Riding whilst pregnant

[Ellies_mum2]

When you have went through every single invasive test there is to get pregnant then I wouldn't risk it . Horse riding is a risk sport end of .



Col x

My daughter went through lots of tests to conceive too and for this very reason is not riding until after she gives birth in March. Not that it has been easy for her as she adores riding but has decided to take no chances. A personal choice

 

[indie999]

Yes this one is running and I must stop posting on it!!

Please ensure your midwife/healthcare professional has advised its ok for you to horse ride IN WRITING. THIS SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED IN YOUR NOTES.

I have asked the Royal College Obstetricians to be more definitive in their advice. All they did was send me the two links NHS and from their own website. I would not recommend my patients to horse ride due to it being a high risk sport.

The risk being if you fall off or get kicked in the abdomen etc. And this does happen(visit any A&E department).

Choice yes as its an NHS buzz political correct word(we had accountability/now its patient choice). But please get in in writing and documented if its ok for you. The professional advice is not clear, but I would rather go on side of caution for my patients and minimalise risk. Whats a few months.

 

[ElleD]

I'm 25 weeks pregnant, still riding my 17.2 superstar. I fell off in xc warm up at a one day event at 11 weeks, (then did course with no probs), but as my midwife pointed out, baby was in safest place...totally bruised my bum though.

I've now stopped jumping in case my poor husband has a heart attack, but plan to continue to ride as long as it's comfy (I don't have much of a bump at the moment, but realise at some point I'll struggle to get on my boy).

 

[MagicMelon]

I'm 13 weeks pregnant with my first and intend to keep riding until I feel uncomfortable doing so (ie. probably when the bump gets too big!). My OH argues with me pretty much every day about it, but I dont want to be wrapped in cotton wool and both the doctor and midwife I have spoken to have said they themselves kept riding in their pregnancy (and OH did hear this first hand)! The only thing I have stopped doing is jumping at competitions purely to keep him quiet (otherwise I'd happily keep going). I still jump at home (which OH doesnt need to know about), otherwise I'm just doing dressage competitions which is terribly dull already! My problem is I have nobody to ride my own competition horse and can't possibly give him time off now until June (when I'm due). I planned to try and sell him come spring (not because of the pregnancy, but to get a youngster and do the cheaper lower levels), not sure what to do about that as springtime I assume will be the time I probably wont be able to ride him. If I can keep going until say another 3 months and then he'll only get a 3 month holiday, thats not quite so bad. I am only riding my own horse and a friends one (who I've had all summer) - both of which I trust completely, I wouldnt be silly enough to ride any unknown horse at the moment or youngster.

 

[noblesteed]

If it's any help MagicMelon, both me and my friend who have horses had to stop at around 20 weeks because it got too uncomfortable. I mean, unbearably so! I had tears and tantrums over it but my body decided it had had enough!
I think it probably depends on how you carry your bump. You can't predict how you will fare if it's your first, becaseu apparently everyone is different I am just about 6 months now and unable to stand up for more than 20 mins at a time now due to various pains... Very different from ElleD! And very jealous!
I would just carry on riding until your body tells you to stop. But bear in mind it might not be in tune with what your brain wants to do!!!!

 

[charlie76]

One of our instructors carried on teaching and riding during her pregnancy, she didn't get kicked or fall off, the only problem she had was walking backwards into the mounting block and falling over it!

 

[Hippophilia]

I'm 17 weeks pregnant with my first, and I intend to keep riding as long as I can. My old girl is pretty steady and we only do flatwork as it is, so I feel quite confident in my descison. I did take a bit of a spill last weekend in the indoor arena (one of those slow-motion ones where I landed on my feet, thank goodness) which has led me to cut out canter as well. I have increased the amount of lunging and ground work I do to make up for our more boring sessions, and I'm hoping to keep this up once I can no longer get on board!
My midwife supports me as I have been riding for over 20 years and I don't jump, although I intend to review her opinion as I get more pregnant and if she advises me to stop I will. I would never forgive myself if I lost this baby, and nor would my OH I suspect. At the end of the day everyone's fitness levels, pregnancies and horses are different so it has to be a personal desicion. Mind you, I am still drinking coffee, eating sushi and intend to have a glass of wine with my Christmas dinner so some people would probably label me as a terrible mother already!

 

[alcraw]

28 weeks and still hacking out here. I thought my time had come on Saturday when the pony was a little "fresh" and jogged the whole way round - pretty uncomfortable and I felt exhausted all afternoon. However, went back out on Sunday and had a lovely time. I plan to stop after Christmas. In the meantime I'm just finding higher things to stand on to mount!

I still intend to trudge up the field for feeding, rugging and general looking after. The only thing I won't do is pick out her front feet, as she has ringbone in them and is a bit tricky about me picking them up - striking out when you get hold of one. It's not worth the risk of her catching me in the bump!

 

[catwithclaws]

Don't worry about it! Just do whatever you feel capable of doing

I rode up until I was 7 months pregnant, and my boy isn't the easiest of rides (I have owned him for 12 years tho so I know him like the back of my hand!) The only reason I stopped was because bump got too uncomfortable, else there's no doubt in my mind that I would have carried on.

Having said that, I still did all my own mucking out, water buckets, haynets, poo-picking for 2 horses until the day before I went into hospital.

My midwife always told me that more people have complications from not being active at all, than from taking exercise that their bodies have been used to (as some other people have said, if you had suddenly decided to take up riding now, then it wouldn't be so wise!)

Congrats on your pregnancy (my little girl is now 6 days old and i'm already back in the saddle this weekend!) and i hope everything goes well for you

 

[pennyturner]

You know if you feel comfortable, so go with your instiincts.
Personally I have had 6 children. Rode until 1 week past due date with each. Babies arrived naturally at +10 days(ish).
I found riding kept me fit and sane. Had to adjust my dismounting technique, and a western saddle is a liability. Fell off a few times too, but babies were fine.
Back on the horse within a couple of days, which was easy as I hadn't been out of the saddle more than a week!

Don't recommend riding the day after the birth. Didn't kill me, but tummy feels like a washing machine, and bleeding is too heavy.
Do recommend riding bareback lots after the birth - it's the reason I can still use a trampoline ;o)

 

[wowpolo]

I'm 28wks and absolutely itching to get back in the saddle. I think it would be beneficial because I'm convinced keeping active and your muscles strong will help during birth and the recovery. But, my mature gelding was too strong and fast, so I sold him and the rest are youngsters with only one ready for riding. I also feel unbalanced and just too full and fat to get up there

I would say if you are happy then keep on! Yes bad stuff can happen because animals are unpredictable, but you can fall down stairs, crash your car and so on. LIFE is unpredictable and everyone has different concepts of risk.