Being a horse owner whilst pregnant??

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Ginge Crosby

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Just wondering if anyone has any advice, tips ect?
PS you don't have to read on further if you don't wish to, its sure to be a long one. But tips/advice appreciated all the same!

I've been banned (yes, BANNED) from riding by the un-horsey OH until i've seen the midwife, who i'm sure is going to tell me that to ride is to risk death to myself, to sell the horse and take up knitting, but i think i'd rather stick a knitting needle in my jugular than give up my horse.

So i've started looking for a rider for the boy, i'm planning on keeping him in livery until we relocate to 2 bedrooms, hopefully we'll find a house with a field nearby that he can holiday in for the minimum amount of time until i'm declared fit to ride by the OH again.

My horse is so quiet (considering he's a TB) that i have absolutely no issue with riding him (flatwork only, i wouldn't risk jumping him as there he lacks confidence and has almost perfected the last minute stop-then-balloon bascule), but i've been told that the 1st trimester is a no-no for anything strenuous so won't be riding until i have a second opinion from the midwife.

Unfortunately, the OH is so worried that he comes up to the yard with me most days, even engineering situations that require his prescence ("i need to check the battery on the horsebox....." - he obviously forgot that the horsebox was parked at his mums house, about 10 miles away from the yard). Whilst i appreciate his help - he's even learning how to muck out - his visits are cementing in his head that horses are dangerous and i should be wrapped in cotton wool.

Example - The other day i went to get my boy in, which unusually sparked off the other two boys in the field; one was doing the wall of death at flat out gallop whilst the other (slightly podgier and older) was doing canter-doughnuts in the middle of the field. So i grabbed headcollars, all set to get them in before they did themselves an injury, which prompted a rather explosive argument - my point being that if it was my horse out there, and he broke a leg because no-one bothered to get him in, i would be rather distraught. Anyway, since that last little incident, OH has been banned (HA serves him right) from coming up the yard with me.

I would never knowingly put myself in stupid situations; i knew as soon as i went in the field the boys would stop galloping around as this group have been together for more than a year, i wouldnt be so relaxed going into the field of mares having a gallop around as i dont know any of them.

Anyway, this is all by the by. I'm looking for advice to make the next 9 months (plus the few months after) a bit easier.

So far i've
*started looking for a rider
*tied old lead ropes to his water tub trug to drag it rather than carry it everywhere (what can i say, i'm lazy)
*started selling off tack and equipment that i should have got rid of ages ago
*cut down his hard feed whilst he's not being ridden
I'm sure that these are just a drop in the ocean, so i need ideas and advice from those who have been there-done that.

Congratulations if you've stuck with me to this point, thanks for sticking it out to the end!
 
o dear, bless your OH hes really really trying to look after you!!! I think that if your doing all you are doing, and are happy with that, you cant really do too much more can you. For me personally i didnt ride when pregnant due to just having a just backed 3 year old(friend rode him for me), but i know others that have ridden their faithfull old horses that they trust implicitly. Its worth remembering that your only pregnant for 9 months and its not that long in the grand scheme of things, as long as you can find a rider for you horse to pootle out on ect im sure will all be fine, and you will be back in the saddle in no time! When is your baby due??
 
Congratulations! Sounds like your being very organised in deciding what to do with the horses long term/making things easier round the yard. Its nice that OH is being supportive and keen to help you too.

I rode up to around 24 weeks (just pottering round fields occasionally) on my TB. However whether you ride or not is a personal deision that only you can answer. When I stopped riding I continued to lunge and loose school my horse, having a friend sit on him for me occasionally. I did all stable chores to the day my waters broke, including lugging full buckets of water on my own. (went full livery when she was 2 weeks old though). IMO the reason I had such an easy birth was because I kept fit and active. End of the day you just have to listen to your body.

I think the general advice given is just to carry on as normal, but to be sensible! :)
 
I competed up to 5 months, small stuff and on the mare i'd had for 15 years. Hacked until 6 months when it became uncomfortable.

The day before I went into labour, and most days up to that point, I mucked out all 3 horses. I basically carried on as normal. But then I didn't have a partner to worry about me :D

Do what feels right to you, but maybe assess different situations (ie bringing in excited horses) before you do it.
 
Congratulations!
Best to accept his help as when you are lugging around a substantial baby bump you will be glad of it. Im sure he will relax more when you have both seen the midwife. I rode for both my pregnancies until around 20 weeks, only hacking though. Its a personal choice and you should do what feels right for you. Although I chose to continue to ride during pregnancy 17 years ago, I think that now I am older and wiser if i had to decide again i might choose to take that time off.
Best of luck and please can we see the baby pics when he/she arrives.
 
