Pregnant and not riding my 14 year old horse - will he be ok with the time off?

Question

I am 3 months pregnant and own a 14 year old horse. Who before I became pregnant was in regular work and competing. I don't want to risk riding while i'm pregnant and would like to give him 6 months off over the summer out in our 4 acre paddock at our house with our other unbacked pony we have. Do you think giving him so much time off work at his age will be ok? I would like to bring him back into work once the baby is born and compete him again - he will be 15 then so just worried about his age? He is completely healthy in every way.

I could lunge him no problem a couple times a week but am just worried that this would bore him as he is used to going out and about so thought that the time off would be better for his state of mind?

Answer 1

Well, it is very personal if you decide if you want to ride while your pregnant, but I did. I rode my horses until I was 30 weeks. After that it was just too hard to get off my horse. I could get on with a mounting block...but anyway...
I don't think it will hurt your horse not to be worked, but there are other ways to make sure he is worked.
You can lunge him a few times a week to keep him in shape.
You can also ask around local stables, or put an ad out for anyone to lease your horse. You can free lease, or charge them a small fee. This way your horse gets ridden, you might even get a small amount of money from it.
You have the choice to have him on your property, or have move to a local stable. I'd personally rather someone lease at my stable so I can watch them ride if I wish, and just to have my horse at my own property.
Hope that helps.

Answer 2

He will be absolutely fine, as long as you keep and eye on his weight etc. He will enjoy the break of not competing for a while and will probably enjoy it even more. But please make sure he is turned out otherwise he will get bored and turn into a monster. I have a 21 year old thoroughbred mare who had been ridden 2 - 3 times a year before I got and now she's in regular work and doing really well. And just remember, Over to You is 19 and just completed his final Badminton Horse Trials. 15 isn't that old, just make sure you take your time to get his full fitness back.

Answer 3

Could you find someone who is willing to lease your horse for a few months during the later stages of your pregnancy? I am concerned that your horse will become very hard to handle after a week or so of no work, especially since he is used to competing and to being handled and ridden daily. I would ask around at local stables in your area, and put ads in the local paper and on the bulletin boards ( if there are any) at the local feed and tack stores. Check with your vet as well- the odds are high that the vet will know someone who is looking to lease a horse- and may also know, say, a Pony Clubber who needs a horse to practice with over the summer. Yes, you can longe the horse a few times a week, but he needs more contact and handling than that if you want to keep him tame and rideable so that you can get back to work when your baby arrives. Another thing to consider is that by the time the baby is born and you can ride again, it will be late fall or the first part of the winter, and the days will be short and may be very cold, depending on where you live. Unless you want your horse to have an entire year off, then you need to find someone to lease him so that he gets ridden and handled every day. One of my friends leased her horse out when she was pregnant with her first child- it turned out that it took a lot longer than she thought it would to get back in shape after her son was born, and she was grateful that she had had the foresight to lease out her horse. She was glad not only that the horse was in shape to ride, and was easy to ride because he had been in regular work, but also for the extra cash from the lease fees, which came in handy and helped pay the bills at the end of the month. I think that this arrangement might really be a good idea in your case- your horse will get the work he needs to stay fit and mentally sound, and you will get some extra moolah each month that will help you make ends meet. Plus, as an added bonus, you get to see and interact with your horse as often as you want to, as long as you don't send him to the lease person's barn. It's a win-win situation for both you and your horse- and it's better than turning him out for 6 months and having to start back at the beginning when your baby is born. Good luck, I hope this helps, and congratulations on your new baby !!!

Answer 4

Hi, I rode my mare until I was 7 months pregnant and did a dressage competition when I was 6 months gone. With my second child I only rode until 6 months cos I got bigger quicker. It all depends on how you feel while you are pregnant and what your horse is like.

It won't do any harm for your horse to have that much time off, just watch out for laminitis. Personally I don't like others riding my horse cos they don't always ride them in the way you want. You might find you don't have as much time as you thought once the baby is born so you might be bringing him back into lighter work anyway :o)

Don't give up though!! I have ridden in the menage with a pram parked just outside and with two children playing outside... now they are old enough to cycle with me when I hack out. Good luck, hope it all goes well.

Answer 5

He will be just fine so long as he can exercise himself - in a 4 acre paddock the only problem is that he may get fat. If the weather is foul put a turnout rug on him - don't let him get cold as he is likely to stiffen up.

By all means lunge him 3 times a week - it will keep him fit for when you can bring him back into work, which will be fine as long as you do it gradually.

What a lucky horse to have such a thoughtful owner.

Answer 6

As a mom myself who had the same problem, my mare was 12 years old at the time, i did gentle hacking about twice a week and got a friend to take her out once a week for me, until i was four and half months pregnant, then as it was spring and my baby was due in August, i gave my mare the time off as i could not have competed her[i grow to big very quickly], she was happy as i went and looked after her every day, until the last few weeks when my friend tuck over for a months,i started to bring her back in to work again after i had the all clean from my midwife which was six weeks after the birth, and competed her with in two months when she was fully fit and i was too, good luck with your pregnancy, and don't worry about your horse they will be fine, i am sure they will enjoy there summer of rest and so will you.

Answer 7

A good rest certainly will not hurt him. He is still in his prime at this age..... horses are living longer and staying healthier with what we know these days.

If you leave him, unworked, for that amount of time though. Bring him back slowly, rebuild the muscle and get him legged up again before you start competing. Give yourself a good month of slow work and trail riding before you "push" him.

If you can, lunge him a few times a week for 15-30 minutes, this will help keep his muscle and endurance some and ulitmately make your "comeback" shorter. It will also keep him focused on working while you need to be out of the saddle.

Answer 8

It wouldn't HURT him but probably wouldn't be whats best, especially if yuo want to jump right back in where you left off after your pregnancy instead of starting over again.. I say lease him out to someone while you are pregnant and make a 6 month contract with them! I'm sure someone would love it and you could even offer to give them lessons so you can see his progress and help the new rider with his quirks etc...! This way you'd be making money too!

Answer 9

He'll be absolutely fine turned away for a few months. Take his shoes off if he'll be ok without shoes and rough him off. let him be a horse and relax. I did the same with my TB when I had my baby. His feet hardened up lovely and he looked fab. Bring him back into work slowly and get help. You'll feel rather differently once you;ve had your baby and you may find your confidence will drop a little. mind did. All the best and hope it goes well for both of you.

Answer 10

Talk to your doctor about continuing to ride. I'm not talking competition training but sedate trail riding or quiet arena work like yielding exercises. If your body is used to regular riding, and as far as the pregnancy goes, everything is normal, than there is no reason you can't continue riding. I continued riding through the middle of my 8th month and I actually felt better because exercise is good for pregnant moms (I ended up having a c-section, and because of continuing to ride through my pregnancy and remaining active, my recovery time from the c-section was easier and quicker). Just take it easy and listen to your body, and find what's comfortable for you. It will also mean a shorter recovery time getting your horse ready to compete again.
Good luck and congratulations :)