Darremi
Well-Known Member
It is very unfair to try and make the OP or other women feel bad/guilty about a highly personal decision.
IN my case I am very clumsy so I would be more likely to trip and fall than to fall off a horse!
Riding in pregnancy?
- Thread starter Scheherezade
- Start date
It is very unfair to try and make the OP or other women feel bad/guilty about a highly personal decision.
IN my case I am very clumsy so I would be more likely to trip and fall than to fall off a horse!
Serephin
Well-Known Member
Even better, don't leave the house and wrap yourself in cotton wool for the entire duration of your pregnancy. Don't what ever you do, get in a car, cross the road, or eat a bit of soft cheese, or stroke a dog, or go near any horses whatsoever. Walking about is a risk as well, you might fall over, stub a toe, meet someone who suggests doing something dangerous like having some fun. Life is just too risky, best not to do anything!!!
Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt
Well-Known Member
Again, think its very much an individual decision..depending on the circumstances.
I spent two years on the ground with a project youngster whom I finally triumphantly backed in July...only to discover shortly afterwards I was pregnant with mini-CCW #2. I was fully determined to carry on and did get back on board ... But in the end I did enough with him to establish the basics and then, as much as the thought of not riding after waiting so long killed me, I turned him away early. Baby is due beg march this year so will start bringing horse back on whenever I feel able to after that.
My main reason was this second pregnancy seemed to go on fast forward compared to this first, I felt rougher for longer and felt bigger, more unbalanced earlier and therefore concluded that physically unbalanced pregnant woman was not a good combination with green unbalanced youngster.
Good luck whatever you decide and with the rest of your pregnancy.
I spent two years on the ground with a project youngster whom I finally triumphantly backed in July...only to discover shortly afterwards I was pregnant with mini-CCW #2. I was fully determined to carry on and did get back on board ... But in the end I did enough with him to establish the basics and then, as much as the thought of not riding after waiting so long killed me, I turned him away early. Baby is due beg march this year so will start bringing horse back on whenever I feel able to after that.
My main reason was this second pregnancy seemed to go on fast forward compared to this first, I felt rougher for longer and felt bigger, more unbalanced earlier and therefore concluded that physically unbalanced pregnant woman was not a good combination with green unbalanced youngster.
Good luck whatever you decide and with the rest of your pregnancy.
pennyturner
Well-Known Member
Well I've had six, and ridden throughout every pregnancy - past the due date, and in a couple of cases with some pretty good Braxton-Hicks contractions on the go.
Do what you are comfortable with.
I have an office job, with lots of driving, both of which are lousy for a pregnant body. Riding kept me fit, healthy and sane - my pregnancies were all the better for it.
P.S. I fell off a number of times, and landed on my a***, same as usual with no ill effects.
Do what you are comfortable with.
I have an office job, with lots of driving, both of which are lousy for a pregnant body. Riding kept me fit, healthy and sane - my pregnancies were all the better for it.
P.S. I fell off a number of times, and landed on my a***, same as usual with no ill effects.
pennyturner
Well-Known Member
Experience and advice if you do ride into late pregnancy:
You have two options for dismount to get the bump clear - foot over the front or a Frankie Dettori-style jump. The latter is safer and more fun.
Do not try to ride within 24hrs of the birth (I know, it wasn't clever) - it's perfectly possible but REALLY wierd and uncomfortable. Your tummy sloshes around like a washing machine, and contractions persist to pull your womb back into shape, and seem a little stronger with exercise.
------------
Do enjoy your pregnancy - it's tiring and sometimes difficult, but your body is doing something amazing. Keeping active will help and make those last few weeks much, much easier.
You have two options for dismount to get the bump clear - foot over the front or a Frankie Dettori-style jump. The latter is safer and more fun.
Do not try to ride within 24hrs of the birth (I know, it wasn't clever) - it's perfectly possible but REALLY wierd and uncomfortable. Your tummy sloshes around like a washing machine, and contractions persist to pull your womb back into shape, and seem a little stronger with exercise.
