Riding whilst pregnant

what was meant to be was meant to be, I now have the most beautiful daughter ever and I rode when I was pregnant with her till 12 weeks mainly because I didn't know I was pregnant but the minute found out I stopped. I was riding my old pony when I fell off (I had her from when she was 7 - she was 13), I also knew her inside and out but a dog came out of nowhere and totally freaked her out, I can understand why people ride when they are pregnant its the last attempt to remain a "single independent pre children mother" however, no matter how well you know your horses, horses are horses and miscarriage is of course a risk.
 
I rode my old boy till about 5 and a half months, he can be very fizzy but is bombproof in traffic and I've had him 14yrs and trust him implicitly. Had to stop when I came home from a hack in so much pain I could barely dismount. Still hopped on my friends middleweight cob bareback once or twice for a little lead rein ride lol.

Still did all other stuff like lunging, grooming, poo picking and mucking out til the day I went into hospital (2 and a half weeks early to be induced) was even lifting feed bags and bales of hay and straw etc (unless anyone on yard caught me and forced me into a chair while they did it)

I was up yard with my little girl less than 24hrs after she was born, and she got the biggest fuss made of her ever, still does now actually at 4 and a half months! First thing my old boy did, having been incredibly quiet and gentle for the whole 9 months, was headbutt me in the stomach - he obviously knew!!

Wasn't intending to ride immediately, but after a week was asked to get on a horse that kept napping, so hopped on and off we went!

As all others have said, unfortunately it's a case of listening to your body and doing what you and the father feel comfortable with. My OH didn't mind me riding old boy, but didn't want me to even sit on my mare - I had to obey that one!

Congrats on your baby and cherish the time u have while they are tiny - I wish mine would shrink again already :)
 
Only you know what your happy with. You know your horse best. My sister rode the whole pregnancy including the day before her son was born. Her pelvic muscles were so strong the birth was very quick.
The risks of riding must be your decision. The importance of staying fit and not sitting on ones butt like an invalid is very important though. The amount of women that become very fragile during pregnancy amazes me. Doesn't do them any favours when they go into labour either.
 
ribbons - I agree, a lot of people seem to just grind to a halt for 9 months, which I don't think can help.
Everyone who rides when pregnant says they had a quicker easier birth from it from being fitter. I'm trying to stay really active now I'm not riding and still doing all the care etc.
OH encourages me to keep going as normal but some people seem to think you need to be told to sit down all the time!
I know they are only concerned but as I keep pointing out - it's a pregnancy, not an illness! :)
 
I'm currently 14 weeks and haven't ridden at all, I am itching to get on my mare whom I do trust and have owned for many years, but constantly at the back of my mind there is a little doubt as any horse could freak/bolt etc obviously you know this and my post is probably no help at all :D completely up to you but personally I am sticking to lunging, mucking out and extra pampering for my girl :p:)
 
patterdale said:
Everyone who rides when pregnant says they had a quicker easier birth from it from being fitter. I'm trying to stay really active now I'm not riding and still doing all the care etc.
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Interesting to hear, as I have heard the opposite and that people who rode throughout all of their pregnancy had a harder time giving birth as the pelvic area/inside etc was more muscly and thicker so they had more difficulty.

I suppose it goes completely on the birth, neither my mum nor cousin ride and one had a 28 hour labour and then emergency c-section and the other popped hers out within 3 hours.
 
Its only a choice you can make really. I planned to ride for as long as I could, until it got uncomfortable etc. to do so. This came a bit sooner than I'd planned as my horse did his tendon in about 6 weeks ago. I've got 5 weeks to go now so that would have been 7 months-ish. Although to be fair, I probably would have stopped quite soon after then anyway as I'd get bad cramps whilst riding sometimes to the point I had to grind to a halt and wait for it to pass. It depends how you go, I didnt show for ages then suddenly this bump appeared and has grown very quickly, so I could ride happily for quite some time. I didnt jump as OH didnt want me to, but I did do dressage competitions.

