Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

[RC] I ask myself this question (was: Broken bones, etc.) - k s swigart

One of the things that I have learned since having horses...and riding
endurance it how to take better care of myself.  So, whenever I suffer
and injury or illness I ask myself this question:

"If my horse were in the condition that I am in right now, would I be
asking my horse to do what I am about to do?"

And if the answer is no, I shouldn't be doing it....and if I am smart, I
don't do it:).

Personally, if my horse had fractured a bone and had had screws put in
to ensure that it healed properly, I would consult my veterinarian, have
him monitoring my horse's progress, and discuss with him how long the
layup should be, what the horse should do during the layup, and the
effects on long term prognosis.  And I would be very careful to do
everything I could to ensure that my horse didn't suffer re-injury and
prolong and/or derail the healing process.

kat
Orange County, Calif.

p.s.  Wrists are not always "easier" than a tibia.  The tibia is a
single long bone and if it gets some excess calcification in the middle
of it (if that is where it is broke) during the healing process, the
long terms consequences of that are quite minimal.  The wrist, however
while it is not weight bearing like the tibia, is a joint with a bunch
of little bones that really need to be lined up properly and the less
excess calcification the better, for the the joint to function properly,
so minor deviations during the healing process can have some rather
unpleasant long term effects on the joint's continued usefulness.  You
wouldn't catch me on a horse with a broken wrist, even one that had been
screwed in place...but then, I ride crazy horses :).



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=