Babies & riding

[Lacuna]

Well, i've had an extended break from riding due to pregnancy. Resulting in a little girl who.is now 5 weeks old. I'm starting to feel back to normal and thoughts are returning to ponies.

Currently I am.horseless, as I gave up my share pony back last July, but have got the opportunity to ride a friend's horse occasionally. I was basically wondering how other people managed, or not, to integrate horses & babies. Should I leave off looking for a share, til little one is bigger? I feel a bit guilty thinking that I want to do something else other than breastfeeding and nappy changing.

 

[Abacus]

Congratulations!

Don't feel guilty. It can be done... some childcare helps. If you are planning on using a nursery later on, there's no harm in starting her in nursery early - my little boy went from about 3 months even though I didn't go back to work for 9 months, but it got him used to it right from the start and gave me a couple of sessions a week to go and ride. You feel guilty the first time you leave them, but it does go away. Or you could beg help from grandparents / family, etc!

I will also confess to organising my horse around my son's sleeps so that I got him fed and played with him at the yard, then walked him around in his pushchair until he slept, and rode or lunged quickly while he was asleep... once you're in a routine and she is sleeping reasonably regularly there's no reason not to do this. It helps to have a really good off-road pushchair for walking around the fields - and he slept brilliantly in the open air. And this particualr yard is empty during the day, so I knew that I would have the place to myself and could leave his pushchair somewhere safe while he snoozed.

My boy still adores the horses and I plan on doing the same when the next one is born in May.

Good luck. The time you spend doing your own thing will make you a better mother than if you were going stir crazy in the house all day... I'd have gone mad without it.

 

[Booboos]

Congratulations on the arrival of your little girl!

It's the middle of the winter so things are bound to be grim but I am struggling to ride once or twice a week at the moment with a 6.5 month old daughter. She needs more and more stimulation (when she was younger she slept a lot longer, although she was permanantly attached to my boob!), and takes shorter and shorter naps during the day (we are lucky if she sleeps once for 1.5 hours). OH is trying to help, but he has to work and if you factor in that somehow you have to get the shopping, cooking, washing, etc. done as well this doesn't leave a lot of time in the day!

On the plus side the horses do give me a break and perhaps I would have gone nuts now just doing the baby 24/7!

 

[Jazzy B]

Abacus you are truly amazing, which I had been able to do that too and Lacuna if you can then I would! Due to personal circumstances I have truly not been able to get back into riding until my little girl started school in September and its just brilliant and I truly think I'm a better mum because of it!!! if you can juggle both than do!!!!!

 

[pennyturner]

I felt guilty leaving OH holding the babies, and ended up buying a harness and governess cart. Pony was 13 and neither of us had ever driven, but we both loved it.
I still ride as well as drive, and now the kids ride with me, but those days taking the babies out in the cart were amazing.

 

[Abacus]

That's a brilliant idea Penny about the pony and trap - and just as I was thinking of investing in a Shetland!! Where did you learn to drive? I don't know where to start...

 

[babymare]

Well congrats on your little one and BLOODY GET OUT THERE AND GET RIDING lol ok my daughter was week old when her grandad bought a year old shettie for her - we - the 3 of us went out for walks - daughter in sling and pony by side till i broke him to ride and drive - daughter grew up with ponies and still has amazing memories of childhood and a deep passion for horses as we both still have - hun give you some time to relax bring your little one up around them from earliest age just find right horse where you can take your little one and start to enjoy the best healthiest most fun hobby together - you dont have to ride to enjoy our horses/ponies i dont anymore but 22 yrs on me and my daughter share the same passion for our horses we love own or ride - she for uni team - but we have beautiful memories to and they are priceless - start them young lol but with fun xxx

 

[Shazzababs]

Hi, congratulations on your baby.

My LO is now 17 months and I think I find time to ride 2 or 3 times a week (I work full time). Basically you have 2 options.

1 - Find someone to look after the baby for a couple of hours while you ride,
2 - Endure the wailing with the baby parked in the buggy by the arena. Even if you think you can ride while they are napping, the minute you sit in the saddle the 'little darling' WILL wake up, I don't know how they know, but they do :>.

With the nearest family being over 200 miles away I did quite a lot of no 2 while I was on my Mat leave.

Now back at work, if the horses are out 24\7 I can fit a 30min ride in some days between returning from work and picking the wee one up from Nursery. Now they are in, I have to muck out then, so I am back down to riding at the weekend when OH now takes him out cycling (in a baby seat) for a couple of hours, or going back out at 7pm once he has gone to bed.