Riding when pregnant

[TooManyAnimals94]

Hello all, sorry if this has been done to death and I appreciate it's a personal thing but looking for other women's experiences, particularly if you ride for a living. Currently 15 was pregnant. I'm working two jobs: I have a 'proper' sit down office job but I also teach and ride for clients. Due to lockdown I have lost a few clients who are on big yards and aren't allowed outsiders so my main riding clients are just two ponies on their own yards. Pony one is an absolute darling kids pony who never does anything stupid but I will have to give him up as soon as I get over 68kg because I'm borderline too heavy/tall for him anyway. The other one is more than up to taking my weight for as long as I feel able and that was my plan...until this morning.
He's always been bouncy to hack, not helped by the fact his owner is a nervous nelly who only potters around her arena twice a week max. On the occasions where I've been able to ride him 3/4 days in a row he is really chilled. This morning when I let him canter he flew off like a 2 Yr old at Epsom and did two massive fly bucks. I didn't hit the deck but there was a real moment where I thought I might and it's really made me doubt if I'm doing the right thing. I've always been very good about assessing risk to myself and in normal circumstances I would laugh this off. I don't want to just drop him cold turkey though because it will take the owner a few weeks to find someone else to ride him and by then he will be an absolute menace. I'm teaching her on him tomorrow and I don't even want to mention what happened today as she will put all her anxiety on to me and make this more difficult.
Probably seems obvious what I need to do but give me some perspective people!

I think you need to put yourself and your baby first and just do what is right for you. I understand you don’t want to leave her in the lurch but imagine if he did that again and this time it led to a knock which caused you to miscarry.
I say this as someone who rode right up to 7 months pregnant when I stopped feeling safe but this was on my own very quiet cob.
In your shoes I would talk to her when you see her and explain why you are having to stop. Also explain it to the other owner so she can find someone else.

I rode my share horse to 37 weeks with my first pregnancy and I would not be riding the horse you describe. Riding isn't dangerous but falling off is. You can't put yourself in a situation where you feel at a higher risk of falling.
I used to get off immediately if my horse spooked, not ride on windy days, anything like that, certainly no jumping. I just did lunging or groundwork or put her in the field.
In the worst case an awkward fall could cause you to lose your baby, and of course your centre of gravity has changed so you might be more likely to land awkwardly. Fun and mental health are important but now isn't the time to be brave or worry about helping other people out.

I rode until I was due with my first child BUT I was riding my own horse who was super safe and chilled and really took care of me. Imagine the equine version of Nanny the dog from Peter Pan! No way would I be riding that pony, you are not a crash test dummy. If she can't find someone else to ride him, then tough. Tbh, he sounds like he is too much for her, so maybe this will give her a shove to sell him and find something more suitable.

Thanks everyone, very sensible advice and not judgy which I appreciate. Owner 1 with the kid's cob is super chilled and has found a sharer to replace me and I will just long rein him and help the sharer school him so that's fine. @krustykittens owner 2 is a different kettle of fish and I have tried to talk to her about selling him. In the school he's quite ploddy but he's an ex hunting pony so loves his hacking and just gets overexcited. I have told her she will never cope with him out hacking so I have no idea what her long term plan is...I would be bored stupid with a horse I could only school but each to their own. It's just a shame as my riding mare is currently in foal too so can't ride her and my old boy is semi retired so I just hack him as and when but I'm also conscious of my weight with him. It was nice having something I could hack (and get paid for) but if I hadn't managed to get his head off the floor this morning I would have been a goner...just not worth the risk is it?

No, its really not. I sympathise with owner two as I am quite a nervous rider (but I made bloody sure I bought a saint of a pony!) but too often I have seen nervous riders try to use other people to get their horse sane without a thought for their personal safety and I don't want her to guilt trip you! One livery at a yard we are at tried to put my nine year old daughter up on her bargain nutter (he was a bloody bargain for a reason and they saw her coming) when I was busy dealing with our own pony. When I objected and asked her what the hell she though she was going as I yanked her off, she said, "Kids are so much more confident and at my age, I don't bounce." SO in other words, I would rather your kid got hurt than me. Pony sounds like he would be better off in a home that will let him have fun, not many animals will tolerate only being exercised in the school.

Personally, if I were in your shoes, I would take a step back. I do understand how you might feel like you’re letting her down or whatever but you and your baby really do have to come first.
I’m 8 weeks currently, and I plan on continuing to ride until I don’t feel comfortable or I have to stop, but, like some of the others, he’s my own horse, I know him inside out and I feel so safe on him. Even so, I am taking certain precautions that I normally wouldn’t even consider, eg not riding on particularly windy days as he can be quite spooky them, riding out with a friend of mine where I can etc. If there was a real risk posed of being thrown, then I wouldn’t be risking it.

Thanks again everyone @krustykittens it not so much that she guilt trips me...she's actually annoyingly protective...won't let me carry his tack, gets twitchy about me picking out his feet but seems to have a blind spot about genuine risk @LockdownIsDragging, @Ughmaybenot and @Hollywhiskey you are all right...I would feel awful enough if I took a risk on my own pony and came off so it is bloody stupid to do it on someone else's. Will prepare her with a text tonight and have a proper conversation with her tomorrow. As she has NEVER hacked him she just doesn't know what he's like and he really isn't dangerous...he just needs a proper rider. Non pregnant me finds his antics quite funny but definitely a wake up call today.