metal in my ankle and foot, and many problems. I used to be a very good volleyball player too (I got asked to play on many top level teams). I'm only now beginning to run again, but only when I'm on t-3's. Riding hurts, but to me its way worth it. I was told this will be a life long thing, but should get better when I'm fully done growing because me growth plate is also in shatters, so my bones are litterly hitting against each other with a lot of force which causes my extreme pain (hence the little running ability). Once I'm done growing, the growth plate becomes bone (I think... or something like that) and should solve some of my problems. I also have phyiso almost the whole time. It helped. I did play volleyball again for a bit, until my ankle growth plate shattered for the last time (the shattering of the growth plate was due to playing volleyball with a fractured growth plate, and then I would take a week off and play again). 

I really hope your problems aren't as bad as mine, and that they never will be! It really really sucks, but riding is still worth it to me.


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