Riding & pregnancy question...

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Sarah1

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Hi guys

I'm 20 weeks pregnant & still riding up to now (nothing strenuous, hacking mainly being very careful & steady).
Anyway I'm finding that when I'm dismounting I'm paranoid that I'm pressing on the baby with the pommel of the saddle (when you lean forward to cock your leg over), although I try to hold myself off the saddle as much as possible.
Can I do any damage to the baby dismounting this way? :( :confused:
I'm going to try leg over forwards but failing that I think I might have to stop until the baby is here, unless you lovely people can assure me it won't hurt him/her?!

Thanks :D
 
I'm no expert - I think a midwife might be the person to ask.
But I know Mum was hacking her safe and dependable ride till 3 weeks before I was due - Doesnt seem to have harmed me! (except that I am now totally horse dependant!)

Obviously you will always have to keep saftey in mind.

When or if I have a baby - I know the OH is going to have kittens!!!
 
I rode whilst pregnant and just used to ride my horse up to the mounting block to get off :) ( actually do that when not preggers too as am a lazy mare myself )

My friend rode up to her due date and just used to slide bum towards horse way down with some perseverance it can be done. Maybe have a go with a friend holding horse while you get the hang of it.

Good luck
 
I rode up to 20 weeks during my first pregnancy and then like you started to feel that the bump was getting in the way, so I stopped riding until after my child was born. You need to be very sure of your horse before you start dismounting by putting your leg over the pommel, as there is inevitably a moment when you are not holding the reins.
The baby is well protected in there at the moment, but there will come a point where it feels too uncomfortable to carry on or you will feel that the risk is not worth taking, and only you will know when that is. No-one can really advise you on this, so take it one day at a time perhaps?
 
Thanks everyone - I know it's quite a personal thing, I feel ok to ride & want to carry on doing so but I don't want to be poking little bumpy where he/she shouldn't be poked when I'm dismounting!
I think I'll have a go at getting off legs forward over the pommel but with some assistance perhaps as I'd like to carry on riding for another few weeks if possible...:D
 
My mother dismounts the 'leg over the neck' way too, but her reason is because she has one replacement hip and is on the waiting list for number 2! So her flexability isn;t what it used to be, (even though she has just taken up SJ - having never jumped in her life!!!! Crazy old bat! ). Anywho, she seems to find that he horse tolerates this very well, although (for safety's sake) I guess if you had someone on the ground they could hold your reins whilst you swung your leg over.

Riding whilst pregnant is a really personal thing. Two of my close friends are equally horsey sisters who both got pregnant at the same time. One of them chose not to ride very much whilst pregnant, whereas the other was riding her boy untill she nearly dropped! no right or wrong way of doing it, just personal preferance. Mind you, this was the same girl who when asked at pre-baby mothering classes 'what are you most looking forward to' [other mothers had said 'looking into the baby's eyes / holding the baby' something allong those lines] she said 'i'm looking forward to getting back on my horse'.....
 
Ha ha! Thank you! :D
If mine doesn't sleep you can have that one, no need to go through it all again!!!!! ;) :D
 
studentvet said:
Mind you, this was the same girl who when asked at pre-baby mothering classes 'what are you most looking forward to' [other mothers had said 'looking into the baby's eyes / holding the baby' something allong those lines] she said 'i'm looking forward to getting back on my horse'.....
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Ha ha! That would be me!!! I keep saying 'I can't wait until the baby is here' OH thinks it's so sweet until I add 'yeah, can't wait til I get go out hacking on my own again'!!!!!!!! :D
 
I was doing gentle riding untill i was about 6months.

I could feel the baby pushing on me, i sometime thought she was going to fall out!

My midwife said no harm can come to the baby, as long as i didnt fall off!

I also used the leg forward method to dismount, it was a lot easier!
 
I had this problem too and used the leg over the neck way but because your centre of balance is different it felt really unsafe. I found dismounting western style worked best. Basically exactly the same as the way you normally get off but keeping your foot in the left stirrup, this means you can slightly lift 'bump' up and above the stirrup like you do when you're getting on. Made life so much easier.
 
blucanoo1990 said:
I was doing gentle riding untill i was about 6months.

