Showing with my arm in a splint!

[mad mare1]

Due to breaking my wrist pretty badly,and spending 14 weeks with it in plaster, I now have to wear a splint to support my wrist. 1) are the Good hands gloves with the cloth backs ok for showing? and 2) do I let the judge know before or not???

[Daffy Dilly]

Can you not get some larger leather ones or put a split in them? You can get some with elastic running between the fingers and down the sides, but they're leather on top, so they might stretch enough.

Can you do a show with one hand, even if it's in a snaffle? I wouldn't tell the judge unless you are having a problem with it.

[freespirit]

urmmm
i would tell them
(could work in your favour, if the horse is well behaved the judge may like him more:p )

i once did i dressage test with my arm in a cast
judge looked a bit shocked, especially when my horse started doing half pass down the centre line:rolleyes:

[Morwenstow Stud]

Honestly I'd ring in advance and ask if it's ok to compete in a cast.Due to living in a litigious society, show organisers may not want the risk of an accident.They may not be insured for riders with injuries. I would also question the safety risk to other of riding with a cast. What if there were to be an accident and you arm were re injured or if you were to find you were suffering pain,would you have full control of your horse? Sorry to be boring but points to consider IMO

[mad mare1]

It isn't a cast, it is a Fabric splint, with a metal bar on the underneath, that I can remove if totally necessary. Daffy, I show in a double, so an individual show one handed is not an option, especially at county level, and in a gallop is unsafe. The bone has healed well, but I need the support, especially as I have to hack to and from shows. I will just point it out as I go in the ring. I will let you know how I get on!

[Daffy Dilly]

Hack riders do it, and they do serpentines and all sorts of fancy footwork. ;)

Maybe try like some riders do, and have both curb reins in one hand and a snaffle rein in each. That'd just take a little bit of the pressure off your wrist. I don't know how it works, think it's like riding with a snaffle when you hold both reins in one hand, but then you'd have to fit the snaffle rein in there as well. Someone should know if you start a post in rider training. Apparently it's so it's easier to salute.

I've always been told not to mention problems unless they crop up as they may not, and if you say there is a problem the judge will have it in the back of their minds. How did you do it? I don't think it'd matter unless you did it falling off a horse, as then it's not a horsey problem, and they aren't judging you.

[mad mare1]

I dropped the wheelbarrow on it when I was emptying it at the muck heap!! Dim, I know, but the new break went through four old fracture lines, and I was in plaster for 14 weeks, and over christmas. I could have coped if I had done it falling off, but no, not me!!! I felt like such a prat! I now need the splint for the extra support, as my left wrist is still a half inch thinner that my right wrist.

[Mehitabel]

i spent 15 months in one of those splints after a nasty break - i ended up doing everything in it. i have these gloves - http://theloft-tackshop.com/media/RoecklGloves.jpg
with velcro on the back, so i just had the velcro looser on that hand. i wouldn't mention it.

[drookitsheep]

I had to use one of those splints when I had tendonitis a few years ago. I didn't like riding in it because of the metal bar underneath so I used a tubigrip instead when I rode. Don't know if that's an option for you, but it might pose less of "hinderance" than the splint and be easier to cover up with gloves?

[mad mare1]

I can remove the bar, and frequently do!! so not really a problem there, and tubigrip is not as supportive as the splint!