Riding whilst pregnant

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xStephx

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Hi all, I am 14 weeks pregnant and I've read a lot on here that lots of people carry on riding as long as they can which I plan to do.

However today I was jumping a friends horse and she cat leapt over a fairly large jump and unseated me. I managed to stay on by some miracle. I fell forwards on to the pommel and lost my stirrups I think and was hanging on to the left when I managed to get my right arm further over her neck and right myself. I'm now just worried and hoping and praying that everything is ok. Do you think I could have done any harm? Has anyone experienced anything similar? Should I call my midwife on Monday and explain what happened?

I stupidly then jumped my own horse who can slam the brakes on but we were only doing tiny jumps which I know he is ok with. And he was. He really enjoyed it. Think I'll probably stick to flat work and maybe some small jumping with my own. I usually have very good stickability and i trust him.

Any advice or experiences welcome ☺
 
To me, someone who doesn't like and never wants children, it seems an awful shame and big risk to potentially damage your unborn child by doing something that is completely avoidable.
A plod or light schooling on a well behaved horse is no where near the risk of jumping an unfamiliar horse or one you know can slam the brakes on.
 
My trainer rode until a week before giving birth (c-section) did all the workers qualifiers for hoys to 1m20 and was absolutely fine. She is so petite though and looked about 3 months pregnant the day before she popped!
 
I carried on riding until 8 months pregnant with my first daughter, but I wasn't very large and I trusted my horse implicitly. Everything was fine.

That being said, there's no way I'd have jumped, and I felt completely differently with my two subsequent pregnancies and didn't ride at all.

With hindsight it's not a great idea!
 
I'm sure you're fine but did it make you think at all about what might happen. Even the quietest plod can do something out of character/be spooked, who knows, is it really worth the risk for a few months on the ground. Each to their own, but I wouldn't risk it personally.
 
I am sat here reading this with my 11 week old baby asleep on me, from someone that didn't really want children I am now so in love with him and would be so devastated should something happen to him I can't tell you!
I rode up to about 4 months then stopped and really found it hard to not ride and as much as it sounds silly had I known just what having a baby would be like I wouldn't have even sat on a horse once I found out. It's a really short time and a really huge risk!
 
I didn't ride as my mare was only 4 at the time. Should I have more in the future I will stop as soon as I find out. Each to there own.
 
I'm all for people doing whatever they feel is right during pregnancy. Personally, I feel much more vulnerable now I'm pregnant - my mare had a hissy fit on the ground the other day and my reaction was very different to how it would usually be. I was left really shaken up and it was something that wouldn't have bothered me in the slightest a few months ago. Her safety was not a priority for me at all and all I could think about was the baby.

If your horse isn't reliable then perhaps rethink what you are doing with it. I don't think it's particularly sensible to riding horses that you don't know inside out at this time.
 
It has left me feeling like I shouldn't be riding but it wasn't my horse and although I have ridden her quite a bit I don't know her like I know my own. I am happy to carry on with my own on the flat though and to be fair he is quiet and I usually only ride about 4 times a week and it is really only fairly light work as he's had a few problems with his feet recently. I know even the safest of horses can be unpredictable but I can read him and the last time I came off him was about 6 years ago after a corkscrew buck on landing after a jump.

I just can't help worrying now that I've done something awful and it's all going to go wrong. I guess only time will tell. But I will definitely be more careful and stick to only my horse.
 
xStephx said:
Hi all, I am 14 weeks pregnant and I've read a lot on here that lots of people carry on riding as long as they can which I plan to do.

However today I was jumping a friends horse and she cat leapt over a fairly large jump and unseated me. I managed to stay on by some miracle. I fell forwards on to the pommel and lost my stirrups I think and was hanging on to the left when I managed to get my right arm further over her neck and right myself. I'm now just worried and hoping and praying that everything is ok. Do you think I could have done any harm? Has anyone experienced anything similar? Should I call my midwife on Monday and explain what happened?

