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 Expert
Posts: 2071
 
Location: Indiana | I havent posted here in a long long time, so hellooooo barrel horse world!!
Heres my question. How much riding is okay when you’re pregnant? When do you have to quit? Can i still barrel race? Im only 10 weeks and want to haul this weekend to a local race, but Im unsure if thats safe for my baby. I havent announced my pregnancy yet, so i cant post on facebook and Im sure most doctors would tell me absolutely not to!
Edited by haydawgg 2018-05-09 3:21 PM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| I think this largely depends on you as an individual. I know women who have quit at 10 weeks, and I know of one woman who ran up until she was 6 months along!
Congrats by the way!!! |
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Veteran
Posts: 111
| My doctor and I were very honest with each other, and he told me to keep riding up until the point I no longer felt comfortable. I had a difficult horse at the time that I didn't feel safe riding, so I quit earlier than I planned. If I had a good solid horse, I probably would've run till I was 4 or 5 months along. |
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 Member
Posts: 20
| With my last pregnancy I literally ran down and roped heifers the day I was scheduled to go in for induction at 40 weeks. I'm 25 weeks now and still riding. I wouldn't be jumping on any greenies but otherwise as long as I feel comfortable I ride. Barring any medical issues and whatnot. ??
Edited by SmoothIsFast 2018-05-09 5:59 PM
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Expert
Posts: 2071
Location: Indiana | Thanks for the input! And I am actually suffering from EXTREME morning sickness...so most days I don’t really feel much like riding anyway as it has been relentless 24/7 nausea and vomiting almost every hour some days. I’ve already been hospitalized 3 times at 10 weeks! Luckily I’ve been better this week, which is why I’m hoping to hit a barrel race while I can! My horse I’m riding now is a little on the difficult side. He isn’t green, but can be challenging when he’s fresh. I feel comfortable riding him while pregnant, but only if I thoroughly lunge him first! |
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Go Get Em!
Posts: 13503
 
Location: OH. IO | you really should be talking to your doctor about it.These girls can tell you how long they rode for but honestly you should check with your doctor.IT WOULD BE AWFUL to have something go wrong with the pregnancy that could have been avoided. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I haven’t been in your shoes yet, but I’ve already told my husband the reason I’m hauling as hard as I am now and am so focused is because I know when we do choose to have kids I’ll be stepping back from the horses for a bit.
The last horse who bucked on me? My rock solid little barrel horse, because he made a move, I made a mistake, got him with my spur and he let me know. The last horse I fell off of? Another solid citizen of ours who took a bad step and fell with me.
I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened, that’s just me. I also know that I wouldn’t ride nearly as aggressively or well with that in the back of my mind. |
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Addicted to Baseball
Location: Where the stars at night are big and bright, TX | Congrats on the pregnancy, I'm sure all will be fine. But, it isn't always. I quit early. Had a hard dismount off my tried-and-true older gelding who for the first time in his long life got upset about something and knowing I was pregnant I thought I'd better select my own dismount rather than see where it was going. The force ended up causing my placenta to start to tear away, which we'd found out that evening when I started to bleed. Hospitalized, resolved the bleeding over 4 days but the placenta was a notable concern. Bled again at 17 weeks, and was hospitalized for another week, it continued to separate. They put me on full time bed rest the remainder of the pregnancy, pre-labor meds I had to take every 3 hours around the clock. They also gave me shots to mature her lungs when she was 25 weeks along in case she came early. That was a rough scary pregnancy and I had no desire to possibly repeat it during my 2nd pregnancy so I didn't ride at all for that one. Not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things or time. I got back to it and barely remember the time off. You just have to do what you mentally feel is best. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 542
| I understand you want to ride as long as possible but please take into consideration the "what ifs" I don't see a point in riding past 3-4 months. It's just dangerous. On fb I recently saw a girl riding a green 3 yr old at 8 months pregnant and bragging about how calm the 3yr old was....why on Earth anyone would do such a thing is beyond me. I seriously am still in shock she even posted the she and the caption. It's not a contest to see how long you can ride nor will anyone think your a better horseman for it. |
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 Too Skinny
Posts: 8009
Location: LA Lower Alabama | I was so different back then. I was young and fearless and rode to 21 weeks at a 3 day race. Now if I could take it back I probably would. I think I didn't realize how bad it could have been on everyone including my self had something happened. Its not like we plan for accidents you know? In the grand scheme of things we do what we can to protect our youngins the best we can so if its a choice I can make to keep them safe I take it now no matter how much fun I miss out on. That smile was and still is worth a little boredom.  |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | jake16 - 2018-05-09 10:50 PM
you really should be talking to your doctor about it.These girls can tell you how long they rode for but honestly you should check with your doctor.IT WOULD BE AWFUL to have something go wrong with the pregnancy that could have been avoided.
This. We don't know your medical history.
I have friends that rode the whole time and friends that quit when they found out - all were personal choices.
My sister in law rode up until about 6-7 months with her first, she got bucked off (actually managed to step off and land on her feet) and that was it for her...second baby she was so miserable and sick she had just about quit before she even realized she was pregnant, and stayed sick the entire time.
