any pregnant horse owners? advice needed

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gingerthing

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Anyone around whos currently pregnant/have horses and kids what have you/are you all doing with your horses at the moment? I have baby due in march and now dont feel overly happy to carry on riding as much as I was untill after Ive had the baby. But at the same time I do not want to turn him away completely. Any tips/ideas/useful groundwork tips?
 
I got in a very experienced rider who rode all my horses at the time, as the hospital banned me from riding. She still rides for me now as I just dont have the same amount of time to spend with them as I did before.
 
I'm currently 4 days overdue (gggrrr) and carried on riding until I was about 5 months pregnant and it started being uncomfortable. I got a trusted friend to ride him for me and she's been competing too which has been great for her and for Baz. I've carried on lunging, long reining etc and have been chief groom at events which has actually been really enjoyable. My friend has also helped with looking after him a bit as I've had a rough last few weeks.

I personally am very picky about who I will let ride him - I had lots of offers which I politely(?!) ignored and I do think its better to not have anyone ride rather than the wrong person. If you can't find anyone you're happy with then just do lots and lots of groundwork - will keep you active too!

He's now turned away until after my 6 week check up but I'm itching to get going again!!

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy - hope it all goes well. :-)
 
Thanks for the replies, I felt a bit downhearted at first at deciding to cut back on the riding, as I always thought id do it untill I dropped! And I suppose it doesnt help being winter and having these raging hormones! Im quite small anyway and am not that big yet, but suddenly ive found myself becoming really overprotective of my little bump and keep thinking 'what if', and really dont think its worth the risk if an incident was to occur. Ive just been having the occasional lessons on him every couple of weeks (in an indoor arena) just to keep us ticking over, as where I keep him I have no school just open farmers fields and the ground is so boggy with the rain. So in between rides I am just walking him out in hand/lungeing him. I would have jumped at the chance of having somebody experienced just come in and excersise him, but like you cazzah, I dont want the wrong person to get on him, and plus I dont know many people nearby to me who would be able to commit to keep him ticking over.

Hope your little baby makes an arrival soon! Im in my 24th week
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I stopped riding at 3 months as my horse is a bit spooky and I didn't want to take any risks!

I gave her a holiday till beginning of December and now I am gently lunging her to bring her back into work so by the time by baby comes in March she will be ready for me to hop on.

Its very frustrating not riding - I know
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but worth it in the end
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my boy is currently only doing groundwork as he has had to be started from scratch again (and can buck to pluto and back) im now at 25 weeks & really desperate for no 3 to hurry up and arrive so i can get him really going.

good luck all you expecting.
 
I'm 31 weeks and still riding. I ride about 5 times a week.
I'm not schooling my boy in the menage anymore as he can be a bit of a challenge and I just lack the core strength now my bump is getting big to really ride him. So I'm mainly hacking him out. I do some schooling out on hacks, lots of transitions, leg yield, shoulder-in etc and I'm managing to get some nice work from him for short sessions throughout the hack.
I'm also starting to introduce a session in the school with him in long reins or being lunged.

I've also got someone lined up to start a weekly schooling session with him for when I want to cut back on the riding.....but at the moment I feel fine and don't want to cut back yet
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I am 18 weeks with twins and my boy is now in the field doing nothing, I have been taking him up to my instructors once a week to keep him ticking over. But he is in two fields now and I have to try and find him in the dark, which is near impossible!

I am going to leave him have a break now and I will send him back to my instructors for a couple of weeks when I am ready to get back on just to start him off.

He is so laid back I know that he won't be any kind of problem to have a few months off.

I am missing riding like hell I have to say as I stopped just before I found out. My babies were to hard to come by to take any risks .
 
I have two weeks to go and mine are enjoying a winter break. I rode till I was five months, but as this is baby no 4 I have the most enormous bump! (imagine someone having eaten a space hopper whole!!!) Bearing in mind the weather it has actually been nice not having to have clipped out, trying to stick on in the wind, and getting drenched daily! I'll start some ground work in the new year and go from there. Much as I miss riding I'm not rushing back into it, the first few months with a baby are the best ever. Plenty of time to be riding when the terrible twos hit!!!!!!
 
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