Pregnancy and the horse Trainer

Let me preface this by saying I know I’m not the first horse trainer to get pregnant, but it turned out to be a huge turning point in my career. I always had the thought that when I got pregnant nothing in my business or my riding would change. I would be able to do it all and not have to take a breath in between, but my first trimester hit me like a ton of bricks. I was sick constantly, I was incredibly tired all the time, and I was incredibly bitchy. I lost myself a little bit during that time. Horses have always been something I could connect with, but when I felt too sick and tired to ride it felt like my connection to them was gone. This sent me into a slight depression. I had a hard time connecting to my students in lessons. Thank God for the second trimester, it couldn’t have come soon enough! I finally felt better, and was able to start riding more than two horses a week. I started working with one of my clients young horses that helped pull me out of my depression, I finally felt the connection I had been missing. I got my drive back for my lessons, and making my clients the best horsewomen they could be. I started working two project ponies at my house again, everything finally felt back to normal.

Then came the harder decisions about my business and my career. Realizing I most likely wouldn’t be able to do it all with a new baby, I decided to put plans on hold for buying my own facility. Something that I have wanted for a long time, but the timing had to be just right. I instead decided I would rather be part of an already amazing program with my mentor Jill Pelzel at Fall River Farm. So the past month I have started to slowly downsize my program, I am downsizing from 5 lesson horses in my program to just one perfect beginner pony. This has been hard on me as I don’t like saying goodbye to horses I feel like I have created perfectly for my program and my riders. Luckily this was a great time to make this change because many of my clients were ready to move up, and move on to owning tier own horses. I have found 2/3 replacement horses for my clients who were leasing horses from my program. Horse shopping with kids is even more difficult while pregnant, since I can’t ride and feel if it matches what I think my client needs. This has helped me train my eye better as a trainer though, to help riders figure the horses out without me ever riding it. There are many changes coming in my life and career, but I feel extremely excited with my choices. I am excited to learn more and get back in the saddle (when my body will allow), but I’m also excited to experience my son and everything that comes with becoming a mom.