What to do to replace riding when pregnant

[UncleBunclesHouse]

This is a real first world problem but I’m having to stop riding earlier in my pregnancy than I’d hoped, various reasons one being SPD kicking off :( but I’m a miserable, irritable bitch when I can’t ride. I can hardly take up another exciting sport with the SPD. Any ideas on a replacement for 6 plus months?? It’s shit at the moment that you can’t even spectate at competitions or go to events/demos etc as that sort of thing at least helps with the fix. Will still be looking after my two at home but I think riding is off the menu for a good while :(

Should add that last pregnancy I kept up my horses work through lunging/long lining/in hand polework plus trainer riding him once or twice a week but am likely to be letting him down over winter this time to rest an injury which has recently reared its head again. Which is even more depressing. Second horse is a 12hh pony which I exercise lightly (eg lunging) to keep weight off, that’ll be about the extent of my horse training...

Could you train your pony for driving or would that be too physical for you ?

Hey! Congratulations on the pregnancy! I just did lots of groundwork with my two (in between throwing up with very bad morning sickness). Lunging, long reining, teaching them lots of tricks for treats, poo pocking. Jobs i’d been meaning to do round the yard like repairing fences, sorting out rugs and stuff I didn’t need for selling. Nesting horsey style (cleaning bins, buckets, stable mats). SPD is awful so I feel for you. Hopefully you will get back to riding soon after the birth and not have to suffer a C section and the associated recovery like I had. If the SPD continues after the birth get some physio as soon as you can, as just trying to muddle through and hoping it will get better can do some serious damage. Oh and research baby carriers for horsey stuff once baby is born (I have a tula back/front one, ideal for poo picking/mucking out ect. Baby loves it and comes to the yard in it all the time. We have done farrier/vet visits/poo picking etc. Means you don’t have to worry about a puschair. Good luck!

I was going to suggest driving the pony too. We are doing some clicker training with our horses too. When I was pregnant I scribed for dressage judges. I'm not much of a dressage fan myself, but I learnt a lot listening to them. Dressage competitions are still going ahead so I assume they need judges and scribes.

@backinthebox
That’s a good idea on dressage writing - I’ve done lots of that (do dressage when I’m riding) and learn a lot from it. Not sure what the protocol is at the moment but will find out.

@Baypony I suspect ability to do much of the pony palace-ing will be short lived with the SPD pain but am certainly going to get through as many jobs as I can until then! Have a few winter prep jobs lined up for next week.

For those suggesting driving the pony, my husband has been suggesting this for a while - he is pretty sharp so not a great child’s pony but very smart and it would give him a job so not a bad idea at all. I have a friend who recently broke hers to harness so will ask her about it