In June I was at a rodeo and my horse went to fall at the 1st barrel, pulling the reins out of both hands, he went down to his knees pitching me forward, stood up really fast and turned back up the fence and this motion caused me to flip off sideways really hard and really fast. I landed face down with my right wrist under me. It knocked me out for a moment and I was taken out of the arena on a stretcher. I shattered my wrist and had crushed bone shoved into my thumb joint. I had surgery July 2nd, was in a soft cast for 2 weeks, then a hard cast for 3 1/2 weeks. My doctor has been very strict and firm when it comes to dos and donts. I was sitting 2nd in the association standings and I told him I was itching to get back to rodeo. He laughed. I've been in a remove able splint for a week and a half now. He said it would more than likely be 6 more weeks before I can ride. My wrist is very stiff and sore. I was wondering if anyone else has ever experienced this type of injury and how long the recovery was? He said I'd more than likely have to ride and run I some sort of brace. Has anyone ever dealt with this? 

I had a wreck in 2016. I broke the tip of my ulna and the tip of my radius off and broke one of the little bones. I still have chunks floating that’ll need surgery at some point. I didn’t get surgery, so they x rayed me every week for 4 weeks until I got my hard cast. I was in that for 4 weeks. My dr made me go to pt but I honestly never did the exercises. I’m a nurse and went back to work the day after I got my cast off. I probably shouldn’t have, but I ran out of pto. I just did stuff with my good side and eventually built the strength back up. I couldn’t even brush my hair for the longest time. I rode when I had my cast (much to my dr dismay). I rode mostly bareback because it took me 45 min to saddle my horse with one hand ?? I could only be outside a little more than an hour at a time because the heat would make my arm swell in my cast. The thing that helped me the most with the soreness was sleeping with my pht wraps on. If I didn’t it would be so stiff in themorning. I’m 3 years out and I’m still not normal, I no longer can support my weight (like in a push-up). They say it’ll only be a matter of time before I need to go back in.

In 2017, April 21st, I was feeding at 5 AM.  I tripped.  I hit the ground.  I was knocked out and broke both my wrists when I fell.  I got myself back up, as I had feed buckets and the horses were milling around me.  I had cuts, a huge egg on my head etc.   I was in casts for 12 weeks.  Hard ones on one arm for that length and after 8, a soft one on my right hand.  It is not something I ever want to repeat.  I was 61.  I have pain in my left one - the worst break now.  It comes and goes.  I went to physical theraphy for a long time.  It took almost a year for me to get full strength back in them.  I did what the Dr said to do.  Writsts are not something that I would push.  You will know your daily limits.  I used small items at home to build the strength up.  A large jar of pepper, a canned food item etc.  I did the exercises when I was sitting anywhere, even at my desk at work.  Pick up your stapler etc.  Do them with the arm/hand/wrist in different positions, turned different ways.  You will be surprised that you can lift something one way, but not another. 

As far as riding, take it easy and only you will know your limits.

Good luck. 

when ur young you can get away with it  but it will catch up in ur age 60 70

I broke both my wrists at the same time, one was crushed and the other broken but not in pieces. I had various casts for 6 weeks and then removable braces. I'm a PT and my husband a MD. When released I ran in my braces for a while. I know ur sitting great in your association but you will need your hands just for basic functions the rest of your life. I would follow Dr.s orders and really let your arm heal. Sorry just my opinion- I see both sides as it happened to me and I treat patients like us both for a living! Good luck

I shattered my right wrist back in July 2013, riding. I was in my early 20s.  I don’t remember now if it was my radius, ulna or both but I do know I also broke my scaphoid and had a plate and 9 screws put in my wrist. My Dr didn’t want me riding. It I was determined to enter Finals in the fall and I didn’t want my barrel horse to get out of shape. 4 days after surgery was the first day I rode (I had surgery the day after the injury) I managed to saddle, bridle, pick all 4 feet out and get on with one hand. Crazy what you can do when determined. I had to ride one handed with my broken wrist horizontal to the ground as I couldn’t handle the pressure If it was down by my side and my dr wouldn’t let me use a sling. I was in a soft half cast but had zero use of my fingers. After 2 weeks he put me in a removable cast. I had to take it off and do exercises every day. I still have videos of me not being able to move it or flip it over. My thumb was paralyzed too for a very long time. About a month in I was actually able to hold reins but didn’t have much strength (I couldn’t lift a soup can lol) 2 months after the break I was back running barrels. I still couldn’t bend my wrist back and forth very well but it was completely fine to grab the horn and hold the reins etc. Although my dr didn’t love me running barrels he did clear me to do it. One of the best things I did was purchase a back on track wrist brace. I used it from the moment my cast was removable and I swear by it. I honestly had next to no pain with the entire experience, the nausea from the anaesthetic for a few weeks after surgery was the worst part. The odd time my wrist aches now I throw the BOT brace on and it’s fine almost instantly. For running barrels the rest of that year I used the BOT brace and then a real brace overtop from Superstore. 2014 and on I have not needed nor used any kind of brace. I did attend all my physio appointments and took them very seriously as well. I had to wear a homemade brace that forced my wrist backwards to regain flexibility. I’d say now 6 years later my wrist is 98%. I can Support my own weight 100%. Only thing is it doesn’t quite bend as far back as it used to (just barely)so I can’t do a proper push up or crawl on my hands and knees without modifying.  I have noticed it’s actually still improving as I can bend it more even this year than i could last year. I think it’s important to listen to your body and you don’t want to Push it too far or cause more damage, but it doesn’t have to be a death sentence. It also isn’t necessarily going to change your life drastically going forward either. The few things I do differently now I don’t even notice as my body has just adapted. 

This sounds like me! Mine doesn't bend backwards right now but I've been doing as many exercises as I can watch on YouTube. My doctor is old school and didn't refer me to PT yet. Said he wanted to get the wrist limber first, which annoyed me because I feel like should be in PT. In the brace I feel like I can do pretty much anything. My fingers get so sore though. I was able to saddle my horse the other day and get on. I just walked and trotted around. It swells a lot too, even when I'm not doing anything.

You should try a back on track brace! They’re really affordable too so if it doesn’t work for you you’re not out a ton of money!

Did you have the bot brace with or without the thumb piece?

Without, but I don’t think they made them with thumb pieces at the time or I probably would’ve bought that version. 

If you screw your wrist up riding, you will regret it. Waiting for it to heal properly is the best thing for your health. 

This is the best advice , let it heal