RIDING WHEN PREGNANT??

Sorry I also meant to say that I have a point 2 air vest (bought after I had son) and it says that it is ok to ride in until up to 16 weeks of pregnancy so if I ever had another child I would ride with that until the 16 week point and then have to give up as OH won't let me ride without it!
 
I was doing the supposedly 'sensible' thing and got a friend of mine to ride mine from about 18 weeks when it started feeling uncomfortable. I too her to a show at 29 weeks and she fell off and broke her leg nastily (compound fracture of both bones at the ankle joint). Stress of it sent me into labour and I had a premature baby, he's all fine now (this was 2 years ago) but I guess what I'm trying to say you can't 'protect' yourself from everything (unless you hide in bed the whole time!) so well thought through discussed and considered risks are experienced every day, riding your horse is just one of them (like driving a car, crossing the street, watching SJ!)
 
I am 11 and a half weeks and wont ride at work until after I have popped now. I have and will continue to have a little play in the school or small hack on the two horses I trust with my life.
 
I asked my gp when I was pregnant with my 2nd. She said riding isn't the dangerous thing it was the falling off that was the problem. When I was pregnant with my 1st I gave up riding straight away as I was riding competition horses and was used as the guinea pig so thought it safer not to ride. When I was pregnant with my 2nd I had brought my own horse that was 99% safe and sensible so I rode until I couldn't get on and off (about 5/6 months I think). A friend of mine was riding her horse 3 days before she had her daughter. All depends on you and the horse.
 
Just a little update, I'm 29+5 and today I had a little ride. It was only 15 minutes in the school in walk so I'm not sure it would count as a real ride to some but it was just so nice to sit on my big pony.
It's about as much as I can manage at the moment but it's keeping me sane and it's my occasional treat as I'm still mucking out everyday. :D It has to be better for me than the slab of brie and bottle of wine that would be the alternative treat...
 
I rode (and competed in dressage) until 7 months, I would probably have ridden a few weeks longer but my horse injured itself. I only rode my own horse and a friends who I knew well and totally trusted. I probably wouldn't have kept going so long on a youngster. My OH wouldn't have let me in that case anyway! My OH told me he didnt want me jumping whilst pregnant so I had to stop that once we found out at 6 weeks (although I must have done 2 BE Novices in that first month!). He would have preferred I stopped riding completely but I found it really helped to keep me active and also sane as I hated being pregnant, didn't agree with me at all. It also helped hugely that my doctor and assigned midwife both rode during their own pregnancies so they were all for it! From my point of view I was still mucking out etc. up until the day I ended up having an emergency c-section. I think staying active is very important.

Its really only a choice you can make. You might balloon really early in which case it'll be uncomfy, I didnt show much until late on so I managed to ride easily with minimal bump. As someone else has pointed out, its the falling off and not the riding which is bad, but the way I see it you could fall over in the street...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top