Well I really did it this time. Was going to go for a quick trail ride yesterday on my 4 yo colt. Even though I checked my girth 3x somehow as I got on the saddle slipped. Obviously they didn’t end well. After an ambulance ride to the trauma unit I gave compression fractures in L1 and L3 and I’m in a brace for the next 6 weeks.
This sucks.
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Oh no! I’m glad it wasn’t worse but that’s bad enough. Best wishes for good healing!
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How awful! I’m really sorry. I know first hand how much it sucks to be sidelined like this.
Don’t lose sight of the fact that you will recover, and you will be riding again.
Jingles for a speedy recovery.
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Don’t give in to frustration, boredom and the usual horseperson view that if there is no dripping blood and all four limbs are still attached it is OK to ride. Follow your rehab programme! Give yourself time to heal.
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Wow. That really sucks!
That happened to my sister when her 5 yo bolted and bucked her off. She was sidelined in a brace for about 3 months. That was the last draw with that horse, as much as she loved him, and she sold him to a friend who has a riding program nearby and who loves him. My sister still checks on him regularly. She’s back in the saddle now on a (somewhat, lol) steadier mount.
Patience is your friend. I feel for you!
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Ugh… Thank you all for the support. This is actually quite painful. Does anyone have any tips for pain relief or little tricks to accomplish daily tasks? Unfortunately even using the bathroom has become a challenge 
What did they give you for pain killers?
If you’re stuck with Tylenol, get the arthritis extended relief formula, it works better/longer than the regular extra strength stuff. I prefer naproxen; but NSAIDs can inhibit healing. Ice packs can help too.
At least you have a good story to go with this. My last ankle sprain was from stepping on a <1/2" diameter rock on asphalt. I was tempted to say that the pony went up, dumped me out of the bike and my foot got caught on the way out.
oh wow. That’s awful but at least you didn’t break it.
They gave me Robaxin and told me to take Tylenol. Haha. I have a stash of tramadol I’ll use if it gets really bad.
I feel awful for my colt. This is the first time anyone has come off of him, totally was not his fault. I hate for him to have had such a bad experience. He’s only got about 6 weeks under saddle.
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Rest. Plenty of rest. Pain is incredibly tiring and the more tired you get the bigger pain becomes. So rest as much as possible. Plan out your day. Minimize activities - so bin the inessential - and incorporate rest periods over the day into that plan. Then rest.
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It’s amazing how very far away even the toilet paper suddenly becomes.
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That is funny. You don’t realize how the tiniest tasks become impossible with an injury. I’ve got a shoulder injury right now and just taking off my socks is not possible with that arm.
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Last time I had surgery, I hired my cat sitter to come in & clean the litter boxes every couple days. I could manage most things, but litterboxes were not one of them. The biggest challenge was feeding the outside cat - there was a step out the front door. Reaching down to the floor was hard; reaching 5" below the floor was impossible. I got good at dropping the bowel so it didn’t flip. I had to use tongs (or the cat sitter) to get the outside bowl. The inside cats got fed at waist height.
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And I am so sorry to hear your story and hope you feel better soon. It does suck! Are you aware of online resources like Featherlight, Warwick Schiller, podcasts, etc? Could help you pass the time away and distract you with quality watching and listening.
Thanks. I listen to a few podcasts but I’ll definitely check out those you mentioned. I have lots of drawers I can go thru too lol
I got in this am at Mayo for second opinion so we shall see what they say about this . Hopefully they will call me back soon.
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How are you healing??
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I’m
Doing very well! Thank you for checking on me!
I rented a magnawave machine from a friend who did my horses and used it 3x a day.
My doctors could not believe how well I was healing and doing.
I’m back to riding, still have to be careful with lifting and twisting , but have next to no pain at all
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