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Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Original poster

Pregnancy - gestation you stopped riding

32 replies

AuntieDee · 16/02/2015 16:01

Firstly hello!

I have just found out I am pregnant and all of a sudden my riding plans have changed :( I am delighted I am pregnant but didn't expect it to happen so quickly (Mirena coil out and pregnant before first period). I have youngsters and my plans were to get my 6yo out competing this year, reback my 5yo sec D (stallion and a late developer so late backed) and back my 3 1/2 yo cob.

I have found a 'helper' already - she's a lovely girl and is capable to ride my 6yo but too novicy to do anything with the others. A friend has offered to ride on my 5yo for me if she is allowed to show him and she has also said she will help back and sell the 3yo for a percentage of the sale as I cannot keep and ride 4 horses (I also have a 2yo meat colt who will be a lead rein pony eventually) and have a baby too!

So I will be going down to only one ridden - my mare who I trust implicitly. She has taught my friend's 5 and 7yo to ride, she is that steady. So I was thinking I would hack her once a week with my friend who will be riding my Sec D and school her once a week to keep her flatwork up to scratch, leaving my 'helper to do the fun stuff with her - longer hacks and jumping with occasional flat work lessons.

So the big question is - at what gestation did you stop riding? I am currently 7 weeks :)

OP posts:
Incapinka · 16/02/2015 19:53

I stopped at 34 weeks as I lost the strength in my legs and didn't feel secure. Someone told me that I would know when the time came and I did. I was still competing at dressage at 6 months but everyone is different and every pregnancy is different. Riding kept me sane but do what feels right for you.

And congratulations!!

Bonkey · 16/02/2015 20:02

Congrats! :)

I stopped at 13 weeks because my mare went out on loan.
I knew her, I trusted her and I took steadier than normal , although I did have one last blast round the fields before she left because I knew it was the last time Blush.

I would have carried on riding until I felt to uncomfortable or unstable if she was still around. I imagine that would have been around the 20wk mark for me because I had a big bump and was forward heavy fell face first in some mud climbing over a style thanks to gravity pulling me forwards Grin .

I would not have ridden anything but her.

Good luck and go by how you feel, you can never plan these things.You don;t know how your pregnacy is going to go or how you will feel a bit later down the line!

Booboostoo · 16/02/2015 20:12

With DC1 I stopped at 24 weeks but it was a waste of time even before that as I could not school effectively. With DC2 I gave up at 11 weeks as it was pointless and I was thoroughly miserable with HG.

LaLaLaaaa · 17/02/2015 06:14

I stopped straight away - no horse is 100% and accidents can happen. I'd been ttc 2 years and had a mc so wasn't prepared to take the risk of falling off.

Each to their own though - if I'd been younger and not had trouble ttc, with a more solid horse, I might have kept going.

Original poster
AuntieDee · 17/02/2015 09:22

I don't get all the abbreviations :(

OP posts:
CherryLips1980 · 17/02/2015 18:32

DC1/2 - Dear Child 1 (and then 2), MC - miscarriage, TTC - trying to conceive, HG - Hyperemesis Gravidarum - like morning sickness+++

I stopped at 16 weeks with my daughter as I had really bad hip and pelvic pain and she is a big wide cob. This time I moved yards the day after I found out I was pregnant so hacked her from old yard to new and then found a sharer but said they were free to ride as often as they wanted.

It's up to you and how you feel - had I not had the pelvic pain the first time round I wouldn't have stopped, I don't think. I've been very lucky all the way through my pregnancies - apart from sickness all the way through (which consists of 10minutes puking first thing and thats it for the day) I haven't had any other symptoms. My friend, on the other hand, had every single symptom in the book and had to stop straight away. (Other reason I stopped straight away this time round was because I was moving from full to DIY livery and I didn't know if my pelvis would get upset again.)

CherryLips1980 · 17/02/2015 18:54

(Oh! And congratulations!)

Plomino · 17/02/2015 21:25

I stopped each of the 5 times at around 30 weeks , on the pony I'd had for over twenty years at the time . That said , I didn't know for about the first 16 or so weeks usually ! Did stop on the big creature as soon as I knew though .

Didnt stop lugging bales , dragging wheelbarrows and wading through knee deep muddy gateways at all though ....

Original poster
AuntieDee · 18/02/2015 08:03

Thanks cherrylips :)

And plomino - tell me about the lugging!

OP posts:
Booboostoo · 18/02/2015 10:07

With DC1 I managed to pull something in my back while wheelbarrowing water to a field (a sentence only a horse rider would ever understand!) and then I was in excruciating pain for the rest of the pregnancy. With DC2 I was much more careful.

