Riding when pregnant - thoughts

[Kr250710]

Hi all,

So I’m ttc, and just after some people’s opinions on riding when pregnant.

A little background; I routinely ride two horses. 1 is a welsh cob...only walks and trots...a bloody gem out hacking but can tit about in the school, however has never ever got me off. (Touches wood) 2nd is a warmblood youngster who belongs to me. He is an angel in the school in walk and trot but we are still training canter so that can be risky. Hacking is interesting haha!!!

Just after general opinions really as I’m undecided as to what to do...both horses also belong to me x

[smerlin]

Is it your first? I stopped riding when I found out I was pregnant (around 6 wks) but I had some complications which meant I couldn't do more than light exercise anyway throughout pregnancy. Was floored by morning sickness weeks 6-14 so couldn't imagine getting on a horse!

Am now ttc again and desperate not to give up riding though

[Lokisglowstickofdestiny]

Depends on your appetite for risk to be honest - no horse is 100% bomb proof. For what it's worth I rode until 7 months pregnant (and mounting/dismounting became difficult). GP and midwife were fine with it. Only did walk and trot and mostly on bridleways. This was nearly 20 years ago so in today's risk adverse world my GP and midwife would probably have a fit of the vapours!

[whymewhyme]

I rode when I was pregnant but only because I didn't know, I found out at 9 weeks and stopped strait away because he's too unpredictable, that being said if had something a bit more sane I would defiantly ride up until I couldn't get on or off lol

[AlbertaSimmons]

I rode until I was told to stop in no uncertain terms by DH who found me riding one of our youngsters one day. He is a horse pro so not windy but found it difficult not to worry. To be fair, I was probably nearly 6 months by then, with quite a neat bump in his breeches.

[Dontknowwhatimdoing]

I rode until I was about 5 months pregnant. I stopped because once I started to show it made me nervous, but the horse I had then was pretty close to bomb proof.

In your situation I would probably stick to riding the cob, and leave the youngster well alone.

[bonzo77]

Rode till about 7m with 1st: very quiet cob, though did have a fall at 14wks, and stopped cantering / jumping soon after the fall. Stopped as soon as I knew with my second, I cannot as very anxious after a miscarriage in between my 1st and 2nd (not riding related at all, I did ride right through that, having a break for a couple of weeks after surgery). Till about 4m with my 3rd: very reliable warm blood.

[ememem84]

I ride until 7.5 months with ds. Stopped jumping though in groups and only did that when my instructor was there and it was one on one.

[UrsulaPandress]

I rode until about 4 months when my tit of a mare nearly threw me off because a sheep was standing on a wall. Decided not to risk it after that.

[ReadytoTalk]

I stopped at 6-8 weeks. Not worth the risk in my opinion. It won't hurt the horses to have some time off. While the foetus is inside your pelvis its apparently pretty safe but even so, all horses can act unpredictably. I definitely wouldn't ride on the road while pregnant as drivers are even more unpredictable than horses!

[mykingdomforacollie]

I rode mine until my twenty week scan, just schooling, no jumping etc. I probably would have carried on but it was starting to feel like I had a bumbag attached to my front, plus it started to affect my balance.

Up to you, you know your horses and can risk assess accordingly! I know someone who rode until a few weeks before she gave birth, but again, she didn't take unnecessary risks (as far as you can with horses!).

[Sparklesandglitter]

I rode till the day before I had DD, did a bit of schooling to get labour going lol! Consultant and midwife both ok'd it

[randomsabreuse]

Just stopped at 16 weeks. Core not really strong to improve my ability to ride a horse into a contact and was frustrated I couldn't lift my pelvis like I wanted too. Also needed bigger breeches and didn't want to buy any!

[Cariadxx]

I'm still riding at 7 weeks however they are my horses and I know them very well. They are sensible Welsh cobs. I have a jumping competition this week that I'm doing (2'3 so not huge) and DH is massively anxious despite my horse being super and the baby being so deep in my pelvis that any danger to it wound mean I was probably dead myself. He knows better than to try to stop me from riding but I don't think I'll be jumping much longer.

[Kr250710]

Thank you so much everyone for all your input

[Liz38]

I rode when pregnant. My mare was rock solid safe in the school and with traffic but could sometimes bog off when confronted with scary horses turned out in a field. Miles away and ignoring her. I stopped schooling after my last dressage comp at 16 weeks because all my strength had disappeared and it was so frustrating. I stopped hacking shortly after because my yo got so stressed when I went out it seemed cruel! I lunged after that and my yo took over the riding until 6 weeks after DD was born by EMCS.

[Cliona1972]

Rode up to 6 months on both, but I have a exceptionally quite cob. But didn't hack out, as it meant some road work.

[Cariadxx]

When you have a big bump.... how do you get on and off?

[bonzo77]

Get on using a block. Get off the wrong way, leg over the front and slide down on your arse, or facing a bit forwards on your right hip. Very ungraceful!

[Cariadxx]

I'll start training her for dismounting at the block then! It's a big block for side saddle mounting so should be fine

[bonzo77]

I didn’t get off at the block, just on. The thought of stumbling off the side of it was too much.

[Cariadxx]

My block is massive, made for me and is basically a mini set of wooden stairs with rubber grip

[lizzielou80]

I had a horse I owned for 10 years and she was safe as houses, but I stopped at 10 weeks. It's all dependant on the horse and rider, but I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I had fallen off when I was showing!

[CountryCob]

I rode until 5 months, stopped jumping though. I did sort of wish I had stopped at 4 months though as just after that I fell off due to flags at dressage!! Tbh I remember thinking in the warm up I was getting very out of breath and don’t think I handled it well. Also riding a youngster Connie cross who didn’t have loads of self carriage so it put him very off balance when my bump grew. Then I had to get back on for a couple of weeks and that I why I wish I had just left it at 4 months when I had a canter lunge lesson without reins or stirrups, horse is very good but that was probably not a good idea, was lovely though! I think having 2 friends who rode to 7 months gave me unreasonable expectations that created pressure. Looking to have another and think I would ride until 3/4 months in spring/ summer but be less keen in the spooky and sharp wind. Still got the horse I rode pregnant, fall caused no problems but did upset and scare me. Do what is right for you but don’t set yourself I challenge I think listen to your body and I would say avoid the potential issues ie hacking the young horse, it isn’t very long that you are pregnant in the grand scheme of things although I know it feels daunting at the start, good luck

[CountryCob]

Also swing your leg over the front of saddle to get off when you have a bump, best to get them and you used to that a bit before the bump is actually there...

[mrslilford85]

I rode until 38 weeks pregnant and had my dd at 39 weeks, towards the end just went out for a plod with my mum/husband walking besides me, seemed to lose all core strength and balance pretty early on, don't worry about it too much now, see how you feel further down the line and just do what you want to do