Any Horse Riders on mumsnet?

[Rochwen]

Are there any horseriders on mumsnet?

I'd love to hear from you.

How do you manage to look after a child and a horse. How soon after the birth did you ride again. Have any of you suffered from SPD and still managed to ride again?

Surely I can't be the only one !

I've got an 18 month dd, two horses at home, I used to compete at Advanced Level Dressage, I also love jumping and endurance. Unforutnately I had SPD during pregnancy and it still hasen't cleared up and both my doctor and my physio have told me not to ride so my poor horses are bored and I am heartbroken that I can't ride.

Apologies for spelling and lack of question marks.

I wish I could say I still had the time, let alone money to ride/have my own horse!! My horsy fix consists of dragging my ds and dp down to the local livery yard to chat to the ponies at the weekend!! But I have an agreement that one day I will have a muddy native pony to call my own again!!

I'll direct theslownorris here she has 4 dd's & 4 horses! (mad mad woman )

Thanks whoops !

She sounds like superwoman. Great !!!

I used to ride, in my former life!! We have 3 Shetland ponies at DH's farm but they pretty much look after themselves!!

DH has offered to buy me a horse but I can't imagine how I would manage with 2 DC and mucking out & grooming each day- let alone having a chance to ride!! I have considered having a sharer but think I will wait until DC are older and then spend all school hours at the yard!!

What sort of horse/s do you have?

Hi there, I used to have 5 horses, I now have two children and one horse, he's a Irish Sports Horse, I keep him on working livery (no mucking out, no cold dark frosty mornings when the hay blows out the net and your trying to do up the buckles on the rug with numb fingers)! oh thank god for working livery!

I really miss those mornings when you would get up go out for a ride as the sun rises and the dew is on the ground, you feel like nobody else exists!

WAKE UP WAKE UP!!!! Yep I miss it!

Your lucky having them at home!

Hi there - hope not butting in. Have horse too but she is on loan at present. Am concerned about getting her back re: money, time etc Loan person wld like to buy her DH is very keen (hope the jargon is correct) but wld rather stick pins in my eyes DD is only 4.5 mths old and I have to return to full time work in 6 weeks. Anyone got any advice ( apart from get a sharer ofcourse)

Hi Molly, could you have her on working livery at a riding school? Agree certain days where she could be used for lessons/hacks etc, in return for reduced rate livery?

Hmm thanks sturdyangel, not a bad idea...may have to give it a go - bless her though she is not a novice ride - 10 yr old arab! nevermind I think we have an agricultural training college here so may contact them.
In addition re: Rochwen a friend of mine has had SPD her babe is 4 mths now so I will call her and see if she is back on board or what her physio has discussed with her and keep u posted

Angel, I have a ID x TB who is 25 this year. He is retired now and I was planning on buying a new horse but my SPD hasn't cleared up so and I'm not sure when I can ride again, so this is on the backburner now. I also have a shetland pony who is my old boy's trusty companion.

Molly, do NOT sell your horse, once she is gone it'll be very hard to start again and esp to convince hubby to buy a new horse. If the loanee can't keep her for a bit longer I agree working livery is great idea. If you don't like the idea of strangers riding your horse you could rough her off, put her into grass livery which is very cheap and ride her when you can, even if it's only once a week. If she's out 24/7 she'll keep some of her fitness you can fitten her up once you have more time.

...and Hillary, I know what you mean about the crisp morning rides. I miss those too !

Oh Molly I love Arabs ! I bet she's beautiful.

Rochwen - I've no idea about the SPD I'm afraid. I have a friend with 3 horses and 2 small DCs who is still competing - but her parents babysit a lot (ie. daily). I have 3 DCs, aged 5, 3 & 2, and 2 ponies at home. They are seriously underworked - but because they're ponies I don't feel too guilty. My youngest DD starts pre-school 2 days a week from Easter and I will be spending that 'free time' trotting along the roads to get them fit again (I will benefit too)!

