On Labor Day, I slipped in the rain and broke my left wrist. Basically the first rain we’d had all summer. Right before hunt season. Almost exactly a year after I broke my left ankle. So, am I clumsy or cursed? Definitely, I need to stay out of the rain and I’m looking into industrial supplies of bubble wrap.
I’ve had a hard time with this injury. First, because it was unbelievably painful. It happened in the blink of an eye, before I had the chance to think about how to fall. Second, because I’m missing yet another hunt season — one that I’d been looking forward to with great anticipation. And third, because it’s remarkably difficult to do so many things with one hand. A month into my recovery and two weeks after surgery, I’m finally getting my mobility back. It will be a few more weeks until I’m able to ride, but at least I can type and I’ve decided that it’s time to stop the pity party.
Zelda, of course, doesn’t care. She’s still happy to see me, is enjoying the grass that grew during those rain storms. I’m going to start doing some ground work with her and step up the clicker training. Maybe even finish the horse novel I’m working on. Certainly, I’m going to start writing blog posts again.
Who out there has had a series of broken bones and how did you deal with it?
Man, that is a difficult series of events. I can commiserate with the deep dissappointment over not being able to participate in a long anticipated event(s) due to an unforeseen circumstance. It is tough. Hoping for a speedy recovery for you.
Thank you! It’s taken me about a month to crawl out from under my rock of self pity but now that I’m healing, I’m starting to think about ways I can spend time with Zelda and have fun even though I can’t ride right now. Sometimes the universe conspires against you.
So sorry to hear about your recent injury. I think it was just an accident and you are certainly not clumsy. I admire your tenacity to keep busy with your horse while you recover from your injury. I had a radial head fracture, after tripping and fell. I also broke a rib when my horse spooked and I fell off. You’re doing exactly what you need to do. Don’t dwell on your injury, keep moving and plan for the future. Love your posts!
Radial head fracture? That’s serious. I try to remind myself that a broken wrist is pretty minor in the grand scheme of things but sometimes losing another fall season (I love riding in the fall) is depressing. Thanks for reading! I’ve got a list of topics to write about and now that I can type again, I’ve got to get to it.
Years ago I had several minor toe fractures and one broken ankle which put a damper on my riding. In 2014 I fractured my left wrist from a non-equine related clumsy fall. A plate, 8 screws, a a lot of PT later my wrist is fine. Someone totaled my car and left me with a broken neck 3 years ago. I’m still riding after a 6 month recovery. I taught my horse clicker training tricks when I couldn’t ride. I’ve been on a regimen of weight bearing exercise at the gym and Prolia injections for bone density for a few years now with no new fractures.
I think we need to start a club for riders recovering from injuries. I’ve doe some clicker training with my mare and am thinking she’d be a good candidate for learning tricks.
Teach her some tricks. Bowing is pretty easy for them to pick up. Almost all behaviors can be shaped with clicker training. Break tasks into smaller parts to make teaching easier.
Virtual 🤗.
While up til now (knock wood and toss salt over my left shoulder) I’ve not had a broken bone, but I’ve had a half a dozen surgeries on my foot , had a mastectomy for breast cancer where they removed tissue that resulted in frozen shoulder, and after that, the same shoulder was dislocated, so I was in a sling for weeks. Tincture of time, my friend, is the healing. One thing you’ve learned is that we are so very dependent on our dominant hand to do things. Some actions are..ahem…very intimate and embarrassing when you try using your non dominant hand to accomplish it. Some that used to be done with thinking are suddenly difficult. Like brushing your teeth!
You’re not clumsy. You’re old. Like me, I’m 68. It takes us longer to recover the strength and facility we used to have, and as females, our bones leach out faster. Damn it.
My advice is to do your Physical therapy religiously once you can. And train yourself to use your left hand more often. Simple tasks-like brushing your teeth or using your computer mouse with your left hand, are very difficult at first..but with training (no clicker needed!) you can do it. Now I”m fairly ambidextrous and try to find new uses for my left hand, even though my right hand is just fine.
As for Miss Z? Tricks are fun to teach. I’ve taught my horses, Jordan and Raven (rest in peace, my dear boys) to ‘choose a hand’. It’s so much fun to show off to people who don’t know much about horses. Essentially, it’s using the horse’s ability to read our body language coupled with a stage show patter. Put a bit of carrot in one hand, behind your back. Face the horse and say you have a carrot, ‘which hand is the carrot in?” Raven would raise a leg to ‘shake hands’ -it was how he begged for treats and I just used that as his choice. If he got the wrong hand, I’d ignore it until he’d switch to the correct leg (for instance, carrot in right hand, Raven raises right foreleg). It helps, sometimes, to always use the same hand. Anyway, if he gets it right, reward him, tell the horse how very CLEVER he is! It doesn’t take long and they really retain it. For years!
Good luck on healing. I am sending many healing thoughts your way***************************!!
Thank goodness I broke the wrist of my non dominant hand. it’s hard enough with that out of commission! Stretchy clothes are essential, and even then, it was hard to get dressed at first.
Yes, getting older sucks. At 62 I know it will take me longer to heal and that I’m more prone to issues. I’m planning to get a Dexa scan to check bone density, although I fell really hard on that wrist so I don’t think I have serious issues with it.
I think Zelda will enjoy learning tricks. She is smart and food motivated and we started clicker training awhile back.
I’m so sorry you got hurt again. It really just seems like bad luck! Like how some horses need to be wrapped in bubble wrap and others go through life without a scratch!
I’ll be at the ONBH hunter pace – hope to see you there! I’ll be on a grey ISH 🙂
Glad you can join us for the Pace. I will be there helping with the event. It’s a wonderful territory to ride.