Horseriding in pregnancy?

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My sister is expecting her first child and is about 4 months pregnant. She is very into horses and works with them, her employer still doesn't know she is expecting.

She announced the pregnancy a few weeks ago, and I have been worrying since. She fell off a horse (not seriously) about a month ago (we didn't know about the pregnancy then), she intends on riding until she "can't fit on the horse".

Surely this is quite dangerous? Given the high risk of a fall/being kicked plus the chances of infections when cleaning out the stables? She thinks I am being dramatic but I can't see why you'd wwant to take the gamble vs a few months off the riding atleast.

@BabyCute according to who exactly?

I call bullshit

I think it's fine if you ride regularly anyway. I wouldn't recommend starting horse riding when you are pregnant.
The event rider Mary King evented and competed up until she was 6 months I believe.

Poor horse. They weren't designed to be ridden let alone by '2' people.

U OK, hun?

Jesus, you gf, how much do you think babies weigh?!

All my riding accidents have been not so serious falls and one when I was on the ground and got seriously injured, but it’s a risk you take. Up to your sister, OP. Not for you to debate, tbh.

@BabyCute That's absolute nonsense.

Babycute - what utter nonsense. What evidence is there for that?

She's more likely to get hit by a car or fall down some stairs than she is to fall off a horse. She does it for a career so she is obviously good at riding. I would be selective about which horses I rode still but it's her choice.

I'd have to disagree with you as she has never been hit by a car or fallen down stairs but has fallen off horses atleast 6/7 times, two involving trips to A&E, and numerous "small" tumbles, once already whilst pregnant so the chances of it happening again are fairly high.

The intention of this thread was to find opinions as largely the internet says "with caution" or just to be careful which is quite vague. I am quite aware there isn't anything I can do or say to stop her if she so pleases.

The ladder was an example I didn't say pregnant women should never climb ladders but I think most mothers to be wouldn't be climbing up and down big ladders. There will always be the mums who did everything in pregnancy and the baby is fine, I just find it hard to imagine taking risks (not just the riding) unnecessarily when the worst could happen even when following all the guidelines perfectly.

I just find it hard to imagine taking risks (not just the riding) unnecessarily when the worst could happen even when following all the guidelines perfectly.

That's fine. You don't have to take any risks if / when you're pregnant. You can do exactly as the guidelines say. That's your choice, just as this is your sister's. End of story.

I rode up to around twenty weeks. Fell off once and was bolted with, ( it was my job). Looking back on it I should of stood up to my employer, it was a huge risk. Wouldn't risk it with what I know now. However it is her call.

babycute say what now? I was told this by a colleague. I pointed out that if I was to have a miscarriage there was nothing I could do to prevent it, and it could happen at work just as easily as whilst riding.

From what the midwife told me there is nothing you can do to prevent miscarriage.

Should I have kept myself in bed for the length of my pregnancy?

That said if I had had a high risk pregnancy I probably wouldn’t have ridden. But I was very low risk. And made judgement calls throughout. I had the odd glass of wine too. Although not whilst riding. That would have been reckless.

If your sister has fallen off 6/7 times, in what time period is that? That’s quite a lot. I would guess she is either riding young/green fresh horses or riding out of her comfort/ability range. Which again is a good reason to tell her employer. You can’t elininate all risk, life doesn’t work like that, but she can insist on a risk assessment from her employer. As I said previously there is a world of difference between exercising a racehorse and riding your dependable plod around the block.

Much like the difference between driving to the corner shop for milk in your people carrier verses having a go in a rally car with no seat belt.

@babycute i call #bullshit too. I have never seen a study linking high risk of miscarriage to high incidence and frequency of horse riding.

I rode throughout including my due date. I mucked out and lunged during labour.

The infection during mucking out makes no sense. Horses are herbivores and mucking out doesn’t involve scooping poo with bare hands!!

There is no right or wrong. If she wants to
Ride, baby’s father is ok with it and her employer satisfied re insurance and risk then that’s up to her. Many people stop, many people crack on.

Like PPs my midwives always said it was fine to continue but they wouldn’t recommend taking it up as a new hobby.

I rode my old horse all the way through. I wouldnt ride the horse I have now because hes a lot less reliable!

Oh and I agree. Miscarriages are not anyone’s fault. They happen. Or at least that’s what the medics say..... and mumsnet says at large. Though not if the pregnant woman chooses to do something someone else doesn’t like... like horse riding apparently can.

My miscarriages have occurred a) when I had a broken ankle and wasn’t riding as in cast. And b) when I had severe morning
Sickness and was not riding.

My successful pregnancy I rode through out..... my sample size of one is not a scientific study of course, but unlike baby cuts above I’m not applying it to the general population as fact, I’m just stating my experience.

This thread is interesting. I'm very early in my pregnancy and I intend to ride as long as I can. We're not looking forward to telling the family because whilst they'll be thrilled about the baby, none of them ride and they will disapprove.

Riding makes me feel happy and healthy and I think that can only be a good thing to be in pregnancy?

I have 5 of my own and work with horses and have just stopped riding at 6 months pregnant as I own big, young, spooky warmbloods, the winter weather is making riding inconsistent and therefore the horses are a bit fresher than usual. Also all of mine are over 17 hands and it’s making dismounting uncomfortable now I’m bigger.
My first pregnancy my horses were smaller and older so I rode up until 8 months when I got too uncomfortable. I know people who have ridden and competed up until the day they give birth. It’s a high risk sport but generally the people doing it are well experienced and can make their own decisions based on their knowledge.

I will continue to work with horses throughout my pregnancy as it’s my job, risk of infection is a ridiculous notion. If your sister works with them and rides them professionally then she’s used to them and their behaviour and can gauge the risks for herself. No ones business except hers and her partners

I rode until I was 20 weeks. I then felt uncomfortable. My last compa was at 16 weeks. This was a horse I trusted. I nicked out during the second pregnancy but didn’t ride as the horse I had wasn’t as trustworthy.

Both times it was my decision that I called.