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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

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Original poster

Riding while pregnant

19 replies

Leodot · 17/08/2020 10:21

Hi everyone,

Has anyone ridden while pregnant? I’m aware this could be an irrelevant question as I haven’t been able to speak to anyone at my school yet and they will likely say no but I was also just curious to hear any stories from people here.

I am able to walk, trot and canter and was having lessons pre-lockdown focusing on my transition from trot to canter. I’m not a nervous rider but I know I am still inexperienced compared to most riders.

A group of my friends would like to go on a trek at my riding school in a few weeks and I will be 13 weeks pregnant. A lot of the group are very inexperienced so we would be doing no more than walking. We would also be accompanied by a member of staff from the riding school.

I automatically thought it would be a no for me but having looked online there are several examples of women who rode until about 5/6 months pregnant. Most of them were vastly more experienced than me and owned their own horse though so I’d imagine that’s why they were able to continue. I’m just after some thoughts really! Is it a totally stupid idea or is the risk low enough at a walk that it would be acceptable? Just to clarify, I will be honest with my school (as soon as they pick up the phone haha) and will accept whatever they say without complaint.

Thank you in advance!

OP posts:

OrlandoInTheWilderness · 17/08/2020 10:30

I rode while I was pregnant, up to a few days before.

BUT I am very experienced, I've been a freelance groom for decades working with top level eventers/dressage/hunt horses and everything in between and I had a horse I trusted. In your situation I wouldn't be riding. It just isn't worth the risk for a novice rider.

Sorry!

OrlandoInTheWilderness · 17/08/2020 10:31

And also I doubt a riding school will allow you too - I suspect their insurance wouldn't cover it.

Lexilooo · 17/08/2020 10:37

I know quite a few people who rode through pregnancy on their own horse. Only one at a riding school and she continued including jumping until she had a fairly visible bump.

In early pregnancy the baby is pretty well protected by the pelvis so the risks are fairly low but it is a personal choice.

The additional difficulty for you will be the riding school and whether their policies (and insurers) will allow it. Assuming that you tell them of course.

Honeyroar · 17/08/2020 10:40

Accidents can happen to anyone with horses, no matter how experienced you are. There was an Olympic level rider had a very bad fall and head injury this week while simply hacking out. One of my incredibly experienced and highly qualified BHSII instructors was killed falling out hacking years ago. You’re always taking a risk. You yourself have to decide whether you want to take the risk. And the risk is not solely to you when you’re pregnant- obviously you’re taking a risk for your baby too.

I’m an instructor. I’ve never been pregnant but I’d probably have taken the risk. But you probably need to discuss it with your husband and the riding centre (who may not take pregnant women due to insurance).

ivfdreaming · 17/08/2020 10:43

No riding school would cover you and it's unfair to expect them to, you don't sound like an experienced rider if you are having lessons and don't own a horse yourself.

It's not worth the risk

ivfdreaming · 17/08/2020 10:45

I would also point out I was an avid rider before having DD and haven't ridden since - motherhood seemed to give me a fear of my own mortality and the thought of falling and having a serious injury has affected my confidence

Megan2018 · 17/08/2020 10:51

I wouldn’t in your circumstances.

I have my own horse so rode until 20 weeks, had to stop after that as had an irritated cervix which caused a bleed and a long hospital monitoring check up.

It’s one thing riding a horse you know inside out but there’s no way I’d get on a horse I didn’t know. I think that’s a risk too far and I’m very laid back.

minnieok · 17/08/2020 10:58

I have a couple of horse owning friends who rode throughout pregnancy, but they were super experienced and understood the risks. A riding school may refuse on insurance grounds. I know someone who rode her motorcycle throughout pregnancy (similar risk profile) her decision. We all make different judgements on this

Colbinabbin · 17/08/2020 11:13

I rode until 6 months with DD1 and DS. I was riding every day though on a lovely Clyde X mare down dirt roads and over paddocks.
With DD2 I rode an exhibition at 12 weeks then stopped riding. The difference being I had a 17hh off the track thoroughbred and he was far more unpredictable than the mare.
I found by 6 months pregnant balance became a challenge as I was front heavy

maxelly · 17/08/2020 12:09

I don't think it's really about how experienced you are (or not), more a matter of personal risk assessment. I know plenty of very experienced/competent riders that stopped as soon as they got pregnant and plenty also that continued, in some cases until the bump got too large to fit in the saddle, there's no real correlation between riding skill and how long they rode for, it was more a combination of how well they felt (riding with morning sickness is not a good look ), the circumstances of the pregnancy, the type of horse they were riding (whether if it was their own horse it could be turned away/go on loan/be ridden by someone else), whether they were dependent on riding for income and their personal approach to risk...