I could feel the baby pushing on me, i sometime thought she was going to fall out!

My midwife said no harm can come to the baby, as long as i didnt fall off!

I also used the leg forward method to dismount, it was a lot easier!
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In my head I thought I'd ride up to about 6 months but may be before when I stop. Luckily my Niece has finsihed Uni now so she's doing the lions share anyway!
Did you always use the leg forwards method for dismounting or was it only when you go to a certain point in your pregnancy?
 
wishaway said:
I had this problem too and used the leg over the neck way but because your centre of balance is different it felt really unsafe. I found dismounting western style worked best. Basically exactly the same as the way you normally get off but keeping your foot in the left stirrup, this means you can slightly lift 'bump' up and above the stirrup like you do when you're getting on. Made life so much easier.
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That's a good idea! Thanks!

Hopefully I will be able to reach the ground before I land on my a$$!!!!!! ;)
 
I rode up to my due date, i thught my horse to stand at the mountain block to dismount and did the leg over neck dismount. I didnt have any problems while riding when preggers but when you get back on afterwards, you find out how much it changed your riding, i got back in the saddle far to soon afterwards (3days, natural birth, no stiches) and i didnt have a day off from mucking out, even though it was the middle of winter with ice, snow and god knows what, i would recommend finding someone to have your horse for a month or so around your due date, it will help take the load off and when the baby turns the last thing you want to do is be carrying water buckets and picking up feet, riding however was fine (very small bump)

Good luck and enjoy! x
 
I rode until 27 weeks, I stopped bacause my hips started realy aching and I felt like I constantly needed a pee. I did the keeping foot in the stirrup method, then later the leg over the neck, but by then my big daughter was always around to hold the horse and be there to stop me going base over apex.

I did all the jobs until Evie was born 2 weeks late. I hoped carting hay and barrows of poo etc would bring her on, no such luck. The only thing I found realy difficult was picking out hooves, I had realy bad hearburn so bending over gave me reflux and I found it a bit cumbersome to squat and pick out at the same time - probably not very safe either!

I dont ride any where near as much as would like, esp now I am back at work full time, but when I do I realy aprreciate the me time. Good luck, make sure you give us progress reports - I am actualy begining to feel quite broody again!!!!!!!
 
Rache said:
i would recommend finding someone to have your horse for a month or so around your due date, it will help take the load off and when the baby turns the last thing you want to do is be carrying water buckets and picking up feet, riding however was fine (very small bump)

Good luck and enjoy! x
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Thanks!

Luckily I have my Niece who is giddy that she has a horse for the summer & doesn't have to buy one of her own or pay for this ones keep!!!!!!
 
Magicmillbrook said:
I rode until 27 weeks, I stopped bacause my hips started realy aching and I felt like I constantly needed a pee. I did the keeping foot in the stirrup method, then later the leg over the neck, but by then my big daughter was always around to hold the horse and be there to stop me going base over apex.

I did all the jobs until Evie was born 2 weeks late. I hoped carting hay and barrows of poo etc would bring her on, no such luck. The only thing I found realy difficult was picking out hooves, I had realy bad hearburn so bending over gave me reflux and I found it a bit cumbersome to squat and pick out at the same time - probably not very safe either!

I dont ride any where near as much as would like, esp now I am back at work full time, but when I do I realy aprreciate the me time. Good luck, make sure you give us progress reports - I am actualy begining to feel quite broody again!!!!!!!
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Thanks - sure will keep everyone posted, will have 100's more questions by the time the baby comes!!!! I have my next scan a week today where we'll hopefully find out what I have in here!

I'll give the western dismount a go I think even if I have to try to get him to stand at the block perhaps?

Thanks again to everyone who has replied, your inout has been more helpful than you can imagine! :D
 
I worked and rode until due date and then baby was at first show at three weeks. I kept as active as normal and my baby weight was gone after about a week. Fabulous!
 
Hugo said:
I worked and rode until due date and then baby was at first show at three weeks. I kept as active as normal and my baby weight was gone after about a week. Fabulous!
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Wow! That's lucky! I haven't been going to the gym like I used to, the riding takes more out of me than it used to! Now I'm cutting down the number of times I'm riding per week I'll start swimming & we have a dog so can do as much walking as she can manage!