------------
Do enjoy your pregnancy - it's tiring and sometimes difficult, but your body is doing something amazing. Keeping active will help and make those last few weeks much, much easier.
Scheherezade
Well-Known Member
By that logic it's also selfish to ride AFTER you've had a baby - because you could fall off, die, and leave the baby motherless.
Rode today. Friends horse was being a wally fly bucking and careering around, my horse stood perfectly calmly and quietly, even happily plodded past a field of bullocks that ran from one end of the field towards us to have a nosey!
stencilface
High upon a hillside
I agree with all saying keep active if you can, likewise it's a good opportunity to palm off tasks you don't enjoy
Patterdale
Well-Known Member
Out of interest, do you think 100 years ago they used to tell pregnant women 'don't get in one of those motor cars, far too dangerous! Stick to your horse/carriage dear!'
Patterdale
Well-Known Member
I agree with all saying keep active if you can, likewise it's a good opportunity to palm off tasks you don't enjoy
Haha yes definitely!
Jazzy B
Well-Known Member
This forum is unreal! The OP asked, I said "each to their own personally I wouldn't" - I was certainly not posted to make anyone feel guilty about their own personal choices about riding, dealing with horses, breaking in youngsters, getting into cars!!! I for one was absolutely determined I was going to ride when I was pregnant, the thought of nine months off, was absolutely unbearable - my horse would be sooo unfit!!! Unfortunately, I wasn't as lucky as some of you who merrily rode until you were 9 months pregnant, jumped off, gave birth and climbed back on board again. It is huge risk and and every pregnant women should be aware... and be prepared to live with the consequences if something should happen not only for themselves, their partners and their babies!
kirstie
Well-Known Member
I think the posters who do not appreciate being called selfish are not referring to your post at all, there is another poster which states that people who ride whilst pregnant are selfish.
I'm really sorry to hear about your experience x
Patterdale
Well-Known Member
Jazzy B....obviously what happened to you was awful, and I'm so so sorry for you
But no one has said anything about your post?
I didnt merrily ride for 9 months, I rode till 4 months when crippling nerves (which I've never suffered from before EVER) and then severe SPD stopped me.
I'm 11 weeks now and fully meant to ride in this pregnancy but I'm much wobblier than I was, and having not been on my 4yr old for 3 weeks because of the weather, I don't think I'm going to be getting on him again.
Please don't take it personally that some people rode throughout, and some don't
risky business
Well-Known Member
No I certainly wouldn't ride.
Jazzy B
Well-Known Member
I didn't think people were referring to my post, however, my post was being used as the "quote" and I just thought I would add my pennies worth in, yes it was awful but I was like all the rest of you, quite frankly the thought of not riding for nine months, was so horrendous and yes, if I had my time again, I would probably have done exactly the same thing and I'm certainly not going to preach to others and it is a very personal choice, but like I said, its not just you and your horse anymore is it, it's you, your partner and your baby. My partner never forgave me.
Skipadeedooda
Well-Known Member
As others have said its a very personal choice. I'm 24weeks pregnant and have continued to ride my horse but am selective as to when and what I do. He can be sharp in the wind so windy days I might just lunge etc. I recently just stopped schooling as felt uncomfortable but I still hack out. But I now trailer to local
Forest for off-road hacking as I don't trust other road users so in a sense I'm minimising risk to something I'm comfortable with and I hack out with a friend. As long as you and your partner are comfortable with it that's the main thing. No-one should be slated for choosing to ride or not and I certainly don't think it's selfish and if the worst was to happen we should be made to feel guilty for our choices. We could trip and fall anywhere or god forbid be in a car accident. I think the answer is do what you are comfortable with. Congratulations by the way.
Forest for off-road hacking as I don't trust other road users so in a sense I'm minimising risk to something I'm comfortable with and I hack out with a friend. As long as you and your partner are comfortable with it that's the main thing. No-one should be slated for choosing to ride or not and I certainly don't think it's selfish and if the worst was to happen we should be made to feel guilty for our choices. We could trip and fall anywhere or god forbid be in a car accident. I think the answer is do what you are comfortable with. Congratulations by the way.
