Riding whilst pregnant?

moodymares

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so just a quicky to ask how many of you would ride knowing you were expecting? For anyone who knows me its not me thats expecting!!
 

Oberon

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I did until 6 months (when I found out I was pregnant).

I had a bad fall at speed at 4.5 months.

My son has autism and I will never know if I caused it by the fall.

For the sake of a few months it is not worth it.
 

GLEEK

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I rode with my daughter (1st) on my due date. With my son (2nd) i didnt ride that much mainly because of having my daughter and looking after her but i was much bigger and very uncomfy with my son
 

SonnysHumanSlave

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Well I'm now 30 weeks pregnant and only gave up about 2 weeks ago. But stopped jumping etc when I found out I was. Turned out I needn( have bothered as I was not 12 weeks at the time I was 22 wks. So had been hunting, fallen off, been on funfair rides all sept-dec, not knowing I was even pregnant!!

Weird thing is I've gone longer with this pregnancy!
 

H's mum

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I think it's about personal choice and what you feel comfortable with - I rode til 32 weeks with my son and this time I've only just stopped riding and I'm 34 weeks - I still feel like hopping on for a ride but to be honest I've got so much going on at the moment finding time to ride isn't high on my priority list! :)
Kate x
 

kirstyl

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I think it depends on how you feel and what you are riding. I rode through both my pregnancies ie hacking and schooling. Do remember getting on a horse who was new to someone I was teaching. I was about 30 wks pregnant and really thought this horse just needed a good kick forward. I was wrong!! Had to make rapid leg over pommel dismount on to chair - fortunately all ok but good wake up call!
 

RuthnMeg

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I rode until I was 6 months with my daughter and only rode for 3 months with my son. It just happened that way. I even completed several pre-novice events and had no problems at all. (I always had a small bump, so no-one knew!)
 

GLEEK

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Did those who carried on have quick/easy labours compared to non riding friends? I was just wondering because they say it is better for you o ride butwas wondering how true that is? None of my friends have kids so wasnt to sure
 

ru-fi-do

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I didn't ride with my first at all, rode in my second pregnancy but unfortunately had a missed misscarriage at 12 weeks with serious complications. I'm now 13 weeks and as tempting as it is I have decided not to ride this time for my health as much as the baby.
Each to their own though, luckily I've got a friends daughter riding my mare who is really benifitting from riding her plus mare gets ridden so I feel like i'm doing a good deed :)
 

beckiebeckyboo

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i rode until i was 8 months with my son, on a safe sensible horse. only stopped because he used to get his feet under my ribs!! he went full term and the labour was 2 days!! oh and when i was about 4 months i fell off, hence the sane sensible horse after. but i was on the yard till the day i went into labour mucking out shifting bales of shavings etc. i was only pregnant not ill. I then didnt ride with my daugter or the twins both which were born very early. so i kind of think whatever will be will be.
 

horses13

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I rode with my first until i was too big to get on. It was my own horse that i trusted 100% and we knew each others thoughts before they were carried out. It was heaven to go for a plod.
I did not ride with my second child as i was too ill. I realy wanted to ride.
My eldest is pregnant herself at present and is continuing to ride on her trusted mare. I have no fears at all about her riding.
It depends on the person and the horse.
 

Arabelle

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I didn't have a horse for my 1st two pregnancies. I rode with the third until around the 8th month although I stopped jumping when I found out I was pregnant (but I had fallen off before I knew i was pregnant). I kept doing yard work/lunging until the day I went into labour. I had a quick easy labour.
 

EgerdenFarmStud

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I have 5 weeks left, and haven't been aloud to get on a horse since the day I found out...Ben or my parents, or his parents for that matter won't let me, I'm mucking out my 7 pet ponies a day, and doing general yard stuff, clipping, bathing loading tacking up etc... Ben doesn't like me loading the babies really though ( but most of them are colts ) and at shows when people see me running up and down the ramp with a very green 4 year old that thinks the whole point of getting on the lorry is to jump the ramp completely and nopt touch a bit of it I do get told off, but I am definately not allowed to ride, and actually, thinking about it, for the safety of me and our baby I really don't think it's worth it, it's only 9 months!

I sort of wish I had done at first though, now it feels like a lifetime ago I was on board one of my trusty steeds! : (

Good luck all you mummy's to be...

xx
 

Arabelle

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Not being 'allowed' to ride would be a huge motivation for me to go riding:D
The insight into other peoples relationships you get via HHO is fascinating - we are all so different, but whatever works for you:)
 

glamourpuss

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I have ridden in all of my pregnancies.

My first I rode until about 32 weeks, just hacking and schooling. However I did have bad morning sickness so didn't push things as I really did feel poorly. My labour was 36 hours but I was back on 10 days later and back competing a month later.

