I am 68 and a low level hunter rider who just had a shoulder replacement. My doctor said I can ride again but not jump.
Has anyone else been in this situation and what have you done?
Fortunately I am in South Florida and don’t have to contend with riding in cold conditions on a hyper horse.
You might want to post this question in the disabilities forum. There are veterans of all kinds of shoulder issues there.
I didn’t have a shoulder replacement, but I did have significant shoulder surgery. Healing was slow and painful, but PT was key.
I think I got on again about 2 months post surgery.
I jumped again maybe 4 months post surgery.
I still have chronic pain in the shoulder, exacerbated by normal barn work (lifting hay, dumping buckets and wheelbarrows, etc) and riding strong/wild horses. However with steroid injections it’s manageable.
Did your doc say why riding is okay but jumping isn’t? Most orthopedic docs aren’t horse people. They may think jumping is significantly more dangerous than flatting, which may or may not be true based on your experience level and your horse. Maybe get a recommendation from a sports medicine professional who is smart about riding and various disciplines and stresses on the human body. And then once you’re riding again, and better know the limits of your new shoulder, you can decide what level is right for you.
Thanks for the reply. My doctor is not a rider. I just assumed that he thinks there is more chance of me falling of jumping (I’m low level and when I was showing years ago my max was 2’6") and seriously injuring the shoulder. It is my right shoulder and I do have a tendency to fall off on the right. I must be unbalanced to the right. Now the most I do is 2 feet.
Does anyone know an orthopedic doctor in Palm Beach Co. Florida who rides and or/treats riders and doesn’t tell them to stop riding?
I just had shoulder surgery in December (for the second time) - not a replacement but stabilization surgery because I kept dislocating. I am currently allowed to ride but not allowed to jump (or fall off). The ortho’s reasoning behind not jumping is because he doesn’t want any pressure on my joint capsule until I reach the 3-month post surgery mark. That is when most of my healing should be complete.
