How did you cope with a baby and horse?

[MagicMelon]

I'm due June 7th with my first too and it is daunting. But I intend to carry on as normal, although finances may struggle since I'll be on maternity leave (and if I want to go back to work like I do, that's £800 per month in day care!!). Our house is up for sale (were sellling anyway even before baby came along) so we hope to buy something with land. Currently my horses are kept at my mums which is about 18 miles away so that would save on petrol to have them at home (but meantime, she's very handy as she can do them for me!).

I only have 1 competition horse though and 2 retired natives so hopefully we can cope. I am trying to sell my horse though, purely because I cant afford to compete him at the level he's at now anyway (nothing to do with the baby) and hope to buy a youngster to play about at lower (cheaper!) levels. At the moment, I'm lucky to have a friends horse who I ride whenever I want to and she pays for me to compete it, which she says can carry on. So I can still compete but that'll save on finances a bit.

I couldnt be without a horse, where there's a will there's always a way

 

[Solstar]

I'm hoping to be able to do my horses around the OH working- luckily he is very supportive, my horses are 8,17 and 28 so don't NEED alot of work and I'm on a great Livery Yard that has Staff that I trust!
I'm due on Tuesday (eek!!) so have maybe 6 weeks of them being in before they go out... but whilst they're in I'll go to the yard before OH leaves for work to turn them out and muck out if possible. If I don't muck out the yard will do it, or I'll go back in the afternoon with babba and do it then. When OH comes back from work I'll go and ride or muck out or check on them etc.

I am well aware about all the best laid plans etc....

 

[marmalade76]

She actually began saying the horses names before mumma and dadda!

Ha ha! The first understandable word my daughter said was my horse's name!

 

[bex1984]

I'm due on June 14th and have one very lovely 14.1 cob x native. OH and I discussed ages ago the fact that we would never sell him - he's totally irreplaceable, so he's off on loan to the riding school at the yard where he is currently liveried. This will mean he'll live out, so be roughed off a bit and have his shoes off. It also means I can go and cuddle him, groom him etc, whenever i want, and at some point can start riding again.

For me this is ideal because money will be very tight when I'm off work, and I can go and see him when I want to but I don't HAVE to go down.

I've been mucking out etc throughout so far although i did struggle in the first trimester because I felt so rough. i have wonderful help from all the other liveries who currently step in and do the bits I can't do (namely, dragging my 20 litre water bucket into my stable, and fetching in because they all push and shove and barge at the field gate).

I agree with above, where there's a will, there's a way. There's no way i could sell Murphy, and I am just sooooo happy that althought he's going on full loan, i can cuddle him as much as i want

Hope everything goes well for everyone else who is expecting at the mo

 

[jennywren07]

Let them live out and have good friends!!

My daughters one tomorrow (where does the time go!!) and i was back at work sole charge on a yard of 8 plus my own 2 once she was 6weeks old. She used to sleep in the car and i'd park her outside the stables so i could hear her.

It's a bit harder once they get older. she doesn't want to sit in the car or pushchair anymore but she can't walk yet either. i'm not working at the mo so i try and fit doing mine in around her naps. They live out so i can get away with a quick check and my friend checks the other end of the day. if i can't get it around her naps i carry her over to the field and she loves saying hello to the ponies although it does mean they only get checked over the fence by me that day.

I can only ride when i have a baby sitter but only really hack anyway so not the end of the world for me.

 

[noblesteed]

Congratulations everyone! This is a really helpful thread! I have been worrying myself silly about how I will cope with one horse when baby comes - let alone several! I always expected to sell my horse when I had a baby, so when I bought mine nearly 4 years ago that was always the plan. HOWEVER hormones are funny things! As soon as I found out I was pregnant I couldn't bear the thought of ever parting with him. I mean it made me feel physically sick and I would burst into tears at the thought of it! Maybe I didn't realise how much he has come to mean to me til the crunch came... Anyway hubby has encouraged me to keep him, partly for his own selfish reasons as he still wants to continue surfing, and will need to 'trade' sports time with me - if i had to sell the horse his surfing gear was going as well!!!!
I am due early March and have one horse who lives about 10 miles away, close to where I work full time, or did til I went on sick. I rent the yard with my friend so there are just our 2 horses there, she lives onsite and is fab and does morning stables if I'm not there.
I managed to ride every day up til about 20 weeks (halfway) when I started getting pelvic problems. I was lucky that a teenage girl who lives nearby wanted something to loan, so I spent a couple of months teaching her to ride/handle my horse. She now has him on almost full loan - my pelvis is really bad but I can just to say walk enough to catch him from the field and muck out. If I didn't get to see him a few times a week I would go stir crazy being stuck in the house!
In terms of money, I have sold a few things on ebay and have been saving up the loaner's money, so I have a horse fund to pay for things when my pay drops down to maternity money. I have carefully budgeted and am on track.

