Riding Whilst Pg

[JosieSmith1]

I'm not pg but have been trying for almost a year so fingers crossed it'll happen soon!

My question is: how many people ride or plan to ride whilst pg? I really don't want to miss out on the summer riding and have agreed with DH that if I got pg soon, and all being well, I would continue to ride until I am too big. However, we also agreed no jumping as my horse is a bit green when it comes to jumping. Now though, there will be loads of jumping things on over the summer, which I would hate to miss out on. She's totally safe jumping things she's jumped before, but can put in a huge jump or stop at things she's unsure of. How many people would be happy to keep jumping really small and not push her out of her comfort zone, and how many would stop jumping or riding altogether?

That's my moral dilemma of the day

[AlpinePony]

I planned to ride "as normal" until it was too uncomfortable. As it was I had chronic morning sickness and couldn't walk across my living room without falling over, never mind get on the horse! I did have a massive pipe blower on her at ~16 weeks when I lost a stirrup - just made me grab on tighter though! I got a touch of SPD and at ~28 weeks or so I had a quick ride around the yard, it was the most comfortable I'd been in weeks - I kid you not! The saddle & stirrups just seemed to sit me in the perfect position.

I would continue to jump (if I weren't sick) until around 18 weeks or so.

[Notinmykitchen]

I rode until I started to develop a bump, think it was about 4 or 5 months. I would be very wary about jumping though. I would wait and see what you feel comfortable with when it happens, I think it is difficult to decide until you see how you feel at the time.

[AlpinePony]

re: jumping - it really does depend what. Jumping small cavaletti & barrels is one thing, galloping around a x-country course you've not ridden before is something quite different iyswim!

[JosieSmith1]

Thanks for your responses everyone. AlpinePony no I wouldn't be doing a cross country course I wasn't familiar with, wouldn't do that anyway never mind when pg [grin

I know that when the time comes I might feel differently and not even want to jump, but I need to have a plan in my head. DH is happy for me to ride as long as I'm happy with it so I suppose I'll just wait and see how I feel when the time comes

[horseymum]

I rode till 7 months or so with the first two but no jumping (except once when I forgot I was pregnant!) and later on only my horse and a couple of others I was really sure of. I didn't ride much with number three, due to time/tiredness etc. You centre of balance really changes, even afterwards it is quite strange as your ligaments are all weak for a bit. Take it easy on yourself. Personally I didn't jump as if you are at all unsure, your anxiousness will transmit and you will not be so committed to the jumps, making a mistake more likely. Is there much point in only doing tiny ones? It is only a few months after all. You probably cannot believe you will actually ever say you don't feel like riding but your body will let you know. Tip for afterwards - a body protector helps keep chest in place if breatfeeding, even if your first rides are only little walks - you won't want to contemplate trotting without it!

[HerMajestiesSecretCervix]

Congratulations on your baby - I've posted before about riding when pregnant and I would urge anyone who is pregnant to think very carefully about it.

I rode up to the 7 month mark during my first pregnancy as I judged that the risks to my unborn child were minimal. I had my own horses and I had no problems until the last ride I'd planned to do before hanging up my saddle and turning my mare out for the summer. My mare shied at something and since my balance was not quite as it should have been due to the bump (which was pretty small) I wrenched my right hip badly. It took me a while to be able to lift my leg high enough to be able to get off the horse when we got back from the hack.

I recovered from that although I did have problems walking up stairs for sometime.

Roll on 4 years, I fell pregnant again. From 4 weeks in I suffered badly from pain in my right hip, I developed pretty severe PGP and I am still having problems with the SI joint and a twisted pelvis. This is over 7 years later.

So my advice, think really carefully and remember that your ligaments are getting looser and looser. I weighed up the risks and thought that if I was sensible the risks to my unborn child were minimal but I did not appreciate how pregnancy hormones can relax your ligaments etc and so you can damage yourself as a result of something that would have otherwise been quite innocuous.

