What do you do with your horses when you are pregnant?

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Field04

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Just wondering what everyone does with their horses when they are pregnant. Do you loan them out or turn them out? Does it depend on their age?
 
Wouldn't know my horses are my babies... couldn't think about popping one out at the moment enjoy my riding to much.

I would have said loan out would be the best option then once your back to wanting to be in the saddle you can have them back from loan. Or the other option is to turn your horse away for the period I guess it all depends on if you want to ride after having a baby or not.

Hopefully someone who has had kids can offer more advice than me...

Best of luck though
 
I would be likely to loan if they were at the age they needed work, but keep a close eye even if you are busy or better make it someone you trust! :)
As for oldies, I'd let them enjoy a little holiday if I could. Lots of horses really benefit from Dr Green and a break!
Enjoy! x
 
Me!! I will ride horses what ever the reason so this doesnt apply to me cos

A. dont want children never did
B. will never be preggos

friends and sharers who are prego are going to ride up to the end, my 8 did sponsored ride with a bump lol:D
 
I'm 7 months pregnant and am still defrosting from this afternoon's hack.

So far I've carried on as normal. Horse lives out, so minimal stable chores/ mucking out etc. I work full time so would only be riding at the weekend anyway at this time of year. I'm not jumping, but that's about the only change - though my horse is safe. If I had a silly youngster I might think differently.

I plan to keep going for as long as I can. Realistically I'm going to need to stop sometime after Christmas, so horse will be having a few months off - I'm trying to find someone who may want to take her out once a week or so, but nothing definite lined up yet. A friend's offered to feed her when I can't get up the field. Then I'll bring her back into work in the spring :)
 
As soon as I found out I was pregnant I stopped riding, neither of my horses are bombproof and I thought about how i would feel if I had a fall and lost or damaged my baby, I knew I'd never forgive myself, so it wasn't a risk I was comfortable taking.

I have a 15 month old daughter and am 32 weeks preggers with our son and ended up having daughter by an emergency c-section, so my horses have pretty much been turned away for a couple of years. Although we handle them every day and now we keep them at home, we do ground work regularly.

I desperately miss my riding, but when you have kids your priorities have to shift. However I can't wait to get back on board!
 
alcraw said:
I'm 7 months pregnant and am still defrosting from this afternoon's hack.

So far I've carried on as normal. Horse lives out, so minimal stable chores/ mucking out etc. I work full time so would only be riding at the weekend anyway at this time of year. I'm not jumping, but that's about the only change - though my horse is safe. If I had a silly youngster I might think differently.

I plan to keep going for as long as I can. Realistically I'm going to need to stop sometime after Christmas, so horse will be having a few months off - I'm trying to find someone who may want to take her out once a week or so, but nothing definite lined up yet. A friend's offered to feed her when I can't get up the field. Then I'll bring her back into work in the spring :)
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My daughter is 10month now. but this is what I would have said when I was 7 month pregnant.. except for the living out bit - mine was in!! I even mucked out and sorted them when Id gone into labour on the way to the hospital :)
 
I'm 24 weeks pregnant tomorrow and my bump is starting to get in the way now! I ummed and aahed for a while about what to do with my boy when I decide to stop, and I think he will be turned away til after baby arrives. I'm a bit precious about anyone else riding him anyway so it seemed the best plan :D As he's at the bottom of the garden with our other 2 at least I still get to spend time with him every day. I muck out and husband dearest empties the wheelbarrow - teamwork!
 
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Am 27 weeks pregnant and I'd intended to keep riding my 7 year old for as long as possible. The reality is, however, that my body had other ideas - anaemia and SPD have meant I don't have the energy or the inclination to do so, so he is having the winter off and will come back into work in the spring with a stint at schooling livery by which time I will have had baby and hopefully be back in the saddle. In the meantime I'm still doing as much as possible around the stables but have had to rely more heavily on my OH & friends to help out when needed.

I did briefly look into a sharer but finding someone for a bright, energetic dressage horse who could ride him well enough was too difficult and it ended up being better to give him the time off.

The one thing I was told, and has turned out to be so true, is that you can't predict what will happen so it helps to have a couple of different plans up your sleeve for whatever scenario plays out in the end.

x
 
I have mares - so they were put in foal when I was pregnant.

