Pregnant with green horse

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Poetess

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Well. Not pregnant *with* a green horse. :rolleyes:

I just found out I'm about five weeks pregnant. A few months ago, after a couple of years out of horses, I bought a three year old with a couple months' backing. She's lovely... but she's three, spooky, and not at all "trustworthy", so it looks like I should soon hang up my hat until after the baby's born. :(

I'm not interested in selling her... so what do I do with her?! My options:

1. Give her the time off (not a great solution for her ongoing education)
2. Find a loaner/sharer to keep her at her current yard (but does anyone want to loan a three year old?)
3. Send her back to her breeders' livery until after the baby comes (sad for me, but I know she'll be well taken care of, and they might ride her occasionally)

Ugh. None of these are ideal for me! Any thoughts?
 
Keep her, do as much ground work and perhaps occasional rides as you see fit, give her time off for the last few months of your pregnancy and the first few months with the baby. You will know what to do instinctively!! While the baby is small you will be able to have him/her asleep in the pram outside the area where you are playing with the pony!! Have fun and do not stress about it. Young horses need holidays just like young children!!
 
Don't rush her, I agree with above poster about doing groundwork. Great opportunity to master in-hand schooling, I have always been taught that the work in-hand makes a better ridden horse. Three is still young, what breed is she?

My producer friend never starts riding hers until 5. But does all the in-hand stuff each summer from three and they all have every winter off.

If she is the clever sort, she won't forget her lessons and be all the better balanced for it.

Enjoy her, enjoy the pregnancy and just take it steady :)
 
Dont know how its done these days, but when I was younger horses were backed and ridden lightly at three and then turned away till the next year to mature. Thats assuming they were not left until they were 4 anyway.

Not trying to put you off at all, but you might find a baby changes you. You might not want to ride a 4 year old which is not trustworthy anyway. I certainly lost a lot of nerve, all I could think about was who would look after my baby if a fell off and injured myself.

Anyway congratulations :D
 
If she's 3 I'd say it is an ideal time to turn her away until next year and will do her no harm at all.

I'm 36 weeks now and had just backed my 3yo when I found out. He's in the field now, I'm still getting him in now and then and tacking up/handling but more because I'm bored than anything else. Older one has had a few months off too (stopped riding about 16 weeks).

I would normally back at 3 then turn away for a year anyway, so I wouldn't worry about it :)

Congratulations!

:)
 
i would try a part loan, so her education is continued and you still have a hand in.
or find a good livery yard that can work her.

it would definitely not be a waste if you turned her away for a while.
 
Not to disagree with anyone on purpose :) but I would be EXTREMELY wary of loaning a 3yo.
Anyone competent enough will either have their own or want to be paid, plus you don't need the stress of being let down etc while pregnant.

Take it from me - pregnancy needs to be as easy as you can make it! I'd just chuck her out and keep handling.
 
Ground work is essential . You can teach a horse so much from the ground. also helps the bonding.

Another thing you can do is to take it to some local shows and do some in hand showing. This can teach them a lot.
 
Loaning or sharing isn't a likely option, as Patterdale said anyone capable would want paying. I'd just turn away. But while my attitude to pregnancy & babies is very much 'get on with it', think about it long term. A green & unpredictable horse when you have help, either babysitting or livery, is very different to trying to turnout/bring in an unpredictable horse whilst watching a baby on a big busy diy yard.
 
Congratulations! I'm 32 weeks pregnant and I brought a 2yr old two weeks before I found out I was pregnant!
I rode my other horse just on a short bridle path and in the field to school him until I was about 20 weeks, he was very good with me but I became to nervous about falling off a 15.3hh horse and hurting my baby, also it began to get uncomfortable.
If your horse is green and unpredictable then I wouldn't even get on her it's not worth the risk.
I'd just do some ground work with her and get someone else to come and get on her as much as possible or turn her away.
It's a bit easier with my two year old as I'm just doing ground work anyway but I'd never get on a young horse whilst pregnant. In a few weeks morning sickness may kick in and you won't feel like doing anything anyway.
Good luck :)
 
LL on a side note I have failed slightly in the 'just do it!'......my pelvis has given in and I am chronically lame! Gutted! I've let the side down

:D

Still poo picking and doing everything though, just been driving everywhere instead of walking. Fail!

:D
 
I'm going to repeat what most of the others have said. She is 3 years old so will benefit from having the winter off anyway so just do some inhand work with her. Next year when you can start riding her again she will be more mature to carry on working and you can continue her education then.
Enjoy your pregnancy and your horse and don't put yourself in danger of coming off as it isn't worth it. Your pregnancy has actually come at the best stage of your horses education as next year she will be better able to continue working over winter than this winter.
 
Lol Patterdale, its normal to slow down in the last few weeks. Mine had her head fully engaged, meaning I did the penguin walk for the last few weeks. And, with no bladder capacity left walking made me need the loo. At the time, pony was in at night & field was a 10min walk. I used to nip behind a bush near the gate for a wee so often I think I killed off the plant life!
 
Thanks everyone! I'm happy to read all of your responses, because turning her out and just loving on her and doing some groundwork is what I really want to be doing, but I was getting pressure at the yard to keep her education going while I'm unable to ride. At least I know she's not going to come to any harm while having a vacation -- I've never had a sharer before, and wouldn't necessarily trust a stranger with such a young horse.

Anyway, thanks again, and congrats to all those who are also expecting! :D
 
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