Anyway I have been worrying about what will happen when baby comes. Doctor says I have to wait 3 months before riding, to give my pelvis time to settle. So all being well the loaner will be able to stay on, share the riding with me, horses will be out 24/7 by end of March and I will go back to work 3 days a week and be near horse so should be able to fit him around childcare - I am planning on getting everything done on a morning so hubby can take baby to childminder and I can collect! Hoping to have my parents nearby as they're moving closer but with the housing market as it is I have a plan A and a plan B.

I'm sure everything will change though once baby is born! I may feel totally different... Who knows???

 

[Always Henesy]

Congratulations! Ickle babies are the best

With regarding managing horses and babies - erm it is bloomin hard.
Quite often impossible at times I have to be honest.
I have 3 children. My OH works very long hours in London and I have no family to help me.
I have 2 horses.
The last time I rode was 6 weeks ago and my 2 boys have been living out 24/7 regardless of the weather.
They get thrown a hard feed twice a day and ad lib hay but not a lot else.
I am not on a livery yard - it's just me.
Putting a baby in a pushchair whilst you muck out sounds great - but actually that only works for so long. It's not fun either when your child is sat in a pushchair when it's -5 degrees and getting dark. When they start toddling - oh my life!
That said - where there is a will there is a way. - it usually involves loads of bribery e.g chocolate biscuits to keep them happy for 5 minutes. You also have to be prepared to run your life with military precision!
My children are now 4, 7 and 17 and life is slightly easier.
I still have no time to ride as I am either working or when I'm not working I'm looking after the children.
It will be fine though as us women are real troopers when it comes to multi tasking!

 

[NeverSayNever]

My baby is due 6th of May

Congratulations I'm due my 2nd on 13th may. .

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Out first baby is due in 8 weeks eek.

I'm due June 7th with my first too and it is daunting.

I'm due on June 14th and have one very lovely 14.1 cob x native.

wow! Congratulations everyone! Have there ever been so many expectant mums on here at the same time? I'm due May 10th

 

[Bluecat]

my baby is 9 weeks old.i luckily have my 2 horses at home and my other half works on the farm and helps me every day with the horses.i got on my competition gelding 4 weeks after giving birth.would of been sooner but i had stitches.i now ride 3 x per week and am hoping to do bsja in feb.its really hard but im coping x

 

[Magicmillbrook]

wow! Congratulations everyone! Have there ever been so many expectant mums on here at the same time? I'm due May 10th

Another one here - I am due 4th May - In my opinion ideal timing.

This is baby no 3. Eldest is 20, 2nd is 3 in March.

We turn out 24/7 in all but worst weather and in general are as 'au natural' as possible. Make the most of new born pre toddler age. Baby slings and all terrain buggies are a must have. If you can - breast feeding is useful as you can almost feed on the go, who wants to be warming bottles at the yard.

Gets a bit tricky as others have said at toddler stage, Evie knows not to go near horsies back legs but I cannot keep her out of the drinkers and troughs. Get them a boiler suit or water proof dungareee set and get them involved (safely of course). I am very lucky as my eldest does a lot for me, but you could always see if you could get a helper/sharer. Not all teenagers are useless.

I am still making a pretence of riding my old girl, however will prob stop soon. My girl is semi retired anyway so wont mind a rest, plus my big daughter is sadly horseless at the moment so is giving my girl a weekly 'jolly' untill she finds a new one.

I currently work full time but am planning to go part time when this one is born so hopefully - fingers and toes crossed I may get to ride a bit more. With work, field/stable maintenance, house work and Evie I only realy get to ride once or twice a week.

I think it is very improtant to keep some link with horses to keep you sane, its so easy to lose who you are and become completely overwhelmed by 'nappy world'.

Good luck - you are female - you can do anything

 

[bex1984]

I think it is very improtant to keep some link with horses to keep you sane, its so easy to lose who you are and become completely overwhelmed by 'nappy world'.

I feel exactly the same. I've been researching prams/pushchairs and find the whole thing stressful, confusing and just generally mind-blowing. BUT I felt much better after searching 'prams' here on HHO - lo and behold, a series of sensible posts about prams that would go round Burghley and have room for a grooming kit. Made me feel much better!!