Broken ribs - experiences, timeline, empathy...

[PNWjumper]

Murphy’s Law or maybe just rotten luck! My last jump school before 2 weeks of showing up in Canada and my 7yo mare got tangled in a fence and fell on the backside. I went one way, she went the other (thankfully!) and I landed full force on my left boob. 2 broken ribs later, I spent the last 2 weeks watching a trainer friend ride my two young sales horses, and left the two “big” horses sitting at home for some R&R while I went up and watched.

Ugh. So frustrating! This is the first time I’ve ever had my horses up at a show and haven’t been able to do anything with them. The rider was absolutely incredible and I couldn’t have been happier with the job she did with both horses, but still frustrating to not be the one doing it!

Anyhow, with the pity party out of the way, looking for stories. Have you broken ribs? How long did it take you to get back in the saddle? I started riding again (well, “riding”) 2 days after it happened, but it’s nothing close to normal. I can’t tolerate any jarring, so I crank my rib belt down and then post by barely touching the saddle and do everything else in two-point. For the first week I was able to do one normal ride (w/t/c) and then everyone else got mostly-walking trail rides. 2 weeks out I can make it through 3 horses for relatively normal hacks. But still sore enough that I can’t sit the trot or canter.

The doctors say not to ride for 6 weeks, but also I didn’t tell them that I was already riding again. I’m definitely being careful, but there’s just no way to give my crew that much time off. So I’m looking for stories of “horse people” (you know what I mean - those of us who are back at it way too soon :lol:) who have gone through the same thing. If it’s relevant, I landed on my boob and cracked 5&6 in the front.

Any stories about how long it took to be able to tolerate jarring (as in landing from a jump-type jarring)? Anything beyond a rib belt and pain killers that might help with general pain? I’ve been thinking about riding in draw reins or side reins (depending on the horse) for a little while until I can tolerate pressure on the reins again. I’ve also been riding my horses in my Equiband system to up the exercise component while I can’t ride them for as long as I would under normal circumstances.

[IFG]

So, I did not break my riba, but I got kicked in the chest, and it tore all of the connective tissue around the ribs. I tried riding after 2 weeks or so, and my horse took exception to my being so unbalanced. Took a few more weeks off, then back to normal. You totally have my sympathies.

[soloudinhere]

I fell 7 1/2 weeks ago and my horse fell on me. I broke two ribs, cracked my scapula, and have two grade 3 intercostal tears.

As far as the ribs, I’ve been riding since a week after the accident. The ribs feel fine now and so does the scapula.

The intracostal tears on the other hand really suck.

I wake up every morning very sore in the ribs and unable to turn. I can ride okay as long as the horse doesn’t pull on one side (thankfully mine does not) and I’ve only been jumping a little bit because if I fall again and rip the very faint healing that has happened, I am screwed.

I’d expect you will be feeling more normal at around 4 weeks. Be thankful you fell on your boob and not your side!

[UrbanHennery]

My horse stepped on my chest and fractured ribs 2&3 last fall. It also stretched all the cartilage along my sternum. Mine was different in that they were slightly displaced and it hurt to even breathe for nearly 4 weeks. I stayed off my horse for 9 weeks but there were other horse NQR factors in play.

Thay said, it was 2 weeks for them to stop moving, 4 weeks for it to stop hurting all the time (and for me to button my own pants) and at 6 weeks I think I could have ridden without signifant pain as long as no one was pulling hard on the right rein.

You have my total sympathy. It will suck until it doesn’t was my experience.

[Magicboy]

So sorry this happened t you. I’m recovering from a back problem and am really tired of watching someone else ride my horse! The real problem you face is how to ride without slowing down the healing. If you push yourself, it could take a lot longer to really heal. Give it some time and be cautious.

[Bogie]

Have you had an MRI to make sure you have no internal injuries? I broke a rib in a horse-related accident (not riding) and my MRI showed a bruised liver. My doctor told me that another fall could result in a serious situation so I stayed off my horse for four weeks. I did ride after that (including foxhunting at 6 weeks) but I will admit that it wasn’t that comfortable. Give yourself time to heal.

My daughter is currently recovering from a broken rib (rowing injury) and her doctor told her that the longer she rowed on it, the longer it would take to heal. She persevered because her team was going to the NCAA championships and now she is on a 2-3 month hiatus from rowing until it’s really better.

