Has your yard put any potential provisions in place due to Coronavirus?

Christ almighty, who is going to pay for the full livery? Thank