My second I rode, I hacked, schooled and did a little bit of jumping. I also ran a little as well. I certainly didn't do too much as again I suffered severe morning sickness. Sadly this baby died at 20 weeks due to cord strangulation...nothing to do with the riding.

My third pregnancy my consultant pretty much encouraged me to ride and run as long as I felt up to it. I was extremely stressed due to my previous loss and she said the most important thing was for me to be as happy and calm as possible. She also told me that the body is designed to protect the baby pretty much at all costs. In fact she said a fall that would kill the baby would probably kill the mother first (she is very straight talking lol) I ran and rode up until 36 weeks. I would have continued but the icy, snowy weather came.
I continued to look after my horses single handedly and was poo picking the day I went into labour.
My labour was recorded as 1 hour 48 minutes (12 minutes pushing), I didn't use any pain relief. I went home straight from the delivery suite and was up feeding my horses the same day. I was back on 8 days later and I've got my first competition in 2 weeks.
 

SouthWestWhippet

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I rode until 28 weeks when my back and pelvis just got too sore. By the end I could only comfortably walk or gallop - my pony had a very exciting time of it LOL

Had a very long labour (another one at about 56hours here with nearly 2 hours of pushing) but I do think the discipline, strength and fitness you get from riding and looking after horses (doing it when you are tired or ill, in bad weather, when you have other things to do etc) helped me to have the right attitude to labour i.e just get on with it!

I heard some horror stories about horse rider's tearing etc due to muscles being very strong and thick but I had only a tiny tiny tear.
 

lindsayH

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My friend rode her cob last weekend at 7 months pregnant, although he is very trustworthy and it was only in the school. She says it really helps with her back ache. I have to say, getting on and off looked tricky! She rode until 8 months pregnant with her first child and swears it was the reason for her easy delivery and quick recovery afterwards. Something to do with riders having good pelvic floor muscles or something??
 

Working Hunter

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I have ridden in all of my pregnancies.


My third pregnancy my consultant pretty much encouraged me to ride and run as long as I felt up to it. I was extremely stressed due to my previous loss and she said the most important thing was for me to be as happy and calm as possible. She also told me that the body is designed to protect the baby pretty much at all costs. In fact she said a fall that would kill the baby would probably kill the mother first (she is very straight talking lol) I ran and rode up until 36 weeks. I would have continued but the icy, snowy weather came.
I continued to look after my horses single handedly and was poo picking the day I went into labour.
My labour was recorded as 1 hour 48 minutes (12 minutes pushing), I didn't use any pain relief. I went home straight from the delivery suite and was up feeding my horses the same day. I was back on 8 days later and I've got my first competition in 2 weeks.

Really hope this is how it will be for me - I think we all do!!
 

Dusty85

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I don't think my husband would let me.

Ever since he came off my old horse at speed he's pretty convinced horses are death traps. I would imagine it would really cause friction between us. I know we all love horses, but you've got to consider your partner's feelings in this too.

I don't think you ever know until you're in that situation, and each to their own. I might consider it, but all the unnecessary risks would have to be removed- i.e. no galloping/jumping/XC etc.

We will wait and see, but I suspect I won't be riding, just to avoid WW3 breaking out!!
 

wills_91

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Personal preference really. I didn't ride but then my horse had just turned 4 when I fell pregnant and to me the risk of a youngster wasn't worth it. I did everything else mucking out, moving bales, walking in hand, lunging etc until the day I went into labour. I had a quick labour and baby was born in 2 pushes however I did have a horrendous tear (3rd degree) & had to have surgery. I then couldn't ride for 15 months due to complications. It's great that some cam ride right up until the end or get back on with in a week but everybodys pregnancy/labour/post natal care is different and you just need to do what your body permits.
 

Dizzle

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I stopped for the first 11 weeks, then did a few ploddy hacks following OH down the lane. Not riding really effected me, I couldn't cope with stress as it's my stress relief, I actually started grinding my teeth, son arrrived 7 weeks early, not sure if stress caused this or not? All the time I was pregnant my mare really looked after me, she REFUSED to jump, she LOVES jumping and I tried to get her over a tiny jump in the school and she would not canter, she trotted slowly up to it, gently slowed to a walk and stepped carefully over it, I'm certain she knew something was up and always looked after me, she even loaded like a saint when I was 7 months pregnant.


If/when we have more children I will play it by ear, I have to say I don't think I'd want her out of work for that long again, it's been a nightmare as she got too fat for her saddle, bucked me off as saddle was moving and hurting her, I lost confidence, son is now 5 months old and despite being back on board since he was 5 weeks I've only started enjoying it in the past 2-3 weeks.
 
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