mods please delete.
I have no information to offer but I just wanted to say I am sorry for your accident. I hope your leg heals quickly and well!
What a tumble! So sorry that happened to you. Thank goodness it was your leg and not your head or torso.
All I can say is that when I was laid up for injury (a few times) I spent as much of it as I could volunteering. Even with a bum leg you can scribe, jump judge, assist the stadium scorer, etc. You really learn a lot by watching and it’ll help you to see a wide variety of horses and maybe THAT will help answer your question if this horse is a match for you or not.
Some horses add to our confidence bank, some make steady withdrawals. Best of luck to you on this recovery.
[QUOTE=plaidbreeches;8838844]
Have any of you ever broken a femur or major bone in the hip or leg in a riding accident? What was your recovery like? Are you still on the same horse?[/QUOTE]
First off, owww, so much sympathy.
I had a complete break of the tibia and blew my fibula into a bazillion pieces, and it kept me off of horses for more than a year. (Also killed the possibility of making it big as a junior, but so it goes.)
Once I had gotten as far as having a walking cast I could hang out in the barn, and that helped a lot. I got a surprising amount out of watching other people ride. (Actually, I still do.)
The biggest piece of actual advice I have is to be willing to push back on your doctor a bit, and possibly get second opinions, about the healing process. The default medical position seems to be (unsurprisingly) ultraconservatism about any activity that might involve reinjury, but if you are really raring to go you want a more nuanced opinion, possibly from somebody else specializing in pain-in-the-ass athletic types. There’s no easy answer–this opinion is very likely going to sound like “you could have the strength to start riding after only <n> months, and we can take some X-rays and see, but if you take another bad hit on that spot you are potentially looking at ending your riding career (or even walking) forever”. No clear-cut answers; choose the risk you’re willing to take. 
I broke my tibia and fibula is pretty spectacular fashion three years ago (for entertainment, you can search for the thread that kept me entertained). I do still ride my horse (we both fell in a competition, and I ended up broken when he scrambled to his feet and stepped on me), though I no longer event (for many reasons, not just the crash).
My biggest word of advice right now is don’t worry about your plans right now, both in riding and this particular horse. Sounds like you’re about as laid up as I was (totally non-weight bearing for basically three months. My mom had to come live with me because I couldn’t drive or really do anything). Focus on healing. Rest. Follow the doctor’s orders. Let me repeat that: FOLLOW THE DOCTOR’S ORDERS.
My horse did go to my coach for 4 months and we kept tuned up and also worked on some of his residual anxiety from our crash. However, I could have let him sit if I had had to, because he was a known, going quantity. For a green horse that has some behavioral issues, if you can keep him going, particularly training rides, than I would do it.
Take care of yourself and rest. I highly recommend binge watching House…gets very exciting in some episodes after you’ve spent some time in the hospital!
plaidbreeches, I am very sorry to hear of your accident and injury. A break in the femur is quite a significant injury.
Has anyone who was a witness to the incident re-created it for you yet? Since you were in a lesson, I’m assuming your trainer was there. It sounded like you were basically being run away with but were trying to manage it. If I were in your position, I think I would be wanting to figure out whether the saddle shifted or slipped leading to the fall or whether you took the saddle with you when you fell. And if the latter, did the horse do something - like buck - to intentionally try to get you off?
This statement in your original post concerns me:
“I always knew my horse had a bit more potential to hurt me than the average horse because of his sensitivities and background.”
My horse bucked me off in July and broke my collarbone and bruised some ribs. The outcome could have been worse, and I’m thankful that it wasn’t. He had bucked me off multiple times prior to that incident, but I had walked away unhurt (except for bruises and soreness) every time. So I could have said the same thing that you did about his having more potential to hurt me than most. In his case though, I wouldn’t have said that due to his training and sensitivities, but due to his having a buck and knowing how to use it and me not having the skills to ride it. I felt a distinct intention in the buck that injured me, and that intention was to get me off. As a result, I am finally taking to heart the signs that I ignored before and have no plans to get back on that particular horse. I too had very moderate goals for what I wanted to do with the horse (jump x-rails, go to a dressage schooling show), and modest though they were, it’s hard to give them up, but my head is telling me that I must.
