# When horse stands on foot - broken or just bruised??



## Teddybully (9 July 2010)

My horse spooked and jumped forward whilst in the stable and I stupidly didn't have the right shoes on (not flip flops but not 'proper'!) while I just put more hay in.

He kind of hit my foot at the side/base of little toe.  Swelled up massive immediately and was excruciating.  7 days on and the foot is bruised all over and still painful, can't get a shoe on without pain.

Those who have experienced similar - how long did it take to heal if it was just really badly bruised or is it likely with the pain there may be a fracture?  Can wiggle toes but should I get it x-rayed?

Thanks!


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## touchstone (9 July 2010)

If it is just your toe wouldn't bother with an x-ray tbh, they just strap your toe up anyway so it would be worth doing that yourself until it heals properly.  If it is more your actual foot then I don't know, and worth ringing NHS direct to ask maybe?

I snapped a toe off almost completely after a horse I was riding fell on concrete and the stirrup crushed my foot; I kept it strapped up as instructed but supidly thought the toe it was strapped to was the broken one, (made me queasy to look at so I tried not to!)  I now have a very fetching overbent toe 

Hope your foot heals quickly, have you tried arnica?


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## Flicker (9 July 2010)

I feel your pain!  Has happened to me 3 times with 3 different horses:
1. Mare spooked and LEAPT on my foot (wearing trainers), spun and p*ssed off up the field.  I nearly threw up with the pain and had to sit down while OH (doctor, thank god) attended.  I had it x-rayed and not broken, but the swelling took about 6 weeks to go down.
2. Rugging my friend's stressy horse and he was weaving and stood on my foot in my Dubarry's.  Definitely broke my little toe - OH confirmed, although I didn't bother to have x-rays.  It took such a long time for that one to come right, that I forgot I had it, if you know what I mean.
3. My boy spooked on Tuesday and landed on my foot in my riding boots.  Again I thought I would throw up from the pain, but it quickly became manageable.  Foot definitely not broken, but some lovely shades of blue, red and now green / yellow, and very swollen.  I anticipate the swelling to last for a couple of weeks.

Have you got any Diclofenac?  If not, I suggest you try to get a prescription.

It might be worth getting an x-ray too, just to be sure - although you will probably find it is not broken.  I have discovered that the human body is remarkably resilient!!


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## MyBoyChe (9 July 2010)

Exactly the same thing happened to me about two weeks ago, had joddy boots on but Che spooked whilst tied up and landed on my left foot, had a cool hoof print across the top of my foot and was v swollen and bruised.  When it first happened I almost passed out it was so painful but I had to turn him out and drive home so just got on with it.  I iced it for about an hour, the next day I couldnt wear proper shoes and driving hurt like hell but then it seemed to settle.  Two weeks on, I still have some bruising and Im sure the little toe is a bit misshapen but it only hurts if I knock it against anything.  I didnt go to docs, couldnt see the point really although Im not sure thats particularly good advice.


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## Teddybully (9 July 2010)

Thank you for your replies - and sympathy!

I was shaking with pain when it happened - just sat in yard with hose on my foot with horse looking at me with a 'where's my hay' look! Pain goes from toes to above ankle and bruising everywhere!  But obviously centered at impact spot, where it cut aswell.  Sounds like it may take a while for bruising to go down.  If still the same Monday will go to doctor.  Until then will hobble around doing what has to be done. Just impatient - no way I can get riding boots on!


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## Starzaan (9 July 2010)

Bruising can be bad for AGES, even if the foot isn't broken. I had my darling boy canter over my foot whilst I was wearing ugg boots (no safety lecture please, the pain taught me a lesson!) and he did a good job of squishing me! There was a horrible crunch and foot sudddenly swelled up like a balloon, big toenail was snapped off and it was all utterly vile and very very sore. Photo below is of the swelling and bruising 6 WEEKS later - the hospital said that feet are tricky as you need to use them so much, I didn't help myself by carrying on with work and competing on it...


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## Teddybully (9 July 2010)

Oh dear, looks like mine will probably take that long too - thanks for the pic - looks like a week is a bit ambitious to think it should be better!  I can't imagine the pain of trying to get boots on right now.


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## Kellys Heroes (9 July 2010)

Best lesson I've learnt is if a horse stands on your foot, move the horse, DON'T drag out your foot, as you lose your toenail 
I've broken toes before, also broken bones in my foot from being jumped on, but then again today, Kelly stood on me to scratch her leg and there's not a mark.
Sounds like you've broken or fractured a bone or two, so painkillers and try to rest it as much as possible! Hospital won't do anything unfortunately


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## fjordhorsefan (9 July 2010)

I had a semi-feral exmoor use my foot as a launch pad last summer, and it was mega-painful!  I was too scared to look at it, but thankfully the house we were working at was a GP's so she strapped me up.  She suggested an x-ray, but I was off to try out a horse so just suffered the pain.  It took about 2 months to stop hurting, and now I have a very nice bony growth on the fourth metatarsal where it was snapped.  It was nothing after the two broken bones in my leg a few years before!


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## Oscar162 (9 July 2010)

I had a 17.2 CB x TB leap on my foot with big jumping blocks in about twenty years ago....I now have such bad arthritis that I have no flexion in my big toe and a big, ugly, bony, lump on the top of it where the toe and foot meet. It has given me a limp now and the prospect of an op that could see me out the saddle for around 12 months. I also have muscle wastage in that leg from not walking properly and over developed muscle on the other from compensating, so I have one medium size calf and one large....expensive when it comes to chaps!


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## Shysmum (9 July 2010)

My boy doesn't wear shoes, but when he stood on me a few months back, when I was wearing wellies, I could hardly walk, and my foot swelled up bad enough to go to the docs. I guess they're not called heavy cobs for nowt. 

