Wonky Wrist

Not sure if this goes in here, but I've been thinking about it for a while.

My right wrist doesn't work properly.

I don't know if it's just the result of breaking it twice, or if the current wonkiness is also affecting it.

I'm starting to wonder if I should be considering some specialist help / lessons when I'm riding again, and if the Murph will need specialist or particular schooling to cope with the fact that my right hand is probably going to be heavier than my left.

Be gentle with me. It's been hard to admit that my right hand is not as it was and quite possibly never will be :(

It would be definitely worthwhile having some lessons with someone that you can discuss the problem with. Personally if I were in your position (which I would be if I bought a horse now lol!) I would probably be considering 6 months worth of regular lessons before Murph was backed. I wouldn't feel I could do a recently backed youngster justice with my current length of time out of the saddle.

It's hard to give good advice without knowing your current level of wrist mobility.... if your fingers move fine and you can hold your wrist straight with forearm straight and thumb on top then I shouldn't think it would be too bad.... weight should come from the elbow/upper arm in my opinion so the wrist shouldn't really cause weight on his mouth if you are not holding it rigid, which I don't think is what happens with your wrist? The wrist should never curl, so if yours will stay fairly straight and isn't forced downwards then it shouldn't cause too much tension if that makes sense?

ETA - Can you keep your fingers soft and pliable when in a riding position?

Hard to say how it will affect your riding until you start doing it again but I would completely agree with SV. Start having lessons before backing Murph if you can.

If it were me I'd and ride a something and see how the wrist responds and if it affects the horse even if its a private lesson somewhere you trust and then work out from there. If its is affecting you then I'd work out if its just lack of fitness (the other one will probs be feeling it too), I'd crack on with some lessons but I assume you're sending murph away to be backed? So he'd come back and you'd ride him away/do hacking in which case I'd crack on and in the meantime see a physio for strengthening.

If it is ouchie/not right/can't grip/can't use reins I'd go down the specialist/doctor route as you may need more than a bit of physio and it would be better to do it before he's backed and you want to ride/do things? Lady at the yard fell off broke her wrist, had a cast on it hadn't healed straight and was causing discomfort. She went back had a small op and is now much better with her wrist and was back riding very quickly.

I only say this with wonky back that ignored all advice to not ride (I didn't jump a lot or do long hacks all the time btw) as I found it actually helped me get better and strengthened and straightened me out, helped my weight distribution etc (still not perfect but working on it). I also know that wrists affect Redmonster and if I have spent all day with my right wrist mousing and its tense, we can't do decent schooling until it is relaxed again as we aren't straight (as we should be) and sometimes I get a very very slight heaviness or head tilt....