Eventing while pregnant???

[Falafel]

Hi,
For all the eventing people out there - I'm just wondering how many of you competed whilst pregnant, and at what level?
Do you think it's ok to continue competing in the early stages - and do you think it would be ok to do a CCI* whilst 2 months pregnant?
I know Mary King did the European championships at 5 months, but she's Mary King, so that's slightly different!
Just wondering what anyone's experience is in this area?
Thanks a million!

 

[Thistle]

Well Mary King and Karen Dixon both did, but it's one thing riding for your country and another just doing it for your self.

personally, I don't ride as well as either of these two ladies so I wouldn't.

I did keep riding quietly through both my pregnancies though.

 

[Joss]

I think it depends how you feel & also how well you know & trust your horse. Personally I hardly realised that I was pregnant at the 2 month stage & most certainly didnt feel any different to normal. I was often riding 3 a day & jumping etc as normal.

BUT if its something you are thinking about/trying for then perhaps you should think twice as the 1st 12 weeks are the highest risk time for losing it. Also its quite likely that morning(all day!) sickness will be lingering at that stage.

I have decided to let someone else ride my event horse this season but mainly because there wasnt an event for him up here until late April by which time I will be heading towards 6 months. I am still riding etc pretty much as normal but have decided not to event but thats mainly due to timing.

One definite piece of advise if you plan to carry on competing as normal keep your mouth shut about your pregnancy. Make sure your OH is ok with it & then dont tell other people until you are ready to take things easier. I told too many people too soon & I am under pressure (mainly from people that dont know me) not to jump etc.

 

[FigJam]

Congratulations Joss! I had no idea!

I've always said I would want to keep riding if/when pregnant as I trust my sensible horse 100% and my theory is that I'm as likely, if not more, to be in a traffic accident on my way to the yard or while handling horses on the ground as I am when in the saddle. Yet people would never say "don't drive" or "don't lead a horse/muck out".

Obviously I've not had to put this to the test yet (and don't plan to for a bit!) so don't know if I would feel different in reality. I would probably have to stick to flatwork/hacking though as a compromise, so no eventing.

 

[stacey_lou]

Do as you feel most comfortable, if you feel your horse is a safe ride and you can trust them then go for it. But if you feel for one second whilst out Eventing nervous then i wouldnt, as we all know horses can sense the fear and tension and therefore more likely to refuse a fence and a bigg chance of falling off.

At the end of the day its up to you, I always say everything happens for a reason and Mary fell off at a 3* event whilst 5 months pregant and she was ok.

 

[Joss]

Congratulations Joss! I had no idea!
QUOTE]

I havent made any big announcements! Thank you very much. Hope to see you about later in the season.

Opps quotey bit didnt work out right - I am such a beginner!!

 

[TableDancer]

I rode during both pregnancies and evented up to 12 weeks in my second one, which was the end of the season. I actually rode 2 horses at Weston, one in the 1* and one in the 2* as my last event. The riding was no problem at all, but I was feeling quite sick and got tired - tbh the killer was walking the course six times (2 courses x 3 times). I remember being quite tired when we got home I still carried on riding and jumping after that, but fell off at Solihull a couple of months later and decided I'd better stop then!

I don't think there is a right or a wrong answer, you just have to do what feels right for you. As someone has said, if you feel worried, nervous or guilty about it don't do it. If you're fine with it don't let anyone else bully you. FWIW I originally suffered with miscarriages. When I got pregnant I used to immediately stop riding and doing anything dodgy, but I still lost the babies When I got pregnant again with Tilly I decided to keep riding to cheer myself up (we were living in Singapore so there was no eventing but I was riding dodgy ex-racehorses) and guess what? She hung on in there I lost another one in between my two children, then along came my son (the Weston pregnancy) so that proved to me that my misses were nothing to do with riding. It is true that most misses happen in the first trimester but the doctors told me that the reasons are almost certainly genetic, the baby isn't quite right or whatever, not caused by doing things like riding.

Congratulations and best of luck whatever you decide

 

[AutumnRose]

I dont have any children myself so my experience is second hand. My best friend has competed up to advanced but had two novice horses about to go intermediate when she fell pregnant. She kept eventing them both up until about 14 weeks and then wound down although she did keep riding them at home. She sold one when she was about 20 weeks and was not happy jumping 1.20m when people came to see the horse. She felt fine riding but struggled the most with course walking and felt out of breath much quicker.

During her second pregnancy she kept competing again but had felt a lot more sick. At about 9 weeks she was in the start box of a PN and said she suddenly felt terrified of something going wrong.....so she held up her hand and retired. She still kept riding t home for awhile later.

From friends experiences it seems there is no way of knowing how you will feel but you have to be sure to listen to yourself. You and your OH need to be happy with what you are doing...if you fell worried or nervous or any different to normal then its probably tie to stop. If/when i am in this situation i plan on just playing it by ear and seeing how i feel.