Last edited:
Daytona
Well-Known Member
No because your action is going to only kill yourself not your child..??
Anyway as people said its a personal thing, just not something I personally agree with or would do.
Daytona
Well-Known Member
What on earth are you rabbiting on about..??
Who gives a rats what happened 100 years ago..?
Stick to present day which is 2014 incase you were confused.
Daytona
Well-Known Member
Hi jazzy sorry it was me who quoted you, just because for me what happened to you is why people should not ride. As I can't imagine what is would be like to deal with losing a child due to falling from a horse and as you say it's not just you but your partner too.
If I even suggested riding while carrying a baby I think my husband would have a meltdown.
I personally think you need to think well what's the worst that could happen.?
Hope I never upset you but quoting your post.
Patterdale
Well-Known Member
Well nice to see that you can present a well reasoned and polite argument :rolleyes3:
My point is that every concern about pregnancy is subjective.
Someone who wasn't accustomed to car travel, for example, would say that it was far too dangerous for pregnant women to go travelling around at 70mph, and that a sedate old cob was actually much safer.
Another example - women in this country are advised against eating soft cheeses and pate; women in France would probably laugh at us for this.
Women are encouraged to exercise during pregnancy now. In the past they were told to lie still on a chaise so as to minimise the risk of injury.
Pregnant women fly, run, drive cars, cross the street, swim, go to fitness classes, All of these activities present a risk but, when weighed in the bslance, you have to take some acceptable risks in pregnancy.
The thing that each pregnant woman has to decide is - what is an acceptable risk to her?
I ride and teach for a living. For me, at 11 weeks pregnant, riding my own very sweet, but green 4 year old is not an acceptable risk, so I will not be riding him again whilst I'm pregnant.
Exercising a couple of older hunters and riding a safe schoolmaster when I am teaching my quadrille team IS an acceptable risk.
Likewise, driving around in my usual daily routine is an acceptable risk.
Going for a rally round a track is not.
I don't think that's anything for you to get angry and abusive about.
Last edited:
Daytona
Well-Known Member
Errr stick to your horse and carriage dear..!
To me that's rude. And rude attracts rude back.
You do as you wish when pregnant As I said it's not something I believe is right. I'm entitle to express my views just as others do there's.
And I do agree women should exercise etc, but horses are dangerous , 1/2 ton of unpredictability.
That's pretty darn risky to me.
But hey ho each to their own.
Last edited:
Patterdale
Well-Known Member
This is what I wrote -
It was a genuine musing. Note the speech marks. Or perhaps I should have added a smiley? If you construed that as being rude towards you then you were wrong. It was (fairly obviously) not intended to be rude. Like I say; a genuine musing.
Your reply, on the other hand, WAS intentionally rude. Which is a shame.....but not for me
LittleRooketRider
Well-Known Member
i think its a personal choice...a good example would be Mary King winning european eventing gold whilst 5 months pregnant
Daytona
Well-Known Member
This is what I wrote -
It was a genuine musing. Note the speech marks. Or perhaps I should have added a smiley? If you construed that as being rude towards you then you were wrong. It was (fairly obviously) not intended to be rude. Like I say; a genuine musing.
Your reply, on the other hand, WAS intentionally rude. Which is a shame.....but not for me
Ok regardless bun fights with strangers are not for me.
Patterdale
Well-Known Member
See, xc would be a bridge too far for me!
But she was very fit at the time. She came off too didnt she iirc? Good for her, but she would have been totally slated if she'd had a bad fall and something had happened to the baby.
But, her choice - and it paid off in her case.
Mariposa
Well-Known Member
Clearly this is a passionate subject - but like everyone has said, it's a personal choice. I don't believe I or the other riding mums-to-be are selfish because we rode/are riding whilst pregnant, and I don't think people who give up riding as soon as they find they are pregnant overly precious - it's up to the individual.