[PNWjumper]

I am amazed by the number of stories I’ve heard in person and here about people getting kicked in the ribs or stepped on (yikes, IFG and UrbanHennery!), resulting in truly terrifying injuries! :eek: I am feeling quite grateful that I’m not as injured as some of the stories I’ve heard! I saw all 4 feet flail around me, so I realize that getting stepped on was absolutely a possibility, and the thought crossed my mind as I laid there that I was glad that it was one of my mares who went down and not one of my geldings.

My thoughts and sympathies are with those of you still suffering the after effects. Soloudinhere - that sounds terrible! I don’t know that I’d say I feel grateful for falling on my boob, though I do realize it could have been much worse. But my friends who broke ribs on the side have said that they could tolerate jarring better than I seem to be able to (one was back to jumping the next day). So I’ve been wishing that I had fallen differently. But with what you have to say I suppose I should just be grateful that the damage seems to be isolated to the ribs themselves!

Bogie - I did not get an MRI. The doctor didn’t seem too terribly concerned about anything beyond the ribs themselves. But also, I asked to have as little done as possible - as much as I love co-pays, I wasn’t relishing the idea of having huge bills after the fact with no changes in the treatment plan. An MRI was never suggested, so I don’t know if that’s because the doctor was confident that it was isolated to my ribs or because I pushed for a minimalist approach.

MagicBoy - sorry you’re in the same boat! Frustrating to watch other people do what you want to be doing! And yes, my bigger fear with riding now is that I’m going to slow down healing and ultimately keep myself out of the saddle even longer.

I will say that I ended up putting draw reins on both of my big horses yesterday and that was kind of a game changer. It was killing me when they would root down or even lean on the contact a little as we hacked, and the draw reins have removed that element. I haven’t figured out anything for the babies yet since I don’t want to go the draw rein route with them (but also, I haven’t ridden them since the fall since they were at the show). But then neither of them root, so it may not be an issue. Thinking they can have a week or so off after the show - both for their benefit and mine!

[Irish_Ei_s]

I cracked/broke 5 ribs right near my backbone and chipped my pelvis in a Carriage accident
On my dominant side, of course. It hurt to blink my eyes, and breathing nearly became optional.
I was out for 10 weeks but the resulting soft tissue damage from depending on my non dominant arm, leg, hip was by far the longer term problem.

[Bluey]

I was legging up a colt in the canyons, didn’t do more than trotting around, didn’t even break a sweat, when getting back to headquarters decided on a little slow canter, that he obligated nicely.
Then he started going down, I picked him up, he kept getting lower and flopped down and laid there, like dead, on top of my left leg.
I could not move for a bit, was trying to see what was going on with him, when he woke up, started to get up, still unsteady and I could get my leg out from under him.

He got up and just stood there, I thought my leg was broken, but it was not, finally could stand on it and we walked to the barn.
I hauled him right to the vet, but nothing was wrong with him.
He thought he just fainted, he had a huge growth spurt in the past few weeks.
He teased his brain had not caught up to his body yet.

I kept feeling something not right and, somehow, I had broken a lower rib on the right, will never know how.
I remember that riding was not bad, but getting on and off was almost impossible for a couple weeks, even walking was iffy.
I know that one rib, maybe a second one were broken because another time later, an x-ray did show where they knitted back.

With ribs, it just takes as long as they want to take, but letting them heal is smart, OP, be patient and wait it out if you can.

[tbchick84]

I only bruised my ribs, but I used Arnica gel on the bruise spot and it really helped accelerate the healing process. I think I was able to sneeze, cough and laugh by the 2nd week. Jumping took about 3 weeks I think.

[KBC]

When they scraped me out of the impact crater I was found in, turned out I had 10 distinct breaks or cracks in my ribs on the right side, oh and had punctured a lung, throw in a broken shoulder blade and collar bone, and the wrist on the other side…yeah I was living on the good painkillers for a long time. A month out I was still struggling to get out of bed! That was July 1st, climbed back in the saddle in the middle of October, had some residual pain until the January.

What exciting thing was I doing? mounting from a block in a round pen…

[Come_Shine]

You can keep riding in pain and keep jarring your ribs around or take it easy and off 6 weeks to give them a chance to knit together properly and a lot more quickly.

