Is it Safe to Ride Horse during Pregnancy?
Riding a horse is an experience in itself. Some may find it scary, while others cannot get enough of it. You might even wonder can a pregnant woman ride a horse and move around. There’s no doubt if a pregnant woman can ride a horse, but the real question is whether it is safe for her. And the answer is a resounding no.
Risks of Riding Horse when Pregnant
While riding a horse might make you feel good or even be calming and pleasing, it is not without exposing yourself and your pregnancy to some major risks.
1. The Constant Bouncing Movement
Whether your horse is trotting or walking slowly, the movement is continuously up and down throughout the entire time. Furthermore, this movement is not smooth and often jerky. If any bouncing gets too extreme, your baby’s position could shift suddenly and cause it internal injuries as well.
2. A Sense of Discomfort
Even if you have a very soft and comfortable saddle, the experience of riding a horse is not all that perfect as it looks from a third-person point of view. Riders who have been on horses for a good period of their lives, still complain about a sense of discomfort and even feelings of nausea. With pregnancy putting your body on a rollercoaster ride already, an uncomfortable horse ride should not be another addition to the troubles.
3. The Risk of Falling off the Horse
There’s a major difference between a horse and any other vehicle. No vehicle can push you off their back or kick you. Here there are chances where you might lose your balance or the horse might attempt to throw you off its back. A fall during your pregnancy can be fatal for the child, and even yourself.
Warning Sign to Stop Riding while Pregnant
In case you do decide to ride a horse carefully when you are pregnant, you definitely need to keep an eye out for some warning signs that could indicate that your pregnancy is at risk. Any sign of such symptoms should be brought to the doctor’s notice immediately.
- Swelling in the calf or intense pain
- A weakness of muscles in different regions of the body
- A constant and intense headache
- A feeling of being breathless before proceeding with any exercise
- A reduction in the frequency of movements of your child
- Pain in the region of the pelvic girdle
- Pain in various sections of the abdomen
- A tendency to experience extreme fatigue
- Signs of bleeding from the vagina
- Leaking or gushing out of amniotic fluid
- Initiation of contractions of the uterus signifying premature labour
- Feeling dizzy or fainting completely
- Palpitations followed by pain in the chest
- A shortness of breath that makes it difficult to breathe
Staying away from horse riding in early pregnancy is mandatory since that is the time when the embryo is making your uterus its home. Even so, any horse riding later in pregnancy should be avoided as much as possible.
Also Read: Car Travel during Pregnancy