If I had geldings I would either turn them away or loan them out - it will do them no harm x
 
Its a interesting to see all the replies. I am not actually pregnant, but after years of trying and being told 100% not possible to have a baby I have been given a glimmer of hope. Although the chances are slim it will happen I just don;t know what to do about my horse if it did. Riding would not be an option, as after so long wanting it, if I did get pregnant I couldn't risk it.

My horse is reasonably young, 8, so although I could turn him out I worry what he would be like to ride afterwards. Not hacking out etc, how nervous a horse he would become. And also don't know how much time I would have to ride, or if I would want to afterwards.

I could sell him, but at the same time it would break my heart, and then if I did want to get straight back into riding I could have sold the best horse ever.

It could well be a bridge I never need to cross, but like to have things straight in my head as thinks its best not to be stressed about anything.
 
LJR said:
I have mares - so they were put in foal when I was pregnant.

If I had geldings I would either turn them away or loan them out - it will do them no harm x
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This is what I would like to do but as I *think* it would be the only way to stop me riding. I'd love a foal from my mare BUT the thought of losing her is possibly too much plus the costs may just be out of my league. If I did do this, foal would be kept :)

Hmmm, I'd have to talk it over with OH because it would also be his baby, but 'd prbably continue to ride.

Field04 - fingers crossed that it works out as you want. xx Sounds like loaning might be your best option. My friend's 10 yr old horse wasn't ridden for about 10 months and when she got back on him, he was fab. It does depend on the horse, what about considering a sharer?
 
I'm finding the replies here interesting as I'm in the same boat. I'm 3 1/2 months gone and am still riding as normal. I hope to be able to continue riding another 3 months so my horse may only end up getting 3 months off which is bearable. I ride a friends horse as well currently at weekends as well as my own which again, I'll continue doing until I get too fat / uncomfortable! My real concern with my own horse is that he's lightweight and I'm worried I'll get too heavy for him pretty quick. We'll have to see how it goes. I'm not doing jumping competitions anymore (only because OH doesn't want me to). So my horse will not have competed jumping-wise for 9 months by the time I have it which isn't ideal... but I'm not keen to have anyone else ride him and certainly wouldn't consider loaning him out - not because I think I'm the only one that can ride him but simply because he has his own "way" of jumping which works and I dont want anyone messing with that! Once I can't ride anymore I intend to lunge instead to keep the horse going. Ideally I'll try and get a friend just to ride him a bit once a week or something (but not jump). I'm due early June and have already set my heart on competing at Burgie Horse Trials as usual in July (CIC* last year, not sure if I'll be up to that then, we'll see!). I'm very lucky that my horse keeps fit pretty well and I have been known to take him BE novice eventing when he hasn't seen a XC fence for 6 months over the winter...!
 
Field04 said:
Its a interesting to see all the replies. I am not actually pregnant, but after years of trying and being told 100% not possible to have a baby I have been given a glimmer of hope. Although the chances are slim it will happen I just don;t know what to do about my horse if it did. Riding would not be an option, as after so long wanting it, if I did get pregnant I couldn't risk it.
....
It could well be a bridge I never need to cross, but like to have things straight in my head as thinks its best not to be stressed about anything.
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Just to send some (((((((hugs))))))) and best wishes. We hadn't intended to have a baby and got a bit caught out, but having said that we're so excited now we've got our heads around it.

Whatever happens the one thing I can guarantee is that it is best to take every day at a time - both with your future and that of your horse. It's something I've had to learn as part of the pregnancy but believe in yourself that the decisions you make will be the right ones at that point in time. If you need to give yourself and your horse some time out then go for it, horses don't sit in fields worrying about not competing or being ridden and if you can save your pennies for schooling livery.

