Broken Pinky Riding Horses?
Tuesday Morning I broke my little finger when my horse Reared back and snapped a cross tie and the metal piece hit my finger so hard it broke my bone all the way through. It hurts but if I wrap my ring finger and my little finger together then I could ride with my reins in between my index and middle, I ride english. The orthopedist said not to ride for three whole weeks. I am fourteen and going for an equestrian scholarship so I realize I need to be extra careful that it heals properly, but three weeks sounds awful. I understand maybe I’ll go without jumping but not even any flatwork! The doctor said if I cause the bone to slide over so it is no longer even with the other part of the bone then I’ll need pins put in but if it’s properly wrapped with my splint I should be fine right?
Kayley – I did the same thing a few years ago and through doing it found that I have a bone cyst – a void in the bone of my pinky finger that makes the bone kind of like a straw. I will always be in danger of breaking it if I am not careful. I am supposed to be taping the 3rd and 4th fingers together when I ride, but I am stupid and I don’t, one day surely I’ll pay for that stubbornness.
I suggest that you speak with your doctor about the situation – is your hand in a cast? If so, you are endangering your self by riding without the full range of motion required to properly control the horse and you cannot cue him properly as he should be. If you are not in a cast, you do have a very fragile situation until that bone starts to heal – you cannot predict the actions of your horse – if he simply steps wrong and knocks you down even a little and your hand is bumped, you could injur it further requiring pins. Waiting 3 weeks now might just mean avoiding having to wait 6 months later – which is worse?
Have you tried explaining your situation to the doctor and asking him to alter whatever is protecting your hand, or adding protection somehow that will minimize the potential for further injury allowing you to do limited work whether flat or groundwork for the 3 weeks? this would be my first suggestion. An understanding doctor will do his best to help you out and will understand your situation but still will not suggest you do things likely to hurt you. I was lucky, my doctor who was a hand specialist, was a horse person. He knew what activities were likely to hurt me and he cast my hand mostly so I couldn’t bump it and injure it more while doing simple things like just cleaning the stall and handling the horses. In my situation, I could stay off for a few weeks, but I couldn’t forego proper care and feeding of my animals so he assisted me in doing what was absolutely necessary.
I’ll tell you another story _ I’ve had back surgery twice and my mother’s had it twice. When she was in the hospital the 2nd time, her roomie was a gal who jumped horses – not even as a living, just a hobby. The young gal was in for her 2nd surgery in a year. The Dr. had told her to stay off the horses for 12 weeks after her first surgery and she’d disobeyed his orders. The result was re-injury again – she would now need to stay off for 6 months. she told me, and I’ll never forget it, that she simply could not stay off. she’d get back on and probably never walk if she injured it again. I could not help at that time wondering why a person couldn’t take 3-6 months to get completely healthy then have decades ahead to ride. She ended up back again for a 3rd surgery and was told she’d never ride again. I lost track after that – but it was so sad. Later, when I had my surgery, I stayed off for the 3 months and was very careful when I went back. It wasn’t the actual riding, it was the tacking up and hauling water and feed that would injure me- lifting or twisting more than 5 lbs. would hurt it again. So I stayed off. I was then 99% as healthy as I had been, but injured it again a couple years later throwing hay bales out of a mow – I felt invincible, ended up twisting too much and injured it. Now I have no reflexes in my right leg, suffer muscle atrophy (the muscle has diminished) in that leg which causes me difficulty riding. I can ride and lift as well as I use my brain and do it correctly.
Don’t give up many months or years for a simple 3 weeks now. You are likely young enough to make a full recovery if you are smart – if you can’t get help from the doc being safe, stay off. 3 weeks isn’t long – especially if you’re over 40. The horse can get plenty of exercise just lunging even 20 minutes or a half hour each day.
Tie-down roping and horseback riding is really fun to watch
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