I do hope your foot heals up quickly. Mine was bad enough to actually get hubs to get the FOOTBATH (new and unused) down from the loft - yup, I actually used it about six times 

Mind you, a week later my lab managed to crash my hand into the stable door, and the back of my hand had a lump on it like a tennis ball - that was an xray job. Must be a walking accident.

sm x


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## JessandCharlie (9 July 2010)

Teddybully said:



			My horse spooked and jumped forward whilst in the stable and I stupidly didn't have the right shoes on (not flip flops but not 'proper'!) while I just put more hay in.

He kind of hit my foot at the side/base of little toe.  Swelled up massive immediately and was excruciating.  7 days on and the foot is bruised all over and still painful, can't get a shoe on without pain.

Those who have experienced similar - how long did it take to heal if it was just really badly bruised or is it likely with the pain there may be a fracture?  Can wiggle toes but should I get it x-rayed?

Thanks!
		
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About a month ago I had a young horse leap on me, coming down full weight on my foot. 
I went to A&E a few days later as it was still to big to get "proper" shoes on. X-rays showed it wasn't broken, and yet it still hurts 5 weeks on. I can also feel it's still swollen when I put my riding boots on (one's tighter than the other)  and still V painful to touch. I had to have my leg elevated for a few weeks and was on huge amounts of anti-inflamatories.
That said, it wasn't toes so much as the foot. So on those grounds I would say, bruised but disappointingly, not broken


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## Teddybully (9 July 2010)

Thanks all.  I must say I felt daft when it happened, I'm usually so sensible with wearing good footwear.  Was so annoyed with myself.  Been stood on before but never like this!  I am a walking (hobbling!)  accident at the moment too shysmum!


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## mulledwhine (18 July 2010)

, just make your foot comfortabl, a pony broke my foot about 2 years ago, they just strapped it up, and tbh, the bruise is still there, when the weather changes it aches, so not sure much will be gained by going to hospital, although only you will know if you need to go


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## SusannaF (18 July 2010)

redmone said:



			I toyed with going to A+E with her, but decided that as she could move everything, and there's not really much you can do with feet, that I'd see how it went on.  Then I spent a fortnight fussing, and thinking what a bad and neglectful mum I am!!

Anyway, 3 weeks later - bruising almost gone, and no pain anymore.  So all's well that ends well... until next time, I suppose!!
		
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Ah! I hope your little girl is ok now, but your description did make me laugh because it reminded me of being nine or however old and having a horse do that "plant and_ lean_" thing.  I expect it's just a reaction on their part to having something insecure underhoof  they lean to check if it could be firm after all, without realising it's a human foot. Mind you, I think some riding school ponies do know, the little sadists 

I hope you're not still worried about not taking her to A&E - goodness knows, it happened to me enough times and I survived in the end! Still got both feet.


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## dixie (18 July 2010)

Well my story gives different advice.  I was jumped on several years ago and my foot blew up immediately and was very very painful.  I had it x-rayed and was put in plaster for 6 weeks.  Its now completely healed and I have no problems with it whatsoever, so this is probably the benefits on getting it treated properly !  

However it was more foot than toe as such as it was my big toe but much further up - steel toe caps wouldn't have been any help.  I may have done differently if it was my little toe but I don't think it will heal particularly quickly - sorry.

Oh & just remembered I could still move all my toes despite being broken!  I was gobsmacked when I saw the x-rays and the damage done.


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## Crazy Friesian (13 October 2010)

Personally I would get down to A&E and get it checked out. If there are complications later it may well be too late to sort it out. I have had my feet broken twice, ligaments torn etc. It is surprising that what looks like something nasty could be something of nothing and vice versa.

Just a word of warning about Arnica tho. I would hold off until you are sure that  there is nothing "else" going on with your toe / foot. Arnica thins the blood. If say (WORST CASE) there was a blood clot or you required surgery then it would raise a whole other set of problems etc. Arnica is fabulous at that it does but as with all medications (natural or otherwise) it should be used carefully.

Hopefully its just a nasty shock bruise. But if it "has" to be more than that I would prefer a broken bone to torn tendons / ligaments!!! 

Hope it feels better soon


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## foxtrotter (13 October 2010)

My horse leapt onto my big toe when I was wearing Ariat Paddock boots.
(So good strong boots but no toecap) It was almost instantly very swollen and very red although skin not broken. I couldn't bear any pressure on it and had to go around in open toe sandals or yard boots that were technically 2 sizes too big, so no pressure on it. I went to hospital and had x-ray. It was broken in 2 places, across joint and behind toenail. They just told me to keep as much pressure off it as possible (as if I could face any pressure on it) and come back in 6 weeks for x-ray if not better. It was agonising for ages, but after 6 weeks it was a lot better and I could wear normal boots again. Now almost 3 months later is absolutely fine. The hospital took it seriously. so I would go for an x-ray for your peace of mind.


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## jenz87 (16 October 2010)

The same thing happened to me about 2 months ago. Popped in wearing trainers and horse stood and twisted on my foot, i knew it hurt more than it normally does when a horse stands on me.
After research and asking opinions, i decided to stick with it after a few days of not being able to walk at all, because if your foot is broken there is little the doctor can do, the only solution is "time".
After a while i guessed it was broken as 2 months on, it is still a bit iffy but i can walk fine, just feels a bit odd when im barefoot.


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## lucyc (16 October 2010)

ouchh i feel your pain my friends horse stood on my foot and ended up cracking half the toe nail and pulling some of it away from the toe nail bed thing it was really sore for well over a week and i was limping for about a week its now healing and i still have the toe nail albeit with a big crack in and a bit disgusting but yes horse on toes arent nice 

in response to your problem if you only think its your toe i dont think the hospital can do much - heal quickly!!


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