Last edited:
pennyturner
Well-Known Member
I read this in an old book of hunting lore... (I'll have to paraphrase)
"The two gentlemen, whilst thinking themselves thrusters, knew their limits and had paused to open a large gate. At once they were hailed to clear the way by Lady H, who, riding sidesaddle and without hesitation, jumped clean over it - which was all the more galling as she was eight months pregnant at the time."
"The two gentlemen, whilst thinking themselves thrusters, knew their limits and had paused to open a large gate. At once they were hailed to clear the way by Lady H, who, riding sidesaddle and without hesitation, jumped clean over it - which was all the more galling as she was eight months pregnant at the time."
Charmel
Well-Known Member
I rode my lovely boy regularily up to 34 weeks with my second child and then just a sit on and plod around up to 38 weeks (balancing bump of the front of the saddle). He is a great horse and I trusted him not to be silly... wouldnt have ridden anything else though after I found out I was pregnant at 14 weeks. My eldest daughter is 20 weeks pregnant now and is riding everything still 3 ex racers a tbx moody mare and a arab x pony. She says she is confident that she can trust them. I worry more about her then I did when it was me. She is still competing the one SJ but says she will stop soon!
gingerfilly
Active Member
I tried to start a thread like this on a non horsey forum and it ended very badly, I think i am sticking to horsey forums from now on. I am 16 weeks at the moment and still happy to ride and feel better now than I did at the start of the pregnancy. I had started backing two young horses and continued to finish them off as the midwife said the baby was really protected and snug in the pelvis, taught the basics and have now handed the reins over to a friend. I have winter regionals planned at the end of Feb with my horse who I trust 100% but it is a risk, but so is driving to the shops or crossing the road. Life is really one big risk but its a totally personal decision which only you and your partner can make. I actually feel happier on board now than I did when I was 8 - 12 weeks. I felt like I had no stomach muscles and no balance and it did cross my mind "oh god, I don't think I can keep riding" but had a couple of weeks off over xmas and new year and now back to normal and feeling much better, I suppose my body is now used to it.
So basically what I am trying to say, is you know your body best and I will listen to my body, I used to ride 6 horses a day, I'm lucky if I can manage 2 now as I get tried quite quickly and my pelvis gets sore. And I believe your body will tell you when to stop (or keep going ) Congratulations on the pregnancy and to all the other mamma's to be, there MUST be something in the water lol!
So basically what I am trying to say, is you know your body best and I will listen to my body, I used to ride 6 horses a day, I'm lucky if I can manage 2 now as I get tried quite quickly and my pelvis gets sore. And I believe your body will tell you when to stop (or keep going
) Congratulations on the pregnancy and to all the other mamma's to be, there MUST be something in the water lol!
Magicmillbrook
Well-Known Member
Thats so true. The baby is well protected and it would have to be a very large trauma to cause a miscarriage, you could equaly fall downstair or have a car crash. Sadly many babies are not meant to be whether you ride or not. I am so sorry for any one who has lost a baby, however it is down to the indvidual to make their own choices.
I didn't have a horse with baby 1, but had a git of an OH and his antics had a detrimental effect on my mental health, which in turn affected my physical wellbeing. With baby 2 I rode up until about 7 months. I just rode in the arena becasue my girl could be silly hacking, also I didn't jump, because that is when I would be most likely to fall off. I stopped because my hip/pelvis became too sore, but still did all the horse chores until 2 weeks ovedue, it kept me happy and active. I rode again at 2 weeks, but wasnt able to ride effectively until a good 6 months later.
Baby 3 I stopped much earlier, about 5 months because again my pelvis was playing up. Also my old girl was struggling with arthritis. I figured my increasing weight and increasing poor balance wouldn't be helping, so she retired. I didn't ride again until about 5 months later when I got my new lad.
Good luck with your pregnancy, I agree it might help to talk to someone about your 1st pregnancy to help you let go of your negative thoughts. Pregnancies, births and babies are all so different, its a shame to let past prolems sour what can be a happy time.
Magicmillbrook
Well-Known Member
He He, I couldn't do that even before I had thought of children