Personally, I'm not sure what I would do... |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1074
| My doctor told me to go for it. He said that my body would tell me when to stop. I raced until 5-6 months pregnant and then just rode at the house after that. You decide what is best for you. Don't let anyone sway your decision at all. Listen to your body. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Every body is so different, I rode till my belly got in the way, then I just helped in the arena are in the office.. If you doctor says its ok then ride. But really dont risk it if you have a goofy horse.. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 975
Location: Iowa/Missouri | I was just in your shoes this past fall. I am currently 37 weeks 5 days. I made my last run when I was 9-10 weeks along. I really only did it because I was on a tried and true steady eddie. We had already paid up a large chunck of money for this finals and I had talked to my doctor who told me I was okay to ride as long as I wanted to. This was going to be our last run for the season anyways so it didn't affect much on my decision. But I do know if I would have been on a different horse there is no way I would have continlued on riding.
I had already told my husband I didn't plan on doing much riding while pregnant as the risk just wasn't worth it. When dealing with an animal who has a mind of it's own it was just something I didn't want to chance. |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | Riding during a healthy pregnancy probably does not pose a risk. HOWEVER it is the what-ifs that are the problem. You are on a live animal and even the gentlest, most trustworthy, solid horse can react to his surroundings or even trip over his own toes and fall.
When you choose to become pregnant you become responsible for a life that has no say in your choices. Is that life worth an avoidable risk? Can you live with the consequences if the worst were to happen? Nine months of not riding is really nothing in the big scheme of things. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| SC Wrangler - 2018-05-10 10:47 AM
Riding during a healthy pregnancy probably does not pose a risk. HOWEVER it is the what-ifs that are the problem. You are on a live animal and even the gentlest, most trustworthy, solid horse can react to his surroundings or even trip over his own toes and fall.
When you choose to become pregnant you become responsible for a life that has no say in your choices. Is that life worth an avoidable risk? Can you live with the consequences if the worst were to happen? Nine months of not riding is really nothing in the big scheme of things.
This is pretty much the way I felt when I was pregnant years ago. It is just a personal decision. The 6 or so months I was off wasn't really a big deal in my scheme of things. But I am not saying that is what someone else should do at all. I doubt any woman takes this decision lightly. The diversity of the human race is our greatest beauty, I think.  |
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 Veteran
Posts: 214
| SC Wrangler - 2018-05-10 8:47 AM
Riding during a healthy pregnancy probably does not pose a risk. HOWEVER it is the what-ifs that are the problem. You are on a live animal and even the gentlest, most trustworthy, solid horse can react to his surroundings or even trip over his own toes and fall.
When you choose to become pregnant you become responsible for a life that has no say in your choices. Is that life worth an avoidable risk? Can you live with the consequences if the worst were to happen? Nine months of not riding is really nothing in the big scheme of things.
Perfectly said. That old steady eddie can have a bee sting, trip and not recover before they go down etc it doesn't have to be some rank knothead that is known to buck. The time you're pregnant really does fly by, until the last month, that month takes a year to go by ;)
Its something only you can decide on what you are willing to gamble. For myself and my husband the risk of some random accident wasn't even worth considering either time I was pregnant. I took the time off from the horses and we all enjoyed a bit of a vacation and before I knew it I was saddling up again :) Congrats on your little one on the way, they are the biggest blessing! |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2931
Location: North Dakota | haydawgg - 2018-05-09 3:17 PM I havent posted here in a long long time, so hellooooo barrel horse world!! Heres my question. How much riding is okay when you’re pregnant? When do you have to quit? Can i still barrel race? Im only 10 weeks and want to haul this weekend to a local race, but Im unsure if thats safe for my baby. I havent announced my pregnancy yet, so i cant post on facebook and Im sure most doctors would tell me absolutely not to!
Well, honestly, NO RIDING while you are pregnant is the absolute safest. Of course, when you ride, there is a risk that you can fall off, and falls are very dangerous for growing babies.
But with that said, it's your body and your baby. Part of deciding to ride or not ride while pregnant is your choice. It is important that you include your doctor in on this conversation because it is possible (for example) for you to have some spotting if you do choose to ride. And there are certain things (like placenta prevencia) that could be extremely dangerous for you to ride while pregnant. So again, make sure you include your doctor in the decision.
With my first successful pregnancy, I did not ride while pregnant but it was more by circumstance. Both of my horses happened to get hurt and winter was approaching anyway. For my second, I rode and barrel raced until about halfway through the 2nd trimester ... and decided to be done when I could no longer fit into my riding jeans. However, I only rode my own two horses who I trust and know like the back of my hand. I would not, and didn't, ride any strange horses or green horses.
Only you can decide what's right for you, and your baby.
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 Scooters Savior
Location: "Si Fi" Ville | One thing to keep in mind a lot of doctors are not horse people. He/she may think you are out riding 20 yr old Mable around the pasture at a walk.
I think I would show him via a video what kind of riding I was planning on doing. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 124
| My doctor told me to quit at 12 weeks because that's when the baby starts to get large enough it's not cradled and protected by the pelvic bone anymore. I know some people who have ridden much further into their pregnancies, but I wouldn't do it honestly. I once watched a very pregnant woman run her "steady Eddie" horse, and he fell going into the first barrel. She came off and landed on her back, but it was still scary to watch. Years ago there was a woman in our area who ran in a rodeo when she was very pregnant, and somehow she got the saddle horn jammed into her stomach. It caused brain damage, and her son will be permanently disabled. It's worth it to take the time off to make sure your baby is as healthy as possible. Horses will still be there when you're not pregnant anymore. |
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