will I be able to ride my horse again after tibial plateau fracture? I am well past age 50, female?

Question

I am 6 weeks post-op, have hardware in left leg, am concerned about mounting horse, fear of falling and re-injuring leg.

Answer 1

Wellll..... I am an amputee, and my upper leg is held together with titanium. I ride, 'break' horses, muster, breed horses, lug hay around, barrel race, I even do horse shows.
Don't let it stop you, just be a bit careful! None of us are as flexible as when we started riding as kids, and as we get older, it is a medical fact that we do not heal as quickly as we used to. But from my point of view, if you took away my horses because I'm more at risk of injury, you might as well dig me a hole.
One of the answers suggested getting some support hardware for your leg, this is a good idea, even if it only makes you feel more secure. As for mounting, don't be ashamed of using a mounting block, or these days you can get stirrup leathers with a gadget at the bottom which drops the stirrup down to make mounting easier, then clips back to your riding length when you're in the saddle.
Age wise... well I'm not 50 yet, but the old bloke I ride with sometimes is 72 with a hip replacement. He gets along fine, we just need to find him things to climb onto so he can mount (God bless 'im!).
Check with your doc' first to make sure the site has stabilized. Ease yourself back into it slowly - just little safe rides around a familiar area on a familiar horse, until you get your confidence back. Ride with someone if you can, or a least have someone on standby for a little while.
You might not get all of your confidence back either - I never did, nowhere near as gutsy as I used to be - but that's okay. My first ride after my amputation was a bombproof little pony! Looked funny, but I had a blast. I still had a lot of trouble walking then, but riding wasn't too uncomfortable.
Self preservation is important. But so is enjoying yourself!! Just be careful, no buck-jumpers anymore, okay? ;o) Have Fun!!!!

Answer 2

at modern-day off a cliff, no. as quickly as they get to the rocks close to the fringe of a cliff, they start being rather careful, and the horses I holiday won't circulate any closer to the area than approximately 8 ft away. If somebody asks them to circulate forward then, they might immediately turn around. Down an exceptionally steep incline, probable with small drop on the commencing up, specific. They hesitate on the area, until eventually they are in a position to work out which you're no longer asking them to do something suicidal. in case you innovations-set too without delay nevertheless, they are going to slam on the brakes and green or unbalanced riders have been customary to circulate at modern-day over the pony's head, or a minimum of finally end up hugging their neck. What a horse will or won't do additionally relies upon on the guy, and the ecosystem they're used to - quite some horses the Snowy Mountains in Australia (the previous poster reported the guy From Snowy River - this is the place the pony and rider in the poem and action picture have been from) will do almost something - trot or canter down steep slopes with loose footing, fallen logs and wombat holes that i'm frightened approximately while i glance down from the precise, without hesitating.

Answer 3

Talk to your doctor about DME (durable medical equipment) for your leg. As far as how old you are, I'm not sure that's as much of a factor as your personal healing time. Again your doc will know for sure. You can always try looking at a sports shop for shin guards, not sure how well that will work.

Answer 4

wher we fox hunt, there is a whipper-in in his 60's, and the second field master is in his 70's........so I would say age doesn't have much to do with it....
Ask your docor.

Answer 5

i don't know but my advice don't try it