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The tack room
Horsehold chores and newborn baby
sanityisamyth · 09/01/2014 19:09
Good evening!
I have 3 horses which are field kept. Husband has been brilliant throughout pregnancy and last 2 weeks looking after them for me (had bad SPD and ligaments/joints were really loose) but he's back to work soon. I also have a 12 day old baby.
Husband can still do horses after work but it's dark :(
I want to be able to get the horses mucked out, fed and watered at least during the daylight hours but not sure of the easiest way to go about this. Was thinking of a sling. Little one is pretty good. Once he's full of food he'll sleep for a good 3-4 hours.
Does anyone have any advice to help me?
Thanks x
stargirl1701 · 09/01/2014 19:11
A stretchy sling like a Moby wrap or Kari-Me would be perfect. Best advice is to find a local sling library and try some out.
Notaddictedtosugar · 09/01/2014 19:15
I used to leave DD well wrapped up, sleeping in her pushchair by the stable when she was tiny, although that only works if the fields are very close to the stables so you don't have to go out of sight.
mrslaughan · 09/01/2014 19:17
Or a buggy - rug baby up to hopefully sleep (I recommend keeping rain cover over to keep wind out)........though it may be some time before your ligaments and joints have firmed up, esp if you are breast feeding.
sanityisamyth · 09/01/2014 19:20
Thanks for the replies. I have a pushchair I can leave little one in - the set up I have means everything is really close together so I'd never be far from him if I did that.
Have a friend who knows someone who sells slings so will have a word with them to get some recommendations too :)
It's beginning to seem feasible :)
mrslaughan · 09/01/2014 19:28
I am not wild about the idea of a sling (and I used one a lot with DD2) when doing anything with horses. If you have to run, to get out of the way of horses playing silly buggers, baby will get very jarred. Also the fields are just so slippery, if you slipped and fell, well thats not a great scenario either.
And I definitely would not lead in, or catch in, with a baby in a sling....
Sorry to sound such a tear germ
sanityisamyth · 09/01/2014 19:35
No I appreciate that reply MrsL - it's sensible advice. I didn't think of that. Might stick to keeping little one in pram. I'll keep him outside the area where the horses are so they can't get to him. As long as he's wrapped up warm he should be fine.
Feeling a bit more confident now :)
Pixel · 09/01/2014 21:51
I would definitely not feel safe using a sling either, there's too much that can go wrong. Anyway, it's surprisingly hard doing chores like that with a baby strapped to you and not only will it take twice as long but I really think you should avoid stress on your ligaments and joints as much as poss. I'm sure the pram is the best idea.
Butkin · 09/01/2014 21:56
I agree with Mrs L and Pixel and think if you have a good buggy, with rainhood, you should be able to cope for now and then reassess once the clocks go back.
What about mornings - could your DH do them before he goes to work (light now about 7am?) - which is what I do before coming back to take DD to school at 8.15am.
Butkin · 09/01/2014 21:57
Of maybe he could look after baby whilst you pop out to do them at sunrise? You may even see it as a nice break!
sanityisamyth · 10/01/2014 05:05
Thanks for the new replies everyone :) husband can't really do them before work as he leaves at about 6.30/7am depending on what he needs to do. I'm also really lucky that the mornings are done by the land owner - he puts the hay and feeds in and checks the water for me.
Putting little one in the pram and somewhere sheltered seems the most sensible plan :) x
bluebizzy · 10/01/2014 07:57
I'd definitely do the pram option. Thats what my friend has done and is still doing with her baby. Its worked for her.
Littlegreyauditor · 10/01/2014 16:09
I agree with all the advice above; DS will sit quite happily in his buggy or car seat whilst I faff about. He watches intently and likes to shout "CAT" at fat horse. Since he could talk he has remained convinced that anything with fur is a cat (cat was his first word...).
Anyway, irrelevant, the main reason I am posting is to express my delight at the phrase rug baby up. That is how I will be describing the process in future 
Landy77 · 13/01/2014 12:51
I used a sling for yard duties when lo was little. She was a Christmas baby and I would wrap my husbands big coat round both of us to help keep warm. I didn't handle the horses like that but she wasn't a fan of sitting still in a pram so it worked for us.
Millie2013 · 14/01/2014 07:56
I only use a sling when handling my ancient pony, wouldn't risk it with my younger one
We bought a 3 wheel, off roader pram, second hand. It's been a godsend, as it will handle any terrain and as it was only £30, I don't mind if it gets a bit mucky
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