I rode until I was 6 months gone as I knew my horses inside out but I did have a fall but landed on my feet which is when I gave up until after I gave birth.Stable work I carried on as normal and my midwife told me if I was use to the work than it wouldn't hurt me. I even used my bump to balance the bales off hay and straw on as I couldn't carry them out in front off me. I handled my mates horse who was rearing right up to show her how to cope with it. Bless your oh he's just looking out for u but just do what u feel is right. I had no problem carrying on as normal so that's what I done. I was actually lungeing a horse when I went into labour
 
alj7 said:
Unfortunately, the OH is so worried that he comes up to the yard with me most days, even engineering situations that require his prescence ("i need to check the battery on the horsebox....." - he obviously forgot that the horsebox was parked at his mums house, about 10 miles away from the yard). Whilst i appreciate his help - he's even learning how to muck out
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Let him carry on!!!!! Enjoy having yourself a personal groom!! It might even make him slightly horsey too!!!;)

As for riding, (not had any ankle biters myself yet) ive known people riding racehorses untill bump got in the way. Not sure i would do this myself tho!! I have heard that riding makes labour harder though, your core muscles and pelvic muscles are much more developed through riding than a 'normal' person and therefore you cant 'relax' and stretch them as much to let baby through and therefore hurts and tears a LOT more.......:eek:
 
I think its quite sweet that your OH is so concerned for you :-) however you do not seem like a silly person and im sure you wouldnt put yourself and baby at any unnecessary risk. The only thing id like to point out is the dregging the water buckets- much better to push than to pull. You cound easily strain yourself without realising. i would try filling water drums and rolling them to the stable then pouring them in.- just a suggestion, best wishes x
 
Thanks for the input guys, really appreciate it! I'm not due til august (the 21st, which is my OH's birthday!!) so its still early days yet, (a while to wait for photo's!) but i want to be prepared and unlike my usual lastminute.com self.

I'd like to carry on riding, as i've only had my boy since 2009 and we were just starting to get a good working relationship, and his dressage was just starting to really come on nicely, but at the same time i dont want anything bad to happen and have the OH blame it on the horse. I think its something we'll have to discuss properly after seeing the midwife, and after a few riding sessions under his ever-watchful eye!
 
I rode till I was about 7months preggerz this year, then had to stop cause the whole time I felt like a needed a wee. haha!!

Your lucky you OH wants to help, I got carpul tunnel when 8.5 months preggerz and had to convince my OH to come push the wheel barrow for me each day!

I think they say that if you are doing a sport (trampoling, or swimming etc) you can continue. But dont go taking up any new sports and assess the risks properly.

Like I just went for walks round the village etc, rather then going x-country! :)

Congratulations by the way!! x x
 
Hi, I'm 17 weeks pregnant with my first at the moment and have two horses, my 17 year old faithful ISH and a 2 year old Andalusian (she's my husbands but due to his work commitments I often take care of her as well). They are on DIY, stabled at night, out in day.

I must confess that I have carried on as normal, having a horsey OH helps but at this stage I am still hardly showing and apart from the general tiredness and some nausea/sickness (which has mostly passed now) I feel the same?!. I don't compete but either hack out, do flatwork and lunge 5 days out of 7 and muck out, lead both together in and out each day. I have also carried on doing my water buckets and heavier work (there's no help in sight at 6.30am on my yard so little choice!)

I've watched a few pregnant people with horses over the yards, some really hardcore who start their contractions in the hunting field and are back the following Tuesday complete with stitches and a seat saver and others who rest for the full 9 months and loan/sell the horse. It's personal preference and often depends upon the views of the family/OH as well. My personal view is that I am fit, I have had horses on DIY since I was 7 (I'm 34) and I'm doing what I've always done so my body is not questioning it. I may have to slow down a bit as I get bigger but will take that as it comes, my only concession so far is to prune low branches on the bridleway as ducking may be an issue soon!

My midwife was very blase and said "oh another riding one", she did not bat an eyelid and said any sharp pains, stop, fair enough... Even the NHS website says after 6 months you may need to stop due to the risk of impact injuries. At my 16 week appointment she commented how fit, well and strong I looked and said with those stomach muscles you probably wont show until 24 weeks.

I'm not trying to suggest whats right or wrong just sharing where I am at a little further down the line. Good luck!

By the way I am also due on my OH's birthday, we could not have managed that if we had tried!
 
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Congratulations!!!

It's a very individual decision and you have to do what makes you feel comfortable and safe. I am 18 weeks pregnant and still riding. I will hack and school F but only school R because he can be more lively hacking and to be honest he is scaring me now (never scared me before, but I am a lot more cautious and worried now). My schooling is very limited as well, I take a lot of walk breaks and make sure I am not out of breath or sweaty. Personally I feel I need to keep riding them as I don't have anyone who can ride them for me and if they had such a long holiday they would become very difficult to handle. I have always found the horses potentially more dangerous handling than riding and I want to keep them in a routine. So far they have all adapted well to a lot less work although they are still living out 24/7.

Oddly enough I find mucking out and lifting much more tiring (for some reason my body seems to hate sweeping), so I am not doing any of that.

OH has been supporting but worried about my riding, but the rest of my family and friends (non-horsey) are driving me a bit mad. They behave as if riding is extremely dangerous (funnily enough no one is worried about sex or driving a car!) and keep making shocked comments that I am still riding. A bit annoying to be honest...
 
