How many of you rode during pregnancy?

Did you ride during pregnancy?

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MagicMelon

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As title - I'm interested to know how many of you rode during pregnancy and how far into it? Also if you did, did you carry on as normal (ie. jumping / competing etc.) or did you take it gently (ie. hacking / dressage etc.)? Thanks in advance!
 
I rode up until 22 weeks there or there abouts only stopped because pgp was getting me down - was still competing and jumping til then. Would definately have ridden longer had it not hurt so much. x
 
Scoundrel said:
I rode up until 22 weeks there or there abouts only stopped because pgp was getting me down - was still competing and jumping til then. Would definately have ridden longer had it not hurt so much. x
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At the risk of sounding really dumb I'm sure, whats "pgp"?! I should probably know since I am pregnant... (and 23 weeks so very near when you stopped - my only prob at the moment is my bum bone which I damaged in a fall a couple of years ago has suddenly began hurting, especially when riding!).
 
I rode up to 28 weeks but only because nobody else would ride him :(. He was rather challenging. I only pootled round on him, didn't really ask anything of him. His thing was getting on. If you didn't ride him for a day, he'd bronc like billy O. Just getting on and riding round the arena once was enough to keep him on an even keel.
I stopped when my hips hurt too much and somebody agreed to ride him for a couple of months :)
 
I'm 31 weeks and still managing to ride once or twice a week, keeping it to a gentle hack or little schooling session - still cantering etc but no jumping, haven't jumped since before Christmas (boo)!
It's getting difficult now, particularly getting off the damn horse lol! I'm not planning on stopping completely though if I can avoid it even though I've got other people riding my lad for me to keep him ticking over. I'm lucky as he is very safe and sturdy :)
 
I rode all the way through - jumped until bump prevented me from folding properly, and then dressaged until I couldn't get on any more due to burgeoning bump - about 34 weeks iirc. I had to get off cowboy style - luckily my horse was used to me doing odd stuff and didn't bat an eyelid!

I was also caught knocking in fenceposts four days before he was born! I had asked OH to get the fencing sorted so I had peace of mind whilst in hospital. He didn't do it - so I did!!
 
It was such a long time ago I was preggers :rolleyes: .... so it was not my current ned I rode but a loan horse. He was a big tb who was generally really great but could get a litle fresh at the start of a ride, nothing much in the great scheme of things just a litte joggy ;) .... but the only lane off the yard was down a very narrow lane with deep ditches and it was just the thought he might put a foot down one day that made me stop at 4 1/2 months.

If it had been my current ned that prob would ride till I was physically uncomfortable as she is generally so calm.
 
God no! Don't do it.

The owner of my yard was riding a pregnant horse (only by about two months or less) and the mare did an arching thing with her back. Helen (yard owner) fell off really badly and broke her back in seven places. She is still in a wheelchair.

Please don't do it! :eek:
 
Yes, right th way through until about 36 weeks, only did gentle hacking and schooling though, right from the start and my horse is an absolute star, totally safe, bombproof and really well behaved, I wouldn't have done it otherwise.
 
I found out i was preggers at 5 weeks & stopped riding! Horror story but a good friend of mine fell off her "calm, sensible plod" out hacking at 34 weeks and lost her baby... was so so so horrific and sad. I could not justify riding and risk losing my baby no matter how much i missed doing it. i was able to stay of the wine for 9 months for the sake of my baby so why not my mare!

I kno a lot of people who do it but i just wouldnt risk it!
 
I am 28 weeks and stopped about two weeks ago because my hips/pelvis area were just feeling so uncomfortable. I also seemed to have lost my balance in the sadle all at once so thought time to stop. With my last pregnancy carried on until about 30 weeks or so I think. I have stuck to just hacking, schooling and a little pole work 1 -2 times per weeks, no jumping for me as my mare isnt the most straightforward over a fence and I am very good at falling off!
 
Cool. I was talking about a preg mare! Sorry. But, I know people who have ridden pregnant. Who even jumped! I think it depends on the age and silliness of the horse. How much you trust him/her. For example, I would never ride my 5 year old youngster pregnant. I mean, he threw me off into a fence 3 weeks ago! Haha :D
 
I am 7 months now and stopped riding earlier than I had intended to at 4 months when I had a nasty fall. It was my first fall in years and really scared me, luckily I was in the indoor school and got away with bruising and no harm to the little one. I'm still not sure what caused it but I was having a very clumsy month when I crashed my car and slipped on ice as well! Me and my girl are happily doing groundwork now til I can get back on board as I feel had a lucky escape and don't want to tempt fate. You know your horse and your body best, but my experience was frightening so do think through all the 'what ifs' carefully and take extra care.
 
I rode until I was 26 weeks just schooling and hacking in company and as someone said I didn't push my horse as although I had only had him a short time I knew his limits. I also used to get off cowboy style as it hurt my bump getting off the correct way! I asked my doctor whether I should stop and he said 'if your already doing it keep it up as it will keep you fit and strong, just don't go jumping any 10ft hedges' spoilsport!
 
I'm 35 weeks now and sadly haven't ridden since the Christmas/New Year break I would and still hope to get a couple of hacks in now I'm off on mat leave. The only thing really stopping me is that my two live out together and I'm just trying to do as much pooh picking and spending time with them on the ground that by the time I'm done I'm a bit too out of puff to ride and my backs normally gone. I think if I was still on part livery at my old yard and not worrying about how my youngster will be if I have a quick stroll round the block I would be riding/schooling and lunging as much as before. My husband didn't want me jumping which is fair enough, I did though but only diddly ones in the woods on a hack once I couldn't resist. I know no horse is 100% but I do trust him massively and know what I can get away with, open spaces with him is asking for trouble as its always just meant go. I have felt safer on him then I have in my car with the amount of idiots on the road, a few weeks ago some idiot wasn't paying attention at a junction and sverved into a side road at speed to avoid hitting me. Your body will tell you when to stop, I think my body has told me too but my head hasn't caught up :(
 
I coincidentally happened to loan my mare out only a few months before falling pregnant as she likes jumping and I don't. The arrangement was that I could come and ride her if I wanted to.

I did go and hack her out when I was about ten weeks pregnant or so. She's a lovely, well behaved mare and I do trust her, but even so I was nervous for the whole ride and decided not to ride again until after the baby was born.

Even the best behaved horse can put their foot in a rabbit hole accidentally and tip you off. It's only nine months or so and just not worth the heartbreak should the worst case scenario happen.
 
I rode until I was 8 months gone with the first, getting on was a nightmare I used to have climb up a gate and kind of launch myself :D
Only got to 6 months with the girls because my hips and pelvis couldn't take it any more and the pain after I'd ridden became unbearable, was ok while I was on though.

I did stop jumping and galloping though as soon as I found out. I came off when I was about 6 weeks gone with my first and was terrified I'd lose it. It made me realise I needed to be careful not just for the baby but for my OH after all it was his baby too.

I couldn't turn my boy away for the best part of a year he'd of gone mad and there was no-one else to ride him.

I used to walk him out in hand once I stopped riding which was interesting, he's always been a speed walker which is not something that comes easy when your heavily pregnant :eek:
 
I'm 14 weeks and still riding, gentle hacks and the odd lesson. My midwife is fine with me riding as is my husband.

The idea is that I'll ride until I either can't get on or can't get off (hopefully the former rather than the latter!). I'm confident my body will let me know what is right.
 
I did competed up to 5 months then hacked and plodded about in the school till I was 32 weeks. I stopped because I had complications not attributed to riding and had a premature baby at 34 weeks.
 
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