In general I think riding is actually relatively safe during pregnancy (in the context that riding at any time is a fairly dangerous hobby, ofc knitting or baking or gardening is safer), and historically the risks of miscarriage in particular have been overstated - most people do stop riding in later pregnancy if they were still riding before, but that is more to do with discomfort than risk to the baby. Mary King famously rode around the European eventing champs XC course while 6 months pregnant and more recently the jockey Lizzie Kelly rode around Cheltenham steeplechase fences at 30mph whilst unknowingly a few weeks pregnant (and took an absolute pearler of a fall in the process - baby was unharmed) - it's obviously far more dangerous to gallop and jump than amble around in walk no matter how experienced you are. I would say a trek out in walk at an accredited centre that takes absolute beginners is about as low risk a riding activity as you'll get. But as I say it's really a personal choice as to how much risk you are comfortable with so no-one here can answer for you as to whether you should do it or not...

lastqueenofscotland · 17/08/2020 12:17

In your situation I personally wouldn’t, you sound fairly novice, and it’s unlikely the school would cover you

Original poster

Leodot · 17/08/2020 13:23

Hi everyone,

Thankyou for your advice and stories. I was thinking along the same lines as most of you and greatly value your input. I’m aware I’m very novice and as it’s not my own horse that will affect things, such as insurance, greatly. I was never looking for people to tell me whether I should or shouldn’t do it or just outright expecting a riding school to cover me. I was just asking about the risk, practicalities and possibilities of doing it. As I said, I would never lie to my riding school so I will make up an excuse to my friends and won’t go.

Thank you again for replying 😊.

OP posts:

Pegase · 17/08/2020 13:33

I couldn't ride when pg. Had a loan and was hoping to continue until bump got in the way but I started getting really weird aches and pains in legs of all places so had to stop around 8 weeks much to my surprise.

Grumpsy · 23/08/2020 20:31

@OrlandoInTheWilderness

I rode while I was pregnant, up to a few days before.

Sorry!

Also sorry but I agree with this.

I’m not pregnant and haven’t been, personally I’m experienced, have my own who is as good a horse as I could ask for, I probably would I just wouldn’t jump etc.

However as a novice I would advise against it.

NeedingCoffee · 23/08/2020 20:35

I rode up to 38 weeks with my second (more like 28 weeks with my first), but again they were my own horses and I’d ridden daily for 30+ years. A friend of similar experience did the same except she rode someone else’s horse and fell off it at about 20 weeks. She and the baby were fine, but she stuck to her own old girl after that and stopped riding her younger horse.
Chances are you’ll be absolutely fine, but if it’s not daily routine exercise for you, it’s not worth the risk of muscle and ligament damage which causes you pain, even without considering the baby.

whydobirds · 23/08/2020 20:48

I rode until I was five weeks pregnant with DS. Didn't realise I was pregnant at the time - but my legs sort of stopped working and went all floppy on me. I felt as though I couldn't use my leg at all. I'm an experienced rider but couldn't have carried on through pregnancy, even if I had wanted to, because my body wouldn't let me.

ZooKeeper19 · 03/09/2020 15:27

@Leodot had a lesson the day before I gave birth. Own horse (ex-racer). Ride if you feel comfortable, also you do NOT need to disclose you are pregnant, that is your own business.

I might have been lucky, I had a fall (or two or three) early on and all was OK, but having said all of this I am a very competent professional jockey that has been there seen that and I was more than aware of the dangers involved.

Original poster

Leodot · 03/09/2020 15:55

@ZooKeeper19

Hi, thanks for your comment. I’ve decided I won’t be riding at all. 😊

OP posts:

randomsabreuse · 03/09/2020 16:06

I rode to about 16 weeks with both DC, at a riding school. First time getting off was the limiting factor, second time my core just wasn't "obedient" enough.

Given you're working on trot to canter transition I'd probably leave it as that needs quite a lot of core to get sussed

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