I am a mum of 8 month old twins, I stopped riding as soon as I knew I was pregnant even though my boy is 15yr old steady as a rock ISH which I have owend for 8 years and trust him so very much, it was everything around him I didn't trust! My pregnancy wasn't easy to come by (not saying its any more precious) but I just couldn't take any risks as they weren't just my babies they were my OH's too and I had to respect that he didn't want me to risk my babies and me just to get on the horse. I was however still doing stuff around the yard untill about 37 weeks with my HUGE belly (I had them at 38 weeks) that did me in good stead for my recovery.

As for my boy he has enjoyed his maternity leave out with his buddies he wintered out last year (and this) and as soon as I had my 6 week check I was back onboard ( I had a section so had to wait for things to heal!) he now is still ridden when I get chance but its not as much as I would like between full time work two babas dark nights and snow!!

It is at the end of the day it's your choice, and whatever you feel best with x
 
Booboos said:
Congratulations!!!
OH has been supporting but worried about my riding, but the rest of my family and friends (non-horsey) are driving me a bit mad. They behave as if riding is extremely dangerous (funnily enough no one is worried about sex or driving a car!) and keep making shocked comments that I am still riding. A bit annoying to be honest...
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funnily enough, i was rather dreading telling my non-horsey parents, as they bought my horse for me as a project to bring on and sell, so i assumed the first thing they'd say is that he'd have to go. But they've been really supportive, my mum even said that it would be good to keep him as it gives me something to look forward to (you know, besides the birth of my first child..... :) and something for me to focus on getting fit for after. They are worried about me riding, and have told me to keep off him until the midwife has ok'd it, but on the whole i think the potential 4 legged money maker has actually won their hearts slightly, and they wouldnt want to get rid of him even if i did!
 
Here's me n my girl, I was 22 weeks pregnant:

DSC00092.jpg

and here's my daughter on her think she was 2 years ish (before anyone ruins this with the no hat thing - please don't. yes it's irresponsible, dangerous blah blah. But I knew this mare inside out and I trusted her implicitly. I say trusted as she died almost 3 years ago.
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I didn't have the best pregnancy - I'd had a miscarriage 2 months before I got pregnant again and I bled the first 6-8 weeks of that pregnancy too. I carried on as I figured that nothing I did would change anything as the first time I didn't ride at all. Babies are very well protected in there ;) When my daughter was born I loaned my horse out for 5 months, it nearly killed me, I missed it terribly and I also had post natal depression with nothing to distract me from it. As I said my mare died 3 years ago, I regret the 5 months I gave up with her.
 
i was at more risk from walking the dogs than i was handling my horses each time i've been pregnant!
my OH never once told me what i could or couldn't do, in fact he told me that i'm only pregnant so what am i complaining about!!!!
he helped me out the same as he did before i got pregnant and the same as he does now (after!),
there were times i wished he did 'wrap' me up in cotton wool though as i had bad morning sickness with the one (went on all day every day for months) so it would have been nice if he had taken charge instead of expecting me to do it all and moaned when i asked him to do more work around the yard!

if i was you i'd tell your OH that you will stop the riding while pregnant in return for him to stop complaining about you.........at the end of the day he's only concerned about the baby (i guess it's your first child) and that's to be expected but once he is around the horses more he will see that you are more than capable of 'seeing' the danger areas/times and will avoid them.
good luck.
 
i rode up till about 7 months with my daughter i oked it with my doctor and what he said was in other countrys they would still carry on doing things as always so if its wat i do dont stop my body told me when it was time to stop but because so fit till near end easy time giving birth, no stitches, back on horse within 5 days steady away of course
 
im 18 weeks PG with my 3rd and each time i have stopped riding and turned them away as soon as i found out, for me, i couldnt live with myself if i came off and lost the baby, more so since i prefer the highly strung types of horse.
 
firstly congratulations to you and your OH on the lovely news and hun god love your OH for caring about you and your baby - some men dont :)

Only you know your horse truelly and personally you seem very sensible about situation. I have friends who rode- nothing fast just a toddle around and it done them world of good to relax. talk to your midwive and take all precautions you can which you are already :). as someone said the 9 months will fly by and yes it is a juggle with horses and young baby ( oh I know it well ) but it is worth it especially when your baby learns to love horses as you do - my daughter first pony 1 week old - now 21 captain of uni eqestrian team and loves the horses with a passion so we have quality time together :)
 
congratulaions!!

I think the biggest problem i had around the horses whilst pregnant was other people looking down thire nose at me. If you feel safe doing something do it, if not, don't! after all you are not going to put your child at risk, goes without saying:rolleyes:its just that some people will think they know whats best for you better than you will. Your OH on the other hand , well.....;)

I mucked out three stables and went for a ride the day i gave birth, i went xc at five months gone, i didn't lunge or lead the boistrois ones about though, my stallion on the other hand become extra in love with me and just wanted to cuddle me all the time, i think he still thinks the 'foal' is his!!! I would say though be carefull riding after you have given birth, i was back on 48 hours after haveing her and it was too soon all your joints go slack and it was a big shock when i found my body had not morphed back to pre baby balance/shape/strength, and my balance wa all over the shop!

As for baby, lets just say she took to riding like a duck to water........( she was 2yrs just in this pic)

Picture071.jpg
 
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