I stupidly then jumped my own horse who can slam the brakes on but we were only doing tiny jumps which I know he is ok with. And he was. He really enjoyed it. Think I'll probably stick to flat work and maybe some small jumping with my own. I usually have very good stickability and i trust him.

Any advice or experiences welcome ☺
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Hello Im 25 weeks pregnant and stopped riding the minuet i found out. I trust my horse however i think if something spooked her and i was unseated and fell id never forgive myself. She is very sensible and i havent fallen off before but i cant take the risk. So she and my loopy horse who i didnt ride even when i wasnt pregnant are having the year off. They are getting fat, and enjoying the summer. Keep looking at them thinking should i get a sharer for them but naa they are ok.

Having said that, i know loads of people who continued to ride when pregnant. I just think horses are unpredictable if spooked and if you were to fall it could be devastating for you. Good luck with the pregnancy :)

PS. With regards to falling on the pommel i wouldnt worry, always contact midwife if unsure however at that point, baby is still pretty much in the pelvis area and is only just starting to grow out. I had a huge dog knock me in the belly and was really worried but everything was ok. Please contact midwife if you are concerned though.
 
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Mongoose11 said:
I'm all for people doing whatever they feel is right during pregnancy. Personally, I feel much more vulnerable now I'm pregnant - my mare had a hissy fit on the ground the other day and my reaction was very different to how it would usually be. I was left really shaken up and it was something that wouldn't have bothered me in the slightest a few months ago. Her safety was not a priority for me at all and all I could think about was the baby.

If your horse isn't reliable then perhaps rethink what you are doing with it. I don't think it's particularly sensible to riding horses that you don't know inside out at this time.
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I also feel the same, whereas id usually push the horses around back if they got bargy and wouldnt worry, i also have found myself anxious and reacting very differently when they are misbehaving !
 
I rode (and went skiing) up to about 16 weeks where baby was intra-pelvic and just after. I only really jumped to 9 weeks because Christmas was in the way and missing weekly group lessons meant I was no longer confident with my balance. I ride at a RS.

However I took the view that there's plenty of early miscarriages for no reason and so I'd prefer to continue as if I wasn't pregnant until at least the initial scan. I didn't even test until I was 4 weeks late (we were trying).

I think that I'd take the same approach again - if we're in a position to try - I know it would not be for everyone but for me the easiest way to deal with a potential loss is to not be too attached until the scan shows a healthy foetus.
 
Thanks all. Think I'm feeling a bit torn. One part says carry on and another says stop as I wouldn't forgive myself if anything happened. But I think I'll see how I feel with just light hacking and schooling.
 
It is a really tricky decision, and one you just have to trust your gut on. I fell pregnant end of November (due now!)- knew end of December. I rode my mare up until nearly the first scan, in part because it almost didn't feel real! But she can have her 'moments'- mostly perfect, but sometimes will go up and spook. Although I mostly have a very sticky bum, you will find that you do get more dizzy and unbalanced when you are pregnant. At first you don't notice, but it is enough that what would normally not unseat you could now.

I just felt uneasy on my mare past 3 months, so stopped. I have 2 young ponies I backed last summer/autumn, and I simply didn't get back on them after a winter off, as they are too green to risk. However, I was still riding my old boy - including galloping on the common & leading my friends 3 year old daughter on her pony off him, until recently. As I knew I would go insane with no riding at all, and he is the safest horse I know, who I have owned or 10 years. He is actually an ex-racer!I felt that you constantly have risks when pregnant, even tripping over, so riding him as was a risk I felt was willing to take. But only hacking out. Sadly he got ill in June, so not ridden him since, and really the past 2 months I would be too uncomfortable in my hips to ride. But i still 'risk' handling my horses, and others, every day- with risks of kicks ect, but again this is a small risk.

I would not want to judge people either way, but you do have to understand the risks and how much in the next months you will bond with your baby in your belly and not want anything to happen to them.
 
I think you are mad jumping either unknown/friends horses or horses known to stop. it's 9 months. hack/school if its sensible but be aware if you fall off you may kill theh baby - its up to you if you take the risk.
 
