Pregnancy & Baby 

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Is riding a horse during pregnancy safe?

Riding does increase your risks of falling, which would increase your risk of miscarriage, as well as your risk of personal harm and broken bones. But only you understand your risks with the type of horses and riding you will be doing.

Lifting more than 25 pounds is probably not a good idea. All the ligaments and tendons soften during pregnancy and do not support the major muscle groups as well as in the non-pregnant state.

Some questions you may want to ask yourself: When riding, can you keep your horses to a walk or gentle gait? Can someone else do the lifting? How much stress will restrictions impose on you? If a pregnancy complication arises, will you be able to slow down appreciably? Is there anything in your personal medical history or family history that might put you in a high-risk category for pre-term labour or pregnancy complications?

Some recent research shows that stress and strenuous activity can have an impact on your pregnancy. If your lifestyle still allows time for relaxation and time with those others who are important and supportive in your life, then the risk of adverse effects would probably be low. On the other hand, if you are "driven" to accomplish things at the expense of your personal and social time, then the risk of miscarriage, pre-term labour, low birth weight, toxaemia, etc. would be greater. I wish you the very best.

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