[PNWjumper]

Okay, some seriously awful stories! Bluey - did you worry about riding that horse after that? And geez KBC, that sounds like the worst thing you could possibly do to yourself! Everyone says that the two worst things are collarbone and ribs - can’t imagine having both at the same time! (I’ve unfortunately experienced both, but relieved that mine were in separate incidences!) Were your 10 breaks in 10 ribs or did some ribs have multiple breaks? Yikes!

My update -

At 4 weeks post-break I rode without a rib belt for the first time and have kept it off since (though I moved to KT tape and that seems to help now where it didn’t at any point in the prior 4 weeks). I was able to start jumping up to the 3’6"/4’ range before the impact started getting to me. I also started easing up on painkillers (rather than sticking to the every-4-hours program).

I was 5 weeks post-break on Wednesday of this week. I started riding without painkillers and I can ride and jump almost normally up to 4’6" without having the impact hurt my ribs. Still KILLS to sneeze if I don’t get into the exact fetal position that works, but riding and tacking up are largely okay. Biggest struggle is cleaning stalls and carrying hay out to the horses…because I broke the ribs on the left side of my body it’s tough to do things in my usual right-handed way.

The next horseshow is next week starting on my 6 week anniversary of the accident. Hoping I keep on the improvement trend and feel normal by then!

Thanks to everyone for stories and experiences. After reading everyones’ posts, I can definitely appreciate that my accident was not as bad as some! Hoping to never experience the whole rib thing again!

[Bluey]

We did watch the horse very close, but he never again had any problems, never could figure why he just fainted that one time.

Glad that you are learning to make it with your broken ribs.
We don’t even notice we have ribs, until there is something wrong with them, then we never forget how painful they can become.

A friend was bucked off very high, landed on her head first, had a mild concussion.
Somehow she crunched six ribs on one side, badly.
She was not able to do much for a while, on painkillers and could not hardly breathe or move.
It was awful the pain she endured.
I thought they should have kept her in the hospital at least overnight, for observation and to get her pain killers right, they were making her sick also.

Glad that you may be able to go to your show, maybe try bandaging your ribs, see if that helps?

[happilyretired]

I broke two ribs from a fall while doing a gymnastic jump line with my then QH mare about 12 years ago. I was 50 then … I kept riding but was careful (no jumping) and it took about 6 weeks to really be comfortable riding. My doctors said “oh you can ride, you just can’t fall off!”.

Fast forward 12 years and I recently smashed my elbow in a cycling accident. Had to have surgery 2 weeks ago and now have a plate and 6 screws holding my right elbow together. I just had the whole arm splint taken off (yay!) but am on light duty for 4 more weeks (no lifting, pushing or pulling with that arm) and no riding. Orthopedic doc says no riding until 3 months post surgery but I think I can do some light work at 6-8 weeks on my calm easy going Friesian gelding. I’ll wait until I’m totally healed and fit again before I ride my upper level more spirited horse. In the meantime said horse is in full training with my trainer. Sucks to be benched, but at 62 I decided to try and be good and let the bone heal.

[KBC]

@PNWjumper

Okay, some seriously awful stories! Bluey - did you worry about riding that horse after that? And geez KBC, that sounds like the worst thing you could possibly do to yourself! Everyone says that the two worst things are collarbone and ribs - can’t imagine having both at the same time! (I’ve unfortunately experienced both, but relieved that mine were in separate incidences!) Were your 10 breaks in 10 ribs or did some ribs have multiple breaks? Yikes!

I guess after 50 years with only bruises and a broken hand from being stepped on after a fall I was overdue! I guess also that at my age I don’t bounce anymore, which is why I now wear a safety vest as religiously as I wear a helmet. I did kind of slip of the side of a 16.2 draft cross after ‘the big one’ and was able to get back on and ride…LOVE MY VEST

I think it was 7 ribs involved, if I remember correctly…not fun at all. You forget how nice it is to breathe without pain!

Oh and hugging a pillow helps with the sneezing!

[Carol_O]

You will get better! It takes time, yes, frustrating. I tried to ride with my 3-4 fractured ribs, I know, not smart. Don’t do that! Took me a long (!) time to dismount after quickly figuring out riding would not work. The pain persists long after the films show healing when you roll over in the night, but you will be riding in 6-8 weeks or a bit less.