I'm working almost right up to my due date tho (well, that's the plan!) but it is office work so not physically tiring more mental tiredness I think.

Hopefully I'll shrink back to normal quickly too!
 
Hey I rode up to 36 weeks used the leave one foot into the stirrup method coupled with dismounting onto mounting block coupled with OH behind me to catch. Top Tip: if your bump bumps on the pommel when you trot (or walk actively) put loads of seat savers on because it flattens the saddle, had three on mine as I have a very deep saddle. Also borrow OH jodphurs then undo them, then roll down the top so they are below the bump.

I hope for you that you have a baby like mine...Got to sit at home and watch all of badders, I 'watched all the queens horses' while in labour (50hrs mutter mutter (don't worry it apparently only lasts 12hours at the most. I was special!!!) then in hospital for 6 days reading H&H while feeding very relaxing, then eight days old we went to windsor horse show for two days and he slept all day been to watch horse trials and shows Just sleeps even slept through Cosford Air Show (with sonic booms). He is an angel (and possibly deaf, investigation underway)

Question for people with children, how do I keep a 5 week old cool? He is covered in heat-rash...he is just in a nappy, lying on a cotton sheet, windows open, fan on. Room is still 24oC and rash is horrid and itchy. (midwife said it was heat rash nothing worse)
 
Crickey, you were lucky! Well apart from the 50hr labour!!!!!! Sounds like your little man is an angel, would be lovely to get one as quiet as him!
I don't have any suggestions for keeping him cool except maybe a cool cloth wash? Please don't shoot me if that is totally the wrong thing to do - I don't have children yet and hopefully I won't break this one when it comes!!!!! ;)
Hope you manage to make him more comfy x :)
 
Llewellyn said:
Hey I rode up to 36 weeks used the leave one foot into the stirrup method coupled with dismounting onto mounting block coupled with OH behind me to catch. Top Tip: if your bump bumps on the pommel when you trot (or walk actively) put loads of seat savers on because it flattens the saddle, had three on mine as I have a very deep saddle. Also borrow OH jodphurs then undo them, then roll down the top so they are below the bump.

I hope for you that you have a baby like mine...Got to sit at home and watch all of badders, I 'watched all the queens horses' while in labour (50hrs mutter mutter (don't worry it apparently only lasts 12hours at the most. I was special!!!) then in hospital for 6 days reading H&H while feeding very relaxing, then eight days old we went to windsor horse show for two days and he slept all day been to watch horse trials and shows Just sleeps even slept through Cosford Air Show (with sonic booms). He is an angel (and possibly deaf, investigation underway)

Question for people with children, how do I keep a 5 week old cool? He is covered in heat-rash...he is just in a nappy, lying on a cotton sheet, windows open, fan on. Room is still 24oC and rash is horrid and itchy. (midwife said it was heat rash nothing worse)
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The best thing to do is open the windows and leave the curtains closed, works a treat, make sure the doors shut aswell, thats what we do in our house but we have 1foot thick stone walls which helps aswell. how about covering him in like-ice or something similar= lol x
 
as everyone has said its a personal thing

I have used the swing leg over pommel and leave the foot in the stirrup-this was fine when I had mini neds 15hh then I somehow when to a gentle giant-17hh!

Then my partner and his drinking bud (a civil engineer) came up with a sooper dooper mounting/dismounting station-a fabulous 1m20 mounting block both sides so basically all I had to do was take a foot out the stirrup and place on my rubber mounting block-at the head of the horse was the food station where he could have a few treats to keep him occupied

The basically designed it upon the hydrotherapy spa/stocks-entrance with a door to stop ned reversing and door at other end with food bowl. Yes at the beginning I needed another person to help me until he got used to it 3 days in total after that he opened the front door after he had the treats! Didn't need the rear door!!! Think my partner and friends drunken idea should have gone on to dragons den LOL!

In answer to keeping a 5 week old cool - tepid bathing! If you can't keep you little one in/out a bath a fine mist spray (one of those cheapy spray guns) will do-ensure if you do this that you have used cooled boiled water of course - once the baby gets used to the gentle spraying he/she will love it, start with hands and wrists first before doing the rest of the body.
 
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