I rode up until my due date with both my children (I was induced and had them both 2 weeks later than anticipated) but on my well trusted and saintly horse. Only flat work and fun hacking though. Never really gave it much thought TBH. But it was many years ago and I dont think we were quite so cautious and analytical about health and safety and all that then. Just got on with it, I wasn't unusual among my peers and I can't ever remember anyone in my circle losing a child because they continued to ride until late in pregnancy. Of course if one fell then it would be a risk I suppose- but just owning and being around a horse, pregnant or not has some risk to it if we really want to over think the hobby, surely.

I always remember my GP saying to me - you are not ill or an invalid, you are pregnant! Wise words IMO.
 
I had IVF to be able to get pregnant so this is my miracle baby, I stopped riding when treatment started as I just couldn't risk anything going wrong. A couple of women on the yard remarked that plenty keep riding through pregnancy but I just wasn't willing to risk it, been through enough already. I do miss riding, but it's only for a few months.
I'd do what you feel it right for you, no horse is predictable, my boy is very reliable but anything can spook or bolt.
I know I'd never forgive myself if anything happened, I'm certain your baby will be fine, they are very well protected in the uterus and still only tiny at your stage. Don't worry everything will be ok x
 
The people I have known who carried on doing active riding (jumping etc) whilst pregnant were all very fit, stable and experienced riders, i.e. riding for several hours every day and competing or hunting weekly. Personally I stopped jumping and galloping immediately. I had intended to continue light hacking all through pregnancy, on my very safe cob who (touch wood) I have only fallen off once in 6 years of ownership (and that was when he tripped over at gallop). Actually I had to stop at around 4 months anyway due to pain in my hips. I also stopped handling both unknown and young horses pretty much immediately, and by the end my horse was moved into a field with a very quiet pony and I only handled the two of them.
 
I can understand not taking any risks and I definitely won't be taking any more with jumping or riding other people's horses. I would say I am an experienced rider I've been riding for years reschooled lots of horses and retrained my current horse myself. My seat is pretty good and it takes a fair bit to unseat me. I took my horse from the track and he now schools at elementary level with bits of more advanced lateral work. He is actually a real donkey in the school if I don't ask him for forwards. Last time I fell was from him jumping about 6 years ago which was really a spook on landing caused by cows. He hated them back then and they lived next to the school. We no longer are at that yard so don't have that problem and he doesn't hate them now. I also have another ex racer who is retired. So will have the both of them to cope with through winter but they are well behaved on the ground. I've not galloped him since being pregnant and won't. We've just had a nice canter in the fields at our yard and won't be doing more than that out there. he'd rather be stuffing his face with the nice grass in those fields than having to trot or canter anyway. I'll just keep it steady and see how I feel. Come winter when it's dark at night after work and I'm on my own and bigger I'll definitely stop riding then. He'll benefit from the winter off anyway.
 
Hi when i found out I was pregnant at 6 weeks I decided to keep riding as long as possible however not to jump/xc go on beach rides etc basically school and hack out I did my last competition (stressage) 2 weeks ago I'm now 6 months pregnant and have had to stop, not by choice but having a difficult pregnancy, a couple of scares and now have a torn psoas and tummy muscles (not through riding or doing anything crazy I hasten to add!) Im asolutely gutted but these things happen, my horse (youngster) had his shoes taken off this week and has been turned away for a few months, which will take the urge to hop on away!! plus it will do him the world of good to just be a horse and his rubbish tb feet some time to harden and regrow. I think In a lot of ways we and the little ones are more robust than we think however listen to your body and your gut instinct as well as the medical professionals. At the end of the day it's just a few months out of your whole life of either taking it a bit more sedately in the saddle or having a break from it altogether. Believe me I never thought Id say something like that!
 
At 14 weeks your baby is protected the most out of the whole pregnancy due to the thickness of your uterus wall (sorry for tmi for some people 😂) As long as you don't feel any different or have any signs of spotting or bleeding then I wouldn't be overly concerned. If it helps you relax a little bit you can just let your midwide know so she can make a note however my advice like many others is not to jump anymore but i certainly would carry on riding.
 
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