I think as long as you're sensible, its a good way of staying active. Both my doctor and midwife both rode during their own pregnancies. I wouldnt have ridden any new horses or youngsters though, I only rode my own horse and a friends one I've ridden for ages - both as trustworthy (although certainly not ploddy types) as can be. I cant wait to get back riding, am fed up being so fat and unfit feeling - its easy for people to say keep fit when pregnant but at this stage everything aches (I've been getting SPD whenever I walk far and now have swollen feet so barely fit in any shoes)! My own horse is broken for some time now but I've been asked to back a friends horse so will be doing that as soon as I've popped! ;)
 
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I have to say I won't drive on the motorway atm as I've had a couple of really bad car accidents in the past and just don't feel it's worth the risk. I do trust my horse though. Far more than other drivers on the road! Everyone does what feels right for them.
 
I am now 28 weeks pregnant and still riding, though I only ride for an hour twice a week as I don't have my own horse.

I've been quite lucky though as my bump isn't too huge (yet), I haven't suffered many aches and pains and don't feel unbalanced. Mind you, I am convinced that this is down to my posture being kept so good from having classical dressage lessons and also Alexander technique lessons!

As many others have said, it's a very personal decision and only you will know what's right. I have decided to 'play it by ear' and will stop if/when I feel my balance is impaired or if I lose my confidence. I only ever ride the same horse and we're only doing flatwork. I think I'll still do some groundwork/in hand stuff if I decide to stop as I will suffer without my horsey 'fix'!
 
I'm due next week and I stopped at 5 months after a fall. I fully intended to keep going as long as I could, had cut out jumping and was feeling great. But my mare spooked, I went flying and landed heavily on my side. No harm to baby thank god but I will need a new hat when its time to get back on board! When I think about the fall I do curse myself for being over confident. At the time I was struggling to accept all the changes pregnancy brings, so maybe that was part of it.
 
Of course anything you do in pregnancy is a potential risk. Even staying in bed is a risk as being unfit leads to problems with labour.
For me, riding a pony I'd owned since she was 2 & I was 10 was an acceptable risk, & less potentially risky than getting in my car. With a different horse or pregnancy problems the decision is entirely different i'm sure. For me, I'm safer on that horse than almost anywhere else. So not any more chance of miscarriage on her than there was walking downstairs. There isn't really a one for all judgement that riding in pregnancy risks miscarriage unless you think the same of any pregnant woman who walks downstairs in the morning.
As for labour, my mild labour started a few hours before & second stage 15 mins. But I credit that to staying fit & active rather than just riding & luck!
 
My baby is almost 8 weeks old now and I rode till about 30 weeks, only stopped due to dark nights and after looking after my two and pooh picking I was just too tired. I didn't have much of a bump so that wasn't an issue. I wasn't riding because 'I was prepared to take the risk' I was riding because it is something I love and that relaxes me. Our baby was very planned and wanted riding is just a part of my life and husband was happy with me carrying on. I, like others have said felt much safer on my horse then in my car. I was getting more nervouse driving especially after some stupid man nearly smashed into me and had to sverve into a close to avoid smashing me. I fell over and down the stairs a couple of times while pregnant and have fallen over lots more times then I have fallen off my horse in the ten years I have had him. If you do chose to ride it doesn't mean you love your baby any less or that you didn't want to be pregnant as much as someone who didn't. I was back on three weeks after which was too soon especially after an episiotomy and some extra stitches but I just couldn't wait any longer and it felt great!! Do what feels right for you and your body Good luck and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy
 
I suppose at the end of the day its down to you and whether you feel comfortable doing it and know your horse wont throw you off or cause any potentially dangerous situations for you.

Cant you get hubby down there and ride for you whilst you stand a watch. At least your horse will still be getting exercise for the few months you dont ride?:D

This must be such a hard time! I dont know what I would do if that was me and i couldnt ride for months:p
 
hi i had five children and rode with most of them . with my last child i rode right through to i i had him. i had a good big cob though. i also used to ride my daughters tb mare nice sort of tb. and i felt she knew i was pregant. i think u have to think what u riding. how well u ride pre pregant and of course while pregant due to ballance/wieght. be safe and enjoy.
 
I havent been able to ride all the way through, due to knackered horse and TBH I really wish I could have. I truly feel it's contributed to my enjoyment of the whole process and if I had the chance to, I'd jump at it.
However, people who choose not to - that's their choice and good for them. For me it's all down to YOU personally and what makes you happy. A happy mum is a healthy mum in my mind.
 