 

[abbie29]

Having just had a baby, I gave up eventing and then riding at all whilst I was pregnant. having had a previous miscarriage I was not prepared to take a risk even though my horse could barely be more saintly. I honestly think that its fine to ride, it was my personal choice not to. You just have to ask yourself, 'if I fall off or bang myself whilst riding and hurt or lose the baby, can I live with that?' If you can, and many can, then thats fine. I couldn't, I would have blamed myself always. Now I have my daughter here safely, I feel my decision was totally the right one for me and I'm back riding happily!

 

[Decision_Tree]

I have never been with child - but my mum rode until she was 7months pregnant! Just hacking at home on her horse, So I was almost born on a horse! I think its personal choice, if your happy to do it then go for it.

 

[now_loves_mares]

Congratulations Joss! I had no idea!

I've always said I would want to keep riding if/when pregnant as I trust my sensible horse 100% and my theory is that I'm as likely, if not more, to be in a traffic accident on my way to the yard or while handling horses on the ground as I am when in the saddle. Yet people would never say "don't drive" or "don't lead a horse/muck out".

Obviously I've not had to put this to the test yet (and don't plan to for a bit!) so don't know if I would feel different in reality. I would probably have to stick to flatwork/hacking though as a compromise, so no eventing.

Hmm FJ my OH does say "no leading horses whilst pregnant" but that might be something to do with the fact the handle-bags has a tendancy to go over the top of you if the mood takes her

Joss - congrats

OP - do what you feel is right! Chances are riding won't do you any harm, but there's always a risk factor, and like someone else says, so long as you can live with it if something DID happen, then go for it!

 

[Coolspot]

Although I don't event (I showjump) this is a dilemma I've been through recently. I always thought I'd keep riding throughout my pregnancy perhaps not on our youngster but on my older (although not nesscessarily saner!) horse.
One day though, it just didn't feel right. I did suffer with quite bad sickness though. Think travel sickness whilst hacking!

At the end of the day you have to do what you feel is right and only you know what you're up to. I know with the tiredness and shortness of breath, I couldn't jump more than a couple of courses let alone a whole xc course!!! I'm missing riding like crazy and can't wait till August when i'll hopefully be back on board!

Good luck!

 

[Nic]

Conratulations Joss! Lovely news.

OP Never been in that position either but I think I'd need to judge it day by day, depending on how I feel at the time.

 

[Navalgem]

Again, although I don't event I showjump and I competed up to 22 weeks pregnant, although I could still ride, I did find jumping uncomfortable after that. (I was jumping 1.05 tracks - nothing huge!)

I had previously had a miscarriage but didn't ride at all once I found out I was pregnant. 2nd time around I thought sack it, either it is or isn't to be and I wouldn't give up riding even though I was spotting blood until 11 weeks. I even fell off a young horse I was schooling and all was well. My daughter is now nearly 5 and it certainly hasn't done her any harm.

 

[walker1234]

I evented at 3 months pregnant and carried on showjumping until 5 months, I rode until 8 months pregnant but called it a day when cantering gave me back ache. I could have carried on right up until he was born but gentle hacking is just not my thing. You will know when you've had enough.

 

[measles]

I rode for the first few months with first child but just felt instinctively that I was doing the wrong thing. I remember going for a jump lesson on a youngster, jumping two fences and getting off saying that was it, and it was for 9 months.

Everyone is different and it is an entirely personal thing. Both the woman and her partner need to consider the risks, how they would feel if something went wrong, and make a decision based on that.

 

[racingdemon]

i didn't event while i was pregnant, but probably more bonkers, i got a new horse, took him hunting for half a season, jumping really big stuff, i also carried on riding my bonkers horse i bought for £1 as no-one would ride him as he was a loon, i rode with son 1 until i was 36ish weeks, only stopped when i just couldn't get on & off easily, morning sickness while hacking gave early morning drivers quite a shock, me... leaning off horse to throw up.... nice!! i stopped hunting/competing when i couldn't get my best breeches to vaguely do up, i did do a dressage test with them totally undone, but decided the flashing of maternity pants wasn't quite such a good look

second child, i did less hunting, partly due to the timing, but i did still ride until 36ish weeks again, went SJ, did plenty of normal things, i also skied with child 2, again imagine the sight.... morning sickness off the side of a ski lift!!

do what you feel suits you, don't be bullied into it, my midwife was quite happy that i was still riding, as she said it'd keep me relaxed, supple & fit, which would make everything to come much easier,

my husband was reasonably happy, he knew i wasn't going to stop, and did tell me really late on with no2 that he thought i should stop, partly because i think he thought i was doing too much, but it certainly helped me stay fit & sane

you'll do what feels right to you, & it might depend how long/hard it's taken you to get pregnant, no1 was a 'surprise' no2 was near as a surprise, so maybe i was a bit blase becasue we'd not spent time planning etc!