In general I found handling and lunging quite problematic from about 5 months onwards as I felt huge and unsteady. My mini managed to rear up and narrowly miss my bump at 7 months when I was trying to worm him, so horses can always pose a risk.

feezap · 18/02/2015 19:50

I stopped at 5 months but mainly because I had become too big for my pony! I would have happily carried on gently hacking as long as I could safely get in and out of the saddle. Like with your mare, I trusted my pony and our partnership enough to make a considered choice to carry on as long as possible. I got big very quickly though!

P0llyP0cketR0cket · 20/02/2015 12:30

I'm an eventer & 16 weeks preggo. I'm currently still doing everything but xc. I've found someone to compete horse for me but I plan to keep her going for as long as poss. Although I had a flatwork lesson today and felt my position was terrible! (Not necessarily baby related!!) I'm hoping to keep going (properly) for at least 4 more weeks and then just hack as I'm having no probs (yet.)

Millie2013 · 20/02/2015 22:27

I stopped at 7 weeks as I had horrible bleeding and it was unsure whether the pregnancy would continue. I didn't feel like riding, with all that going on and horrid morning sickness. And my mare is quirky at the best of times
With a healthy pregnancy and a sensible pony, I'd have gone on as long as I felt comfortable, but I fear that fending off concern/nosiness from others would have irritated me

Original poster
AuntieDee · 21/02/2015 08:05

Thanks everyone for the reassurance. People keep telling my I'm mad - no more mad I feel than walking to the car and falling on my rear in the snow this morning is my view... We can wrap ourselves up in cotton wool I guess but I would be miserable :(

OP posts:
LaLaLaaaa · 21/02/2015 08:21

It's very much personal choice and also based on the horse you're riding. My boy is too unpredictable but I would happily have ridden a more reliable horse in other circumstances. Listen to your body, if you're uncomfortable then stop.

Equimum · 06/03/2015 08:53

I stopped at about 12/13 weeks as DH can have the occasional 'funny five' minutes and I just didn't want to take the risk. Had I had something I could trust more, I would have carried on.

Congratulations!

BlueChampagne · 14/03/2015 23:12

Congratulations! I stopped at about 25 weeks with DS1 as I was making much instructor nervous, even tho she's a mother too. Dmare already retired (part of the reason I was in foal myself) otherwise I'd have probably gone on longer!

Didn't stop riding my bike till about 38 weeks, but bikes are a bit more predictable.

danpanda · 15/03/2015 19:21

This is interesting to read as have found out I'm 6 weeks pregnant and hoping to still ride. Mainly as I suffer from depression and had to come off meds to ttc and my horses keep me sane. Interesting to read people saying how long they ride for. Just bought a youngster so will see how long I feel safe for. Had a freak accident on my friends horse today and have vowed not to ride anyone else's now as I can read signs with mine. X

Original poster
AuntieDee · 16/03/2015 12:35

Danpanda - congrats :) I'm still riding (12 weeks now) but I am being super careful - well as careful as you can be...

I also have youngsters (3 for my sins) so it would be lovely to compare notes :)

OP posts:
Original poster
AuntieDee · 16/03/2015 12:36

Ha ha BlueChampagne! Bikes definitely are more predictable eh??

OP posts:
Higgle · 22/03/2015 18:00

I stopped when the jods wouldn't even look decent at the front with a piece of ribbon to tie the ends together, my old highland didn't put up much of a turn of speed and the main danger was him getting a bit hot and having one of those jelly shakes.

HuggleBear · 19/04/2015 10:23

Dc1 I carried on until 38 weeks (did born @ 40), carried small and took it at my own pace towards the end having breathers when needed.

Dc2 I had to stop at around26 weeks due to spd and sciatica.

Both times I was riding a lovely tb who I had been riding for a couple of years since he retired from racing. I trusted him and knew him well.

I don't think there is a right time to stop, just do what you feel comfortable with. I got a lot of comments and gasps of horror but I could have easily fallen down the stairs or tripped over the bloody cat (again!)

My RI said people usually have to stop when the bump is too big to get off the horse!

BlueChampagne · 25/04/2015 23:48

Sounds like you've got a story, AuntyDee - do tell!

horseylady · 27/04/2015 21:30

37 weeks. Stopped competing at dressage at 30. Was small and for the final 7 weeks I just hacked out slowly. I just went with how I felt. And I felt ok.

lavendersun · 27/04/2015 21:37

19 weeks and 4 days, I rode in the morning and went for a scan in the afternoon ..... They admitted me there and then - I was in labour! Ten weeks of upside down bed rest and a premature baby later - absolutely nothing to do with riding I might add.

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