Kind of. I did bs up until 6 weeks as I didn't know I was pregnant, despite the fact we were trying I had just stopped Depo so didn't expect to get pregnant immediately!
Did do tiny 2'6 stuff at home up until about 16 weeks. But, on my very straightforward pony who I trusted to take novice kids round bigger courses. Stopped because I got a massive bump seemingly overnight & I didn't want to compromise my balance. Wouldn't have done it on any other horse or pony though. And wouldn't even ride a very steady cob who did rda stuff on the flat whilst pregnant to give you an idea of how much I trust my pony.
 
i hacked for hours on cob. i did jump upto about 6 months after that bump got in the way to jump lol baby was 9lb 10 oz when born.
 
I just wonder, and this may well be complete nonsense, if the impact from jumping ( not falling ) just general motion could be damaging?
 
Obviously everyone is different but when I jump, my upper body doesn't take any impact. It folds, but no pressure on it. If I could have had a 100% guarantee there wouldn't have been any cause for a fall, I would have jumped as normal regarding any possible impact.
 
I rode until the day before I had my daughter, though she was 3 weeks early, didnt have any problems, did a 20 mile sponsered ride at 5 months gone, and got on and off using a low wall when I got big

Must of rubbed off on my daughter as shes really horsey.. lol
 
Im 4 months pregnant and i stopped at 2 months cause my friend wouldnt let me ride but i have just baught a dope n rope cob who is broken but sadly under weight and i wish when he is back to normal he will be about the same time i can ride again but god how i miss it i would so carry on if i could :( xx
 
flying solo said:
I'm only 13 weeks and every time I ride even for 10 mins my thighs are killing me and bump doesn't feel very happy either so think I'll be giving up soon :-( did anyone else have this?
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Yes and gave up riding at about 12 weeks but doctor said I could continue if I wanted to just didn't want to take the chance. Baby was born in November (13 years ago) and I got back on at christmas when baby was about 6 weeks old.
 
Aidey said:
I'm currently 14 weeks and haven't ridden at all, I am itching to get on my mare whom I do trust and have owned for many years, but constantly at the back of my mind there is a little doubt as any horse could freak/bolt etc obviously you know this and my post is probably no help at all :D completely up to you but personally I am sticking to lunging, mucking out and extra pampering for my girl :p:)
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I'm 12 weeks and like you haven't really ridden atall - ive been too sick to ride! i have a very safe cob but she is only 4, hard to believe as she's so good but she is a baby so dont think i will be riding till after the baby which means after christmas :rolleyes:
I have a friend who is taking her out for me for now but come October i will be turning her away till early spring and start her off again ready for the 2013 showing season. I did have big pland for her this year but they have been put on hold, won't do her any harm to be turned away again this year.
 
I am 24 weeks and still riding my TB although only manage about 20mins schooling on him 2 or 3 times a week as I take longer to recover energy wise. I jumped up until 16 weeks and only stopped as my horse needs a confident rider into a fence and I felt a little bit nervous :( having said that I have no probs schooling or hacking him, but if I do a lot of canter work my tummy gets painful.

At about 13 weeks riding became really painful and I was worried I'd have to give up that early, but seems ok again now. I'm hoping to continue until I can't get on or off!!! I think do what's best for you, if I had a spooky or quick horse I may feel differently but my TB is very sane and so far has been good as gold :)
 
I rode with all mine until I started to feel uncomfortable/ineffective. With Evie it was about 7 months, with Albert 9(3weeks old) it was about 5 or 6 months. I rode again 2 wks after having Evie, but this time round I feel much more tired and achy, plus my old girl is broken. Carried on doing all the care to get my daily horse fix though even at 42 wks.

Congrats with your pregnancy, do what you feel comfy with, you will get a lot of people giving you their opionions on what you should and shouldnt do, and how big/small your bump is, and the shape blah blah blah. People will drive you mad by treating you like an invalid. Bizzarley its several weeks post birth when you are dog tired that you could do with some help and the well meaning folks are long gone - ho hum
 
I rode through most of my recent pregnancy, I had my baby 3 weeks ago and rode up until about 2 months ago and even then only stopped as my horse did his tendon although TBH I would have stopped around then anyway as suddenly a bump appeared and it would have made getting on and off uncomfy. I only rode my own horse and a friends horse (who I'd been riding for months) who I trusted, I wouldn't have got on anything else. I think its totally up to you. What does your partner think? Mine didnt want me to ride at all, although I couldnt not so I agreed I wouldnt jump but I did continue to do dressage competitions throughout. There is no right or wrong and even my doctor and midwife told me to continue if I wanted to as they had done!
 
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