anyone else had to put riding on back burner since kids ?

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JLD

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reading the riding late post just made me wonder - have lots of other people really had to put their riding way down the list since babies came along - I always though I could do it all - horse , job, baby but found that I never really managed to get back into it. Because my daughter is in nursery 3 days a week and I only really see OH at weekends whilst he is really supportive of me getting out and riding at weekend I miss the family time too much and feel guilty the whole time I'm out and dont enjoy it much, riding in the evening doesn't work as get home from work so late and lucky to grab 10 mins with my little girl before she goes bed at around 8 and need to be in bed myself by 9 as up at half 5 for work again ( trying to fit full time into 3 days ) Am now pregnant with twins and actually really enjoying not having to fit in riding as have time for family ! but cant begin to see how am going to ride once they arrive in the picture. Not a moan or stress as my boy is more than happy not being ridden much and he has a lovely sharer now who pretty much has him to herself to do whatever she wants and at some point I hope to get back into it be it next year or in 3 years time - he's older now (14) and has some health issues so I wouldnt sell him , but wondered if it was just me who gave up trying to do it all or if other people have given in too !!
 
I am currently 34 weeks pregnant and have gone the other way, I am also worrying but for all of the opposite reasons! I only stopped riding 3 weeks ago and it is killing me seeing my little mare turned out. I am a groom and I am still mucking out/prepping hunters for hunting and doing lots of groundwork in the school. I am so worried that my desperation to get back in the saddle might leave me totally exhausted once baby is here... Don't worry, you will get back into it all when you feel good and ready and no one but you can know when the time is right! Good luck and enjoy your babies!
 
Yes, I gave up totally for 8 years after having my eldest son (now 16), however, my Mother still had the homebreds. I gradually started again after that but have ended up with a couple of ponies to 'keep my hand in'. I am however itching to start riding again as my youngest (now 4) has just started school and I have more time. :) Its a struggle balancing it, especially with babies :)
 
I got sacked from my RI job when they found out I was pregnant (16 weeks at that point) and I had to give my loan mare back. Not because I didn't want to ride but losing my job also meant losing my income and home :-( My son was around 4 months when I began sharing again and 2.5 when I bought my own youngster (6 months old). He's 4 now and I have a riding mare on loan along with my youngster. I'm glad I did it this way as to be honest I could never have coped with trying to fit everything in when he was a baby. Now I fit two horses around a full time job, family and being a TA soldier. It's busy but I love it! My little boy comes to the yard with me and OH, brushes my youngster, mixes feeds, has little shots on another liveries Shetland and it works well. My desire to be around horses never left, it's part of what makes me ME! But I tried not to stress about not riding. I've ridden since I was six and horses will always be there, that precious time with new babies and family can never be replaced! If your horse is older and happy not being ridden don't fret, just take it one day at a time and try to enjoy it. Sharing helped me as I scheduled that time and overall responsibility lay with his owner, then the youngster is just a pet so no riding pressure.
 
Only since my daughter has started school have I managed to get some decent horsey time in. Loving it!!! Don't worry about putting your horse on a back burner, you'll get back to it and if you don't who says horses actually enjoy being ridden anyway lol!!! Enjoy your babies!
 
I have my first horse now that my youngest daughter has started school. I would never have fitted it in before. I think there is quite a good argument if you work and have young children and a husband you would like to see sometimes, in giving horses a break for a few years so that you are not pulling yourself in too many directions and feeling a bit of a failure in all respects.

You will have lots of time to get back into it again, but very young children don't leave a lot of time for hobbies or even passions! Mine haven't anyway...
 
My children are now 7 and 8 and I got back into riding about two years ago. Before that I opted out completely on the the basis of being both financially and time poor!! Like the OP I found that \i felt guilty about riding instead of having family time, I was often too tired to want to ride or had too many other jobs to do. I felt that it was better to put all my energy into the children and have now returned to riding with a renewed interest and love it.
 
i don't ride as muc has i used to, although i've got a 3yo and a older mare who only hacks so they don't mind chilling in the field. I work 2days one week 3 the next as a groom so work isn't too much of a prob is finding someone to watch DD! We don't have a school so need to leave her with someone to hack and its a nightmare now its dark early. If i hack at the weekends i tend to get up really early and then i'm back by 10 at the latest wich gives OH a little lay in and some time alone with Ellie. I usually come back to find them snuggled in bed eating toast and watch cbeebies/ disney films.

That said she's only 10months now so i dont doubt it'll get harder. at the mo she sits in the car in the field whilst i check them but as soon as shes walking i fully expect her to want to "help"
 
As you saw in my previous thread, iv not ridden for 18 months and really miss it! My tb if in work, has to be worked daily as part of his routine and my other boy is arthritic so I decided to give them a year off, during pregnancy and for the first 6 months of having my daughter. Well she's 14 months now and I'm still not riding!! Mainly due to time! I manage the house and land so all summer with weeding, cutting grass, looking after my daughter I didn't have the time or energy to ride and now with mucking out, my daughter would be screaming the place down if I took another hour and a half ridding!! My only options are riding very late at night, putting her in nursery for a few afternoons a week or waiting until the spring and hope she'll be more patient!!
Tbh, my boys have been fine as a couple of field ornaments!! Thought the tb would get a bit of a handful but I just ensure they get plenty of turnout!!
It is great having children and horses though! Hard work but when my daughters having one of those days (teething!) I know I can take her out the back and see the horses and watch her face light up and get all excited!!
 
Oh yes!! I had 3 horses, though one of them was hardly ridden. Fortunately I arranged for two of them to go on loan when I was pregnant as I was pretty sure I wouldn't have enough time/money for them all. I am now really glad I sorted them out before I had my little boy as I managed to get pregnant again when he was only 8wks old.

I now have a son who is 2yrs 2months and a daughter 1yr 3months. I manage to ride once a week if I'm lucky and I really really miss it but I think your priorities change a bit when you have kids. My husband is brilliant and really encourages me to disappear off to the yard but as others have said, I want to spend time as a family when he is off work.

My mare is on DIY and I feel guilty enough going off to muck out etc. She is now 23 so pottering about round the lanes now and again is perfect for her time of life. I would love to be out galloping around and xc'ing again but I've accepted that my children will always come first and perhaps riding will have to wait for a few years.
 
I had 3 kids and 4 horses (only rode 2 of them) and worked full time for many years. I wanted to have it all, knackered and skint all the time, sometimes mucking out and riding at 10pm. Nothing was every done thoroughly. Kids and husband would say I was selfish, but would be too miserable to live with without the horses! Its hard to juggle everything
 
:( I am very worried now.
23 weeks pregnant with my first baby, had to stop riding a couple of weeks ago due to back pain. I have got a part-loaner and still enjoying doing the horses but really missing riding. I REALLY hope I can manage to get back into riding in summer... My horse is 12 and no way ready to be a field ornament, OH is happy for me to keep him but I am worried about having time for riding. It would break my heart to have to sell my horse.
 
Noble steed- I know lots of people have said about time etc but try not to worry to much. With my first daughter I was back on within a fortnight of having her and made it out two/three times a week for the spring/summer and then was back hunting the following season. Admittedly not as much as before but enough to keep my sanity. Now I am 34 weeks pregnant and am still working as a groom (can't really afford not to!) and hope (all being well) to be back in the saddle ASAP after having second child. Sometimes you do just have to say 'blow it' if its freezing cold and little ones are with you and not go in the school but then there are days when you need to do something for yourself, away from milk and nappies. At least this was how I felt! Who knows it might change this time around!
 
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