It sounds like you are quite a bit younger than me and likely more skilled as a rider as well. These things are in your favor as far as healing and getting going again. But your description of the horse’s background (not trained until age 12) and the fact that he needed a trainer who specialized in difficult horses as well as the sentence I quoted above give me great pause. In post 4 above, amb says choose the risk you are willing to take wrt to when to ride again, and I would extend that to choosing to keep going with this horse.
I hope your healing is uncomplicated and complete, and I wish you the best going forward.
First I am sorry to hear of your injury. You will have a lot of recovery, and a lot of time to think while you recover.
I got bucked off this spring from my 3 year old and sprained my ankle badly. In the hours and days after that occurred, I asked myself what I should do. First, I knew he bucked as I had been bucked off already twice. But I also felt that I had pushed to do things with him that he wasn’t ready for and so I had to take responsibility for my contribution to the accident.
After a month I was off crutches and hobbling around OK and I was ready to get back on - a safe horse. Not my horse. I rode a few weeks and pondered getting back on my horse. I did a few days in the round pen, but then he had a few days off again, and the next time I lunged him it was a rodeo. I decided that I was actually afraid of him getting me off again, so I contacted a good local colt starter cowboy. In hindsight - I should have done this the day after the accident - he could have been in training much earlier.
Anyway, to finish this rambling story, my horse is actually pretty sweet and easygoing, and I decided the circumstances of what happened were mostly predictable and not really his fault. I made a choice to work with him while I waited for the cowboy’s availability. I improved his steering and brakes and lunged him regularly before getting on, all of which assisted in knowing what I was getting into and having appropriate responses from him most of the time. (After all, nobody gets perfect responses every time from a 3 year old.)
The last thing I had to consider was that I was no longer as brave or as athletic as when I was a teenager. Do I really want, or need, to break in my own baby? The answer is no - if I feel anxious and afraid again, I still have that date with the cowboy set up. It’s now 4 months since I was bucked off and I am still doing physio on the ankle and will be for a while.
An 18 year old at our boarding barn had a boarder’s horse flip over on her and broke her femur. She was back riding in a few months. She worked off her riding at the barn by helping the BO and got stuck riding a crazy horse just purchased by a woman who knew nothing about horses. Diana had a clean break and got the metal rod put in her femur, and was back riding horses pretty quickly with no 6 months break. The woman with the horse moved to another barn and became a parelli trainer.
I hope you got the pain med pump that Diana got. When I and some of the others from the barn visited her at the hospital the next day, she had surgery the late afternoon she was injured, she had the pump she could administer her own pain meds with.
Bless your heart, I’m sorry! I have a spunky TB who gets rambunctious on the back side of a fence. I know this is going to be expensive but the best thing I did for my boy was put him with a trainer 5 days a week. It made a huge difference. I am hoping your confidence can recover and come back strong.
I made a stupid decision jumping onto my horse from the horse trailer wheel cover. He moved, I fell. What would usually have been a nothing fall turned nasty because the ground was frozen like concrete. I had what is called a tibial plateau fracture. I have two plates and 14 screws. 20 months later, and I am still getting stronger. My horse is 24, so I only do flat work, I hike, do yoga, and I am seriously considering having the metal out this January. Do PT, do yoga, listen to your doctors. If you are not comfortable on the horse, sell him. My horse was not to blame, it was my bad judgement, but I would not keep a horse who made me worry for my safety.
So sorry, OP. I hope you heal well and quickly.
A good friend of mine was in her late 50s when she fell off her horse and broke her femur as well as some lower vertebrae. She had surgery to pin the femur, and an immobility brace for awhile on her back. She did spend almost a week in the hospital due to some complications and then had to recuperate with a friend as she was mostly immobile. Her fall happened in November and she was back taking care of horses in March, and riding in May. She has fully recovered.
Wait until you heal a bit, do your therapy, and sort out your goals and if this horse is appropriate for them.
Joining in sending sympathies and get well thoughts.