Have some more (((((((hugs)))))))))) xxx :)
 
I'm 34 weeks pregnant and have 3 geldings - a 17yo TB, a 28yo TBx and an 8yo Welsh A. I stopped riding at 24 weeks (neither of the 2 horses are 'safe') and am desperately missing it now! The horses aren't doing anything at the moment- they're in at night and I'm grooming and looking after them how I would normally. I think they are enjoying the break, my friend is going to start riding the TBx after Christmas, and I'm hoping to be onboard towards the end of February (babba due 24/01) The TB will come back into work slowly over the Spring- will probs start Lungeing him in the New Year providing everythings ok. The pony is a whole different ball game- he's in 23 hours a day at the mo due to health issues, this week is the first week he's started going out for a bit in a month. Am hoping he's in the same routine as the big horses by the time I have babba, don't want to have to pay extra for someone else to muck him out twice a day!!
 
Im 19 weeks this week and have just come back from a fab 2 hour hack:D I know a fair few friends locally who carried on to 7 or 8 months and the local MW's are very supportive of women carrying on riding. I think its only a decision you can make however. I sold my connemara when I found out I was pregnant as he was nappy to hack and could get me off. I bought a friends Sec D from her, a pony Ive known for a few years and had been riding out with her on one of her others anyway. We've been out doing RC lessons and dressage, even been to the beach but have given up jumping for now.

There was a long thread about this the other week, worth searching for - lots of differing opinions.
 
As someone else mentioned you will know what is right for you as the time comes. I rode all through my second pregnancy and had to wear a special tummy holder as baby was so low. I was back in the saddle 7 days after birth (didn't tell the Dr though :o) I was so convinced that I couldn't give up but then reality hit in and my boobs started to fill with milk when I was a few miles from home and boy did it hurt :o By the time I had got tacked up, gone for a hack, cleaned off and put horse away I was about to explode :eek: when I got home as soon as I walked in the door and heard my poor baby crying for mummy I hung up my boots and didn't get back on for over a year. I sold my horses as she was only 6 and I had spent 3 years getting her to where she was so it was a shame to turn her away. I now breed and train miniature horses so the kids come with me and help and I have never been happier.

I wish you all the best.
 
anuvb said:
Just to send some (((((((hugs))))))) and best wishes. We hadn't intended to have a baby and got a bit caught out, but having said that we're so excited now we've got our heads around it.

Whatever happens the one thing I can guarantee is that it is best to take every day at a time - both with your future and that of your horse. It's something I've had to learn as part of the pregnancy but believe in yourself that the decisions you make will be the right ones at that point in time. If you need to give yourself and your horse some time out then go for it, horses don't sit in fields worrying about not competing or being ridden and if you can save your pennies for schooling livery.

Have some more (((((((hugs)))))))))) xxx :)
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Thanks :)
 
38 weeks and I have carried on pretty much as normal. Two hunters and my daughters two ponies. Stopped riding 6 weeks ago (bump got in the way!) but my hubby has carried on with them, just so they are fit and ready for once I can hunt again. Still mucking out everyday and doing all of the ground work. I turned away when pregnant with my daughter and I really really regret it now, I came back to riding very nervously, and this time, because I am still handling them everyday etc thats not going to be the same. Good luck whatever you decide!
 
Spooky - I was just about to ask this!
I'm lucky in that my girl loves out 24/7 and is a healthy 22, so she will probaly enjoy being turned away for a few months in the spring (I'm due in May). I intend to carry on riding as long as I can but after a fall at 15 weeks (I was lucky and landed on my feet, all is well) and the midwife telling me off for trying to do too much (office job, RI job, horse, dogs and home) I have had to modify my routine a little. I have given up the RI job, am sticking to walk-trot work only (I need to work on collection anyway so that's fine) and am only riding 3 times a week which means I get to ride in daylight and enjoy my time with her instead of trying to fit in too much and none of it well.
I guess what I'm aiming for is quality over quanitity as I know I have a limited time to ride over the coming months so I want us both to enjoy it all.
 
OP I totally see where your coming from, my twins are 20 months now and the pregnacy was not easilly come by! which is why I wouldn't take any risks with falling. My boy is 17.1 but as solid as a rock. I have has a fire engine coming towards me with full blues and twos going and he didn't move an inch.

I stopped riding a few weeks before I actually fell pregnant. My boy was turned away and I rode the day after my 6 week check (c-section) he was like he had been riden the day before. I don't get out as much I I used to but like someone else has posted your priorities DO change.

Best of luck with everything x
 
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