If you don't fancy putting your horses into livery, could you find an experienced rider to exercise your horses whilst you're still recovering? If you have a school or large enough paddocks they wouldn't even have to ride off the premises.

well I am biaste but I think she is failry gorgeous! u r right Rochwen about selling her - as have had wee mad beastie since she was 3 yr old and it has killed me having her on loan.

apologies to all for the terrible spelling!
brain stopped working i pregnancy and is getting worse - does that come back by the way???

No Molly- it doesn't!!! I've had 2 DC and have lost at least half the brain cells I had!!!

Hiya! Finally got round to answering this thread! Yes I do have four horses-well ponies actually. (A Fell,2 New Forests and one of unknown breeding). They all slum it outside 24/7 though and get neglected from time to time (well bare minimum done ). I am fortunate that dh comes from a farming background and will help me out occasionally.
My eldest rides as well and I think my twins will be starting this year (I've never forced any of them to do it though) and in fact that is harder work than just trying to find time for myself!

I used to have a horse but sadly he had to be put down. We used to event at National level and it was fantastic.
When he went i decided to have a break as i had never not had a horse (if that makes sense!) I then fell pg and thats it.

I wish i still had him or another, although i dont know how i'd have the time.

Oh and i'm trying to convince my DH and parents that DS would love a 16.2 bay thoroughbred which i could exercise until he's old enough..... (he's 9mo!) LOL!

I think my dh puts up with the nags because he knows I'd probably be up to all sorts or mischief without them .
I'm mainly a happy hacker though. Too much of a wimp to jump those big fences.

Hi No its certainly doesn't come back - I think with all that pushing it makes the brain cells pop!

I agree about working livery, I tried everything, out at grass, on loan - One person who was highly recommended only had him on loan for half an hour! He (yes He!) was mucking out and he looked up and said 'is there a leak in this roof - the floor appears to be wet'!!! OMG!

I couldn't jugle both baby and big 4 legged baby, and I used to hate anyone riding or doing anything with my horses but the best thing I did was put mine on working livery - I put mine in an Agricultural college, it put my mind at ease as nobody can or will do anything wrong and they have a 5* accommodation 24/7! No joke. There's no cost and you can still ride whenever you want, you call up they have the horse ready waiting, and you dont even have to clean your tack! Wonderful

The only way I fit in riding and small children and work, is that I have a share horse.

Hes a 6yr old Quarter horseXTB cross and a moody grumpy git! but I love him to pieces!

He lives in field with his owners other horses, she feeds during day and I only ride at weekends in winter. With the lighter evenings once kids are in bed I head out and lunge or school.

Where are all your horses...we are in the new forest and its fantastic., 5 mins on the road, then open forest!

Eve-I'm in East Dorset so not too far from you. When I get some time (ha,ha!) I plan to take my pony to the Forest for an outing.

ah, fellow horse people! I am hoping to get DS into horses aswell so am reading with intrest how I can juggle kids and horses. I loaned my pony out (14.1hh Welsh X) shorly before getting pregnant as she was abit small and time issues really. Plus I managed to hurt my back bad falling on a jump at college. Hope to get back into it when DS is abit older so I can take him down the yard with me, and get him a little pony of his own, and get a new horse myself. I used to envy the kids with "horsey" mums, now I can be the horsey mum

at the thought of your Arab, Molly

I married a man who can ride better than me and now the dc are having lessons - the idea is that we can then all go on riding hols together (kids are nearly 9 and 13), starting this summer, I hope.

I would really love to share a horse, but we live in a rather urban setting atm - and dh is only interested in riding, can't imagine mucking out or doing any of that stuff. He just had lots of lessons at one stage in his life, and must have been a natural. Working livery sounds a really good option. Why do agricultural colleges put them up - does it mean the students get to practise horse care? Does anyone ride them?

Hi fauve,

Yes in working livery the horses work for their keep, not very much though, Students can bring their horses too, one horse gets one student who looks after them totally, they do ride them but only under instruction by quallified tutors, the students are marked on their stable management and riding so everyghing is always tip top. My horse is so happy (you know too if you know what i mean) he's ridden every day, they take him eventing and everything.