Sorry for the ranty ramble. I feel quite passionate about this one and I wish someone had told me when I was up the duff the first time as I don't think I'd be in the mess I am in now. Mind you, I probably wouldn't have listened as I was riding 6 times a week before I got pregnant and no-one was going to come between me and my mares!

Wishing you all the best for you and your baby.

[Saggyoldclothcatpuss]

I wouldn't. I rode when pg with DS (I was a hunt servant) it was mainly hunter exercising. Was all fine until the one I was riding, (18h, I am 5'3) bolted with me. For nearly a mile and a half I was totally unable to stop or turn the beast. (along the road, down a hill, through a field of mangel and round a sharp corner with a 6ft drop) You really have time to think at times like that. It's just not worth it.

[JosieSmith1]

As much as I love riding and would love everyone to say 'yes it's fine to ride whilst pg', it's also good to be aware that ligaments and things can get looser, I wasn't aware of that so it's something else to take into consideration.

[Callisto]

I rode until I couldn't physically get into the saddle anymore - about 8 months I think. I was very fit still when it came to giving birth which was great because the actual process didn't phase me at all - I just looked on it as a rather unpleasant task to be got through. I did have a perineum like old boot leather (according to my midwife...) so had to have an episiotomy.

I think the main thing to remember is that as you get bigger and your stomach muscles get longer and weaker, you can't pull the horse up as easily if it decides to go a little faster than you want it to. As Saggy says, it only takes the once and even the best behaved hunter can have an off day.

[dappleton]

I think it's a personal decision. I stopped riding as I decided I couldn't live with the 'what if' feeling I knew I'd get if I had a riding accident and lost the baby. Before pregnancy I was riding about twice a day and earn a living from my horses so it wasn't an easy decision but I don't regret it for a second.

[leafbird]

i rode until i was three months preg with my first and second but decided to stop then, as i work with horses and didn't always know the horses i was training, it was not an easy choice to make as money was needed, but you need to remember that there really is no such thing as a bomb proof horse,as for jumping i personally didnt i have had my mare for five years and shes a brilliant jumper she has done loads of cross country show jumping and hunting, but she still has her off days.It really is personal preference. My son is six months now and have been jumping them all for a couple of months so a little while off really wont hurt them at all, good luck with your little bump of joy xx.

[JosieSmith1]

Thanks again, it's really good to get some perspective, and thanks for reminding me that a few months off won't do her much harm leafbird I keep thinking if I stop riding I won't ever be able to ride her again whereas in reality if I can walk her out or get someone else to keep her ticking over she'll be fine, and there's always next season. She has a touch of arthritis but I'm sure I can find someone to gently exercise her or even get OH to walk her out

[sprinkles77]

I rode till about 7 months, on a very quiet cobby horse (well, quiet for a 3 year old) that I knew well. Only really stopped cos he was a share, and the deal on riding him was that I mucked out, and I found that too hard. However, said quiet horse did shy and have me off at 14wks. I had no problems as a result, but DS was small with IUGR and reduced fluid levels. The Dr said was probably due to placental insufficiency, which can be due to an infection or a clot. I will always wonder if that fall was what caused it. I went back to riding when DS was 12 weeks (would have done so sooner but c section sore). The horses I ride now are all throughbreds, ex race horses used for horseball. They often quite silly. We are TTC, and once we have I will stop riding.

[Booboostoo]

I think that everyone is different when it comes to this. I had all sorts of plans to keep riding as normal...and discovered that when you are pregnant all your careful planning goes right out of the window!!!

Up to 12wks I rode two a day, had two lessons a week and continued as normal, but then started getting very tired and found it difficult to be effective through my seat. I also started having very negative thoughts, the horses would mess about as normal, doing things that have not phased me for years, but all I could think was "don't fall off! Don't fall off!" which is not a good attitude to have on a horse! I kept going till 23 weeks just to keep them exercised and sane, but to be honest if I could afford it I would have paid someone to exercise them for me. At 36 weeks now I am even weary of lunging because I am very slow on my feet and unbalanced (I have a horse that's a lunatic on the lunge and I really don't want to see what his hooves feel like on my belly!!), even handling I only bring in the mini and the reliable cob!