Top athletes who break major bones go to sports medicine orthopedists who start rehab almost immediately after the accident. Using magnets inside the cast, PE exercises to keep the rest of you from losing muscle tone will get you back on your feet faster (It will also help your mood — going from being an active person to an invalid is not only a physical change, but an emotional one. BT,DT)
You don’t say your age or prior riding experience, but, forgive me if I say that this horse is not the right horse for you. A 12 year old, just getting started because of a very shady past is hardly a suitable mount for doing GAG with an ammie rider.
Now this horse has your number, you have every right to be afraid of having another bad fall.
Of course, I am not you, but I would be saying buh-bye to this horse and saving 6 months of training and board while you are laid up. Then look for a wonderful appendix quarter horse who will be a horse you can enjoy.
Pretty much wrote this post in March where I broke three vertebrae. Since I’m a little out but not horribly far out I will say once you’re up and about. Give yourself a break. There’s no timeline you must follow. I was having panic attacks just getting on. Today is the first day we cantered outside an arena and I’m barely able to do a x rail. Seriously it’ll seem like you have to have it all figured out right now but you don’t. If you can afford to put him in training while you heal do so. If not turn him out. I personally gave myself a year and said if I was still having panic attacks I’d sell her. But every person is different. Take your pain meds, try to relax and really give yourself a chance to just heal. Hugs to you.
I am sorry to hear about your injury. I do not understand using a horse who injured you this badly after jumping a single vertical as a lesson horse. I hope everyone’s liability insurance is paid up. Jingles for an easy recovery.
I missed the part about using him in lessons. I think that is a bad idea, a green horse with known issues should not be used in lessons. He should be in full time training with a pro until the pro determines he is safe for you or he needs to be sold.
This horse will never be sold, even if I never ride again. Yes, he is my first horse I have owned but only due to financial reasons. I was planning on restarting him myself and ended up seeing the wiser route and putting him in full training so he had the structure he needed. I of course work (or worked before broken hip) full time at awkward hours. Once I felt safe getting on alone I took him out of full training and switched to one lesson a week.
As for other people riding him, I was planning on talking to my trainer. Even if he just rides once a week to keep him tuned up I’d be fine but if all the proper paperwork and insurance was there I wouldn’t mind one of his other experienced riders getting on now and then.
Somebody mentioned groundwork and lunging, he is lunged before evey ride because he is very coldbacked. And there are days where I just go out to work on the ground. Riding has never been everything to me as long as I still have my horse.
Did this horse break your hip, too? Hopefully, it was an unrelated accident?
If your trainer wants this horse to jump, then let her do it, until a quiet approach and landing are solidified.
My OTTB mare recently had me dealing with a fear factor, too. She was bolting after a fence. Since I just had both knees replaced, last year, I began to be afraid to jump her. Now, my trainer has me warm her up, then she gets on and schools my mare over fences. This past weekend, we made it to our first schooling event in 15 months, with my bionic knees. We finished on our Dressage score (29.6 penalty points.)
A few years ago, I had another difficult horse. After working with said horse, a Trainer asked me, “What is your life worth?” Eventually, my life meant more to me, than keeping him. It was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done. Letting go is never easy. Try to think of all of the people who love you. Is it worth keeping him and letting your loved ones go through your injuries with you? Just food for thought.
Sending you jingles and prayers for a speedy recovery.
[QUOTE=Auburn;8840572]
…
A few years ago, I had another difficult horse. After working with said horse, a Trainer asked me, “What is your life worth?” Eventually, my life meant more to me, than keeping him. It was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done. Letting go is never easy. Try to think of all of the people who love you. Is it worth keeping him and letting your loved ones go through your injuries with you? Just food for thought.
Sending you jingles and prayers for a speedy recovery.[/QUOTE]
This.
It sounds like if you are going to break a bone, the femur is a relatively simple one. But still nothing to brush off.
I agree with others – this is not the horse for you. Full training may help… but eek about ever using a horse like this as a lesson horse. And YOU could be liable if he hurts a lesson student.
Horse might benefit from a break – just turned out on pasture board – while you heal.
Are we sure horse is not hurting somewhere? To cause that much damage after a little jump and be described as very very cold backed?
Hope you heal fast, and another vote, this is not the right horse for you- and certainly should not have lessons done on him. How will you feel if the next person he launches is paralyzed or dies? It happens.
