Confused about "the rules" ... can I have my lesson?

[Greylegs]

Sorry for the terminal stupidity, but as title really.

I have a lesson booked next week: my horse is at a biggish livery yard (22 horses). Under the current rules, can I have my lesson, which would be at a time I would normally go to the yard and possibly be riding anyway? It is just me and my instructor in an outdoor menage, not a group lesson. Instructor would be driving several miles to get to me. (Feel free to give me a verbal kick up the rear ..... )

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Yes, as its at the yard you are stabled on as a 1 to 1.

Nobody is to travel their horse or pony off to lessons or for arena hire.

Current advice from the BEF.

 

[mavandkaz]

Yes, as its at the yard you are stabled on as a 1 to 1.

Nobody is to travel their horse or pony off to lessons or for arena hire.

Current advice from the BEF.

Yes, this.
Just check that your yard hasn't put in restrictions of their own and happy for external visitors.

 

[Ali27]

I thought the guidance was only instructors who are onsite a livery yard can teach! Both my flatwork and jumping instructors have cancelled my lessons?

 

[blitznbobs]

I thought the guidance was only instructors who are onsite a livery yard can teach! Both my flatwork and jumping instructors have cancelled my lessons?

No the instructor can come if they have the livery yards permission

 

[Iris1995]

Being away from home for recreation or leisure is not allowed and exercising with another person from outside your household can only be be in limited places - sporting facilities have been removed from the permitted places to meet for exercise with another person. You are allowed to exercise your horse for welfare purposes though.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1374/contents

 

[Gingerwitch]

But you are allowed to travel for work, if you cannot work from home.

 

[Kizzy2004]

BHS and British Equestrian advise was for a trainer who travels for work and visiting other yards were to check with their insurance companies to ensure they were covered. Both my flat and jump trainer are still doing teaching having checked with their insurance companies.

 

[Goldenstar]

The pro who rides Sky is still working only on private yards though .

 

[Wishfilly]

Even if you can, should you?

Is the lesson essential to your horse's welfare?

How will other liveries feel about it? Is it fair to potentially put them at risk? Will it create bad feeling on the yard?

I would certainly check with your YO first before going ahead.

 

[Yeomans]

Our livery yard owner has stopped all outside instructors coming in. Please bear in mind that these instructors may have been to different yards and then come to you so could be spreading the virus.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

At our yard external trainers still come and teach, viewings for horse sales have taken place, new liveries have arrived...it’s as if no one heard the lockdown being put back in place. Genuinely weird.

 

[phizz4]

At our yard external trainers still come and teach, viewings for horse sales have taken place, new liveries have arrived...it’s as if no one heard the lockdown being put back in place. Genuinely weird.

And we wonder why the virus is still spreading!

 

[Greylegs]

From the range of answers on here I can see why there is confusion!!

For the record, we have had a chat and cancelled all lessons for the foreseeable future (.... ...) which is a shame, but necessary for now, sadly. YO was Ok with it, but in fairness to everyone concerned, it seemed like the best thing to do. Thank you all for your insights.

 

[HBB]

Unless you are in Scotland, apparently its "business" as usual!
We are in lockdown and being asked to stay at home, only going out for essential reasons.
However, Horsescotland published their government approved guidelines and "Travel within your own LA area is permitted for outdoor sport, exercise and recreation. This provision includes travel to local facilities for the training and exercising of horses and ponies on equine care and welfare grounds" means we can load up our horses, travel to a local indoor/outdoor arena and have a lesson. It's not worded in the HS guidance that we can actually travel our horses to a hired school for a lesson but they confirmed that you can do this hidden away in a reply on someones Facebook post.
It doesn't sit right with me and I would struggle to justify travelling for training as it's not essential.

 

[luckyoldme]

Unless you are in Scotland, apparently its "business" as usual!
We are in lockdown and being asked to stay at home, only going out for essential reasons.
However, Horsescotland published their government approved guidelines and "Travel within your own LA area is permitted for outdoor sport, exercise and recreation. This provision includes travel to local facilities for the training and exercising of horses and ponies on equine care and welfare grounds" means we can load up our horses, travel to a local indoor/outdoor arena and have a lesson. It's not worded in the HS guidance that we can actually travel our horses to a hired school for a lesson but they confirmed that you can do this hidden away in a reply on someones Facebook post.
It doesn't sit right with me and I would struggle to justify travelling for training as it's not essential.

It exactly the same for us with the mountain biking . We are in the same la as glentress where we generally go every weekend. We go very very early and see very few people.
Having said that it just doesn't seem right to us to go right now so road conditions allowing we go out on our road bikes .
If we can't do that we stay in.
Simple.

 

[HBB]

@luckyoldme it just doesn't make sense, either we are in "lockdown" or not.
The bigger competition yards have stopped all clinics for just now and many local livery yards are back to allocated time slots allowing clients time to include riding their horses. There is far too much confusion with Horsescotland's guidelines, it is poorly written leaving it open for individual interpretation. I am still seeing groups on Facebook organising arena hire for lessons with visiting instructors and encouraging riders to travel to them because HS said its ok!?

 

[Hackback]

I can't even have a lesson from the on site instructor as YO has put in place a rule that liveries can only go on the yard in a certain time slot, after the yard staff have finished morning chores and left the yard. Her yard, her rules and there are a couple of vulnerable people she has to protect.

It does grate a bit that we're all being so careful, especially as we're in a generally healthy environment, when you see on Instagram some people blatantly flouting the fact that they've all had amazing fun at a house party!