Contributed, Author at Tack & Bridle

No one would advise you, not even your personal trainer or OB-GYN, to ride a horse as a form of physical exercise. Pregnancy is a delicate condition, and riding horses would depend on your physical condition. However, in some cases, female riders would still do horseback riding while pregnant. If you still want to do horse riding while pregnant, you should know some of the possible effects of doing so. You must also understand the different safety measures you need to consider to ensure you, and most especially your baby, are safe throughout the ride. Table of ContentsHorse Riding While PregnantIs It Safe To Ride a Horse While Pregnant?Are Bumpy Rides Safe During Pregnancy?Is Horseback Riding Considered an Exercise?What Are the Risks of Horseback Riding While Pregnant?1. Miscarriage or Premature Labor2. Falling Off or Being Thrown Off the Horse3. Being Kicked by The HorseSimple Horseback Riding Tips When Pregnant1. Consult Your Doctor First2. Be Aware of Miscarriage Risks3. Choose Your Horse Wisely4. Always Have Someone To Accompany You5. Learn the Basics6. Wear Your Protective Gear7. Ride Slow8. Pay Attention To Your BodyWhat Are the Benefits of Horseback Riding While Pregnant?1. Helps Build and Maintain Stamina2. Reduces Stress and Anxiety3. Keeps Your Body ActiveCan Pregnant Women Ride Horses? Horse Riding While Pregnant Can pregnant women ride horses? In the medical world, doctors would say that it is too risky. Even professional riders are against riding a horse when you are pregnant, and with a good reason. That said, Professor Michael Rogers, an obstetrician at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong King, said, "In a healthy and uncomplicated pregnancy, horse riding is not a big risk unless an accident happens." Is It Safe To Ride a Horse While Pregnant? As long as your pregnancy is not considered “high-risk” and your doctor tells you you can do light exercises, then riding horses while pregnant is very safe. If you visit your doctor every month, they would tell you if your pregnancy is considered high risk or perfectly healthy. During the first three months of your pregnancy, the doctor would easily determine if your pregnancy is high risk or not. As such, you would already have an idea if you can or cannot ride a horse. Generally, although the uterus is protected within the pelvis and direct trauma to the fetus will be reduced, it is not safe to ride a horse unless your doctor gives you the "go" signal. Based on your medical records, they would usually ask you to take bed rest and to stop working for a few weeks. There are also cases where you will be allowed to continue what you are doing since the baby is doing just fine, and you are perfectly healthy. If you have an issue with previous miscarriages, it is better to don’t think about horse riding. You are considered high risk, and your doctor will not allow you to do any type of exercise as it might trigger another miscarriage. Are Bumpy Rides Safe During Pregnancy? If it is just a regular ride and you are perfectly healthy without any previous miscarriages, then a bumpy ride is just fine. Still, it should not be done regularly. You have to remember that the jostling motion of riding a horse can increase the risk of placental abruption. This is a medical condition where the placenta separates from the uterus. If the rider is pregnant and wants to participate in a horseback riding competition, it would be a different story. A medical officer will check the health and well-being of the riders before they participate in the competition. It is to make sure that the riders are not taking any performance-enhancing medications, and they don’t have any serious injuries or ailments that may affect their performance. Is Horseback Riding Considered an Exercise? Yes, just like swimming, you can consider horseback riding as a full-body exercise. It is a total body workout because your legs, arms, and core will work together to communicate with and control the horse. Only light exercises are allowed for pregnant women since it provides benefits to the mother and the baby. However, many pregnant women still try more extreme exercises, especially those who are always active in the gym and sports. That is why if you still want to do horseback riding while pregnant, you can do so, but you have to be careful. Although riding a horse won’t harm a perfectly healthy pregnant rider, falling off a horse will surely cause unimaginable damage to you and your baby. What Are the Risks of Horseback Riding While Pregnant? We've repeatedly said that horse riding when pregnant is a very risky exercise. If you just want a light exercise or you want to try something different, there are other sports and activities that you can try. There are so many risks associated with horseback riding while you are pregnant. There are also so many concerns that you need to think about before you decide to do it. Here are some of them: 1. Miscarriage or Premature Labor This is the worst possible scenario if you force yourself to try horse riding while pregnant. Even if you are a professional and you have been riding for many years, there is a chance that this would happen to you. Whether you are in the first, second, or third trimester of your pregnancy, riding a horse can increase the risk of miscarriage. If you are worried about your unborn child, it is better to stay away from riding a horse and just stay at home and rest. 2. Falling Off or Being Thrown Off the Horse This is something that you cannot prevent when riding a horse. Even if you are a professional rider, there is always the risk of falling off the horse if you’ve made a mistake. If you are pregnant and fall off a horse, you should already expect a lot of issues related to your baby's overall health. Wearing protective gear won’t help you either. It might protect you from physical injuries, but the baby inside your tummy won’t be able to dodge the damage. 3. Being Kicked by The Horse This kind of problem happens, and it is more frequent than you think. There were many cases of the riders being kicked by the horse, especially if they are not yet familiar with each other. Although there is a low chance that you might get kicked, this is also one of the pregnant women's concerns that you must keep in mind. What would happen if you got kicked on the stomach? It’s either your baby will have a lot of abnormalities, or you will get a miscarriage. Simple Horseback Riding Tips When Pregnant If you are still decided to try riding horses while pregnant, you need to follow a few important tips. They will make sure that you and your baby are safe throughout the ride. 1. Consult Your Doctor First Even if you want to try horseback riding, you should first ask for permission from your doctor. In this kind of scenario, doctors know best, so you should go to your OB-GYN and ask if it is safe for you to ride a horse. You have to remember that pregnant women are not always similar to each other. Just because other pregnant women are riding a horse doesn’t mean that you can do that too. It will still depend on your overall health and if your body is capable of keeping the baby safe while you ride a horse, which your doctor can only identify. 2. Be Aware of Miscarriage Risks You have a bigger chance of suffering miscarriage if you are riding a horse. The jolting motion when riding and the risks of falling off the horse are only some of the worries that you need to keep in mind. These two can increase the risk of miscarriage, so you have to think twice before deciding to try it. If you have any previous miscarriages, you have a higher chance of getting another one if you ride a horse. 3. Choose Your Horse Wisely If you plan to rent horses, you should tell the groom that you are pregnant and need a not too aggressive horse. You cannot pick any horse, especially if it is your first time. If you are a rider, then you should only pick the horse that you always use. Horses are moody, and if they don’t like you, they will do everything to remove you from their back or might kick you. 4. Always Have Someone To Accompany You When you are horseback riding, make sure that someone follows you, or you should do it with your husband or any family member. You also need to make sure that they know how to ride a horse. A lot of things can happen while you are riding a horse, so you have to be extra careful, especially if you are pregnant. 5. Learn the Basics If you are a newbie or a beginner and want to ride a horse, learn some of the basics of riding. You don’t need to ride a horse immediately. You just need to read a few things about horse riding so you won’t be completely ignorant of what you should do. This is also a good precautionary measure since you already know the do's and don’ts when riding a horse. 6. Wear Your Protective Gear This is self-explanatory. You need the right gear to protect your body from harm. Many accidents can happen while you are riding a horse, so you need all the protection you can get. You can also add more protection to your tummy. 7. Ride Slow Don’t even think about running fast if you are horse riding when pregnant. You only need to ride the horse, so don’t run like you are in a competition. No matter how good you are at riding a horse, you need to slow down if you are pregnant. Horses might get scared because of many different factors, and you don’t want that to happen while you are riding. It is better to slow down a bit so you won’t get many injuries if the horse throws you off its back. 8. Pay Attention To Your Body Before you ride a horse, you should do a physical examination of your body. You need to make sure that you are ready before you ride a horse and not experience any type of physical issue. If you are riding a horse and noticed something different from your body, you should stop immediately and rest. Here are some of the warning signs that you need to stop riding: Chest painDizzinessVaginal bleedingAbdominal painShortness of breathPelvic girdle painReduce fetal movementHeadacheMuscle achesCalf painMuscle weakness If you suddenly experienced one or more of these warning signs while riding a horse, you have to seek medical help as soon as possible. What Are the Benefits of Horseback Riding While Pregnant? Although horse riding is a bit dangerous for pregnant women, it doesn’t mean that there are no benefits. Here are some of the benefits that you can get by riding a horse when you are pregnant. 1. Helps Build and Maintain Stamina Horse riding is also a type of exercise, and it targets almost every important muscle in your body. By riding a horse, you can reduce fluid build-up and varicose veins. It will also improve your stamina, which is very important during labor and delivery. 2. Reduces Stress and Anxiety You experience a roller coaster of emotions when you are pregnant. You get annoyed easily, and it seems like you get stressed almost every time. Riding a horse can help you relax a bit and get that stress out of your system. It is a good way to unwind and release that pent-up stress. Although some of you might say that other activities can help you with this, riding a horse is a matter of preference. 3. Keeps Your Body Active Exercising can help keep your body active. It is the same with horse riding since you are using your whole body. Instead of staying at home and lying down on the sofa or bed, you should go out and do some light activities. If you are a rider, riding a horse for a few laps can help you stay active. Can Pregnant Women Ride Horses? Horse riding when you are pregnant is something that a lot of riders have been doing for a long time. It might work for them, but it doesn’t mean that it would work for you. You should never decide on your own when it comes to this because you and your baby’s life are at stake.