Comments at Christmas cause I choose to carry on riding whilst pregnant

My instructor rode cross country well into her pregnancy. One lesson my mare was being an utter bitch and trying to throw me. Instructor was 9 months and wanted me to get off and she could ride it out if her. I said no and she was visibly pissed off. I think me drawing that line was reasonable. Your in-laws should mind their own business.

I rode until I was about 6.5 months pregnant with my eldest (didn’t with my youngest as I happened not to have a horse at that time having recently moved back from working overseas). It was all fine, like you I only rode my own very good horse, and I didn’t jump or do anything riskier than hacking and schooling. I also skied with both pregnancies (one I was 4 months pregnant, the other 2 months) - I just took it much easier than normal. You’ll be fine, and have made a pragmatic decision having considered the risks and benefits.

Assuming you are a very competent rider and feel the risks of being thrown off the horse are minimal, and your partner is fine with you riding, you should continue.

I skied at 20 weeks. I was cautious and took it easy. Baby was fine.

Far too risky.

If it was me my child would come first.

Rode until I was 8 months pregnant. Had a TB but plodded round the fields. Both babies over 9 1/2 lbs. Honestly don’t remember anyone passing comment but that was 20 years ago. Now everyone thinks their opinions have to be heard.

P S - I was told off by a gentleman in Tesco when pregnant- I was buying for family event that weekend. I'd've been eating for 16 if it was all for me, but his concern was the single bottle of prosecco and not the pate, soft cheese, shellfish, beef, sheer quantity of food...

It's still your body, even if you're pregnant.

If your relatives were genuinely concerned, they should've raised it with you privately. IMO it's fine to ask if someone you love has really thought it through, so long as it's done at an appropriate time & way - and they back off if you make it clear you're happy in your choice.

Life is full of risks. If you went by the advice of some of the posters here you would stop driving (because you have no control over what any driver is doing), not get on a bicycle, don’t walk down stairs, eat seafood or go out ever. Just wrap yourself in cotton wool and stay in bed until you have your baby.

Or you assess the risks, balance them against the benefits (exercise, mental well being) and make a decision for yourself and your child.

Congratulations OP - hope you have an enjoyable pregnancy. Agree, stand up for yourself, you’ll have to get used to it! X

It's up to you. For what it's worth, I'd do the same as you. But I can understand where they're coming from. I've come off exactly twice. Both times off the 20 year old schoolmaster who is way more whoa than go and dozes off if he stands still too long.

Both were freak accidents. The first time was a pole falling behind him. Yes, that's right, the ex pro showjumper is scared of a bloody pole! The second was a deer running across the field by the school and he flinched sideways and lost me off the side.

Oh, this is the least of your forthcoming worries, OP! The busybody PAS will be out in force to try to tell you what you should and shouldn’t be doing, right the way through!

FWIW, the pregnancy where I developed preeclampsia took a full 24 hours and Ventouse to deliver DC, while the ones where I carried on with HIIT until term were all of 1h 30mins without medical intervention!

if you're riding your horse outside there's a limit to how controlled it can be.
Something unexpected startling the horse is always a possibility. The chances of it happening might be fairly low, however the chances that falling from a height could hurt the baby are fairly high.

It's completely up to you but "I’ve made a decision as an adult woman. That should be it" is arrogant and doesn't really make sense. Someone else could say "I've made a decision as an adult woman that a small glass of wine/1 cigarette a day is fine and the possible risks to the baby are outweighed by the benefit to my mental health." Doesn't mean it's right!

You have a very unusual, unique riding style in which case.

@StealthMama I was back on my horses quicker after my c section than after my vaginal delivery .

If you are beginning to show, then you might be reaching the point whether the risk does outweigh the benefit because the impact to the baby in the event of an incident would be greater at 6-9 months then it has been at 0-5 months pregnant.

most women reach a point in pregnancy and their activities that this happens. My thing is sea swimming, though I was very grateful to be floating in the sea, close to shore with husband nearby 5 days before birth. I wouldn’t have done that on my own though despite being a regular sea goer so late in the pregnancy.

start thinking about other hobbies that support your mental health. If you end up with a C section you’ll be off the horse for even longer.

I carried on, back in the day, before I was too fat to mount.

Depends on the horse though.

I cracked with lots of different hobbies/sports/activities whilst pregnant. As long as you are fit & well, pregnancy shouldn’t be treated as an illness

I bet we've all seen out of control horses careering about with riders seemingly baffled by their placid horse's ungentlemanly behaviour.

I am absolutely terrified of horses: because I don’t know them. You do and you feel safe. Honestly, what do nomadic women do? Exactly.

People will criticise literally every single aspect of how you handle your pregnancy. Then they’ll criticise how you want to birth. Then how you feed the baby, what nappies you use, how bad when you wean, schooling…. This is your life now, I’m afraid!

I think what a lot of the non horse people don’t understand is that even if you aren’t riding you are going to be still dealing with the horse from the ground and two of the worst horse accidents I have had were non mounted ones .

I've been on horses I've exerted myself more doing the hoovering so it's a 0/10 fitness and exercise benefits wise with a 10/10 risk of falls and being trod on.

Will that override their instinct to run if they get scared? Genuine question.

When my cat is scared there will be claws and teeth used on any obstacle between her and her lair.

Yes risks can be limited to sticking to low risk sports and fitness until the baby is born. No-one is suggesting one must stay in bed for 9 months.

Lol what? 😂

@Gloriia

can you not see that the risks can be limited and the benefits outweigh??

It's the sitting on a massive unpredictable animal that is the issue, can you really not see that?