How do you cope with babies and horses?

[chestnutx]

I am due any minute with my first baby, my horse has gone on loan until next Summer but I am really wondering how I will cope with baby and horse, although I am determined to not give up horses and will be riding him as soon as I can once a week after baby arrives. So wanted to know how other people cope not only with the looking after but financially as well. Because of course if you are loaded it is no problem and you can just have them on full livery, this will not be an option to me and my hubby is not very horsey!

 

[BackInBlack]

when i had my little uns i didn't get much chance to ride unless mother in law baby sat. looking after them was fitted in around babies nap time. as soon as we got into a routine when i knew it was nearly nap time i'd stick baby in car seat and he would fall asleep on the way to stables and give me just enough time to muck out etc before he woke up.
he was parked in the stable in his pram or left in the car - i had one of those portable baby monitors with me that i would attatch to my belt.
can't help with finacial side other than perhaps looking around for cheaper livery - you never know, something may come up.
good luck

 

[quirky]

Ditto Tally. I used to go to the stables and she'd fall asleep in the car. This gave me enough time to do my jobs. I was able to park outside my stable so I could keep an eye on her. I would go back in the evenings and ride/skip out etc.
Now she's older, she comes and "helps", which is great. Things take longer but I don't mind as it's not often we have to be anywhere. Never been on full livery, always DIY and financially we cope just about ... couldn't if it was full livery!

 

[charliesarmy]

You do cope but things are done round babies schedule ...With my first I put Chrissey on full loan but I paid the bills which I wouldnt do again as the loanee didnt show too much respect for her turning up at all times once even rang me to go and put her breakfast in as she was shopping and had forgotten

my next baby whos just 10 months old

I found a rider whom contributed £150 a month which I used to be able to put her on full livery when I needed it....now I'm back riding her (Back On DIY due to having own place now Way Hay) her contribution is £100 as we are now sharing the riding but on her days she does chores too so if you have a loanee till next summer and it works and he/she is good (hard to come by) why don't you consider keeping a share thing going I havent looked back

hope you got to the end without falling asleep

 

[Jericho]

DItto THH and quirky really - horses have to fit around my 2 1/2 yr old and 5 year old. We are lucky that horses are at home and I nip out in the morning before everyone awake but it is still a juggling game. Usually dont ride except at weekend if OH is obliging (he gets a bit narked if horses take too much family time up) or my Mum will baby sit for me. TMy oldest is at school so bit easier now but I try to do other things like poo pciking and lunging whilst my 2 yr old has his afternoon nap. Invest in a good baby monitor, always keep spare clothes, food, drink, nappies, toys with you. Both of mine would sit in pushchairs and just watch me when they were very little but you have to time it right with their feeding times etc. Unfortunately the horses do have to take 2nd place. I think the ridiing once a week once you have the babe will work really well - gives you some time to chill etc and keep a hand in etc

 

[rebeccaandgrace]

i usualy leave him in the car takes me a few mins to muck out as iam on diy or buggy in the stable doorway, and ride on an evemimg as we have a flood lit school and hubby has him at weekends so i can hack out,or wrap them up nd stick them in the corner of the school that way i can see him and he can watch,money wise we budget and i muck out other horses in exchange for some money off my livery at weekends and its like a lttle job,

 

[jelibean]

I have a 15 week old baby and a 2½ year old who is now really helpful and loves to get involved with mucking out and feeding etc, things always take twice as long with him but i dont want to discourage him so young, its just a little awkward when ive got the youngsters out and he wants to lead them he's always under foot (probably my own fault as i let him help with the ponies). I hardly get any time to ride as i work for my husband so im sort of living on the job and take the kids with me, but lucky in as much as that the horses are on the job too and whenever the kids go to sleep together and mum or Mother in law offers to sit i usually get an hour or so. Because i work and have a lot of help from parents on both sides i always feel guilty asking for what feels like extra time to ride or mess with the horses.
Also i got really bad PND after my 1st because of the fact im such an active person, then when you get a small baby everything feels like too much of a chore to get the baby ready, pack the nappy bag / car etc, i was so used to getting up and off then spending all day every day working with the horses which then went to hardly any contact with them at all and had to turn them out 24/7 and some on loan.
Its not impossible if your super organised and get support but its probably best to accept to start with that the horses may have to take 2nd place, everything else then is just a bonus.

 

[svincent]

Would definitely agree that horses would have to take a back seat when there are little ones involved.

I could never get the riding while baby asleep in car thing to work though. He was guaranteed to wake up screaming the second I put my left foot in the stirrup .......

You need a good support network - someone to babysit at home for a couple of hours or someone at yard to entertain little Chestnutxx while you ride.

It's definitely a juggling act!

 

[donablue]

with great difficulty! ......

 

[gothdolly]

I managed to look after my horse but around my baby's schedule, eg. not to the standard and to the times I wanted to with my horse. Now he is 3 and loves to come and "help" i actually find it more stressful as when he was safe in a pram I could muck out but now he is under foot and it all seems so dangerous.

I do manage, mostly by getting up at 5am to do the stables and getting back home before my husband goes to work. But it can be done, and will probably save your sanity if you can manage it. However, finding time to ride is still practically hopeless for me. I dont have anyone to look after my son whilst I ride, so I mostly have to just give up on the idea

My son rides now which is lovely but i really miss a good gallop. My husband is always working hard to support us and my two horses so he has little time to babysit whilst I ride.

Oh, try to get some help in place for after the birth, you may not bounce right back and be able to muck out straight away etc. God forbid but if you end up with a c-section you might be out of action for a couple of months at least.

 

[ermintrudecow]

Please, please, make sure though that if you do take baby to the stables while you muck out that you ensure you thoroughly wash your hands before handling baby! My friend's baby was taken very ill because she (mummy) had dirty hands and baby picked up germs from her (putting it very simply as i can't remember what the condition was - but caused by manure).

 

[kombikids]

being organIsed and exhausted ! IT CAN BE DONE!

mines on diy and i dont have family or nanies around but our own business so you kind of have to fit everything in around babies routine. let them sleep whilst you muck out - personally altho i had a monitor mine wouldnt sleep for long enough to muck out and ride.

choose a yard that you can park near the stable (most yard managers once they realise you are going to be sensible with your kid will happily let you park nearby!) and then sprog can play in the car. Its easier if you dont have far to walk for turnout as thats the hard bit - to walk them and control child!

when they are little its easy - they sleep or can be safely strapped into a pram out the way, - its when they walk but arent aware of the dangers of horses that it gets hard! Mini boxes of raisons and colouring pens then help to keep them happy whilst they are in their car seat.

just be really orgainsed - do a weeks worth of haynets and mix up fed in carrier bags for the week at the weekend when sprog is with dad - rubber mats and flax cut down mucking out times too.

husbands are normally easily convinced as i found it really broke up my day to know i was going out to do something for myself at the end of it and therefore i was happy and content. Also take baby with you on a sundayt and give dad a lie in!

one other thing is to find someone else with a small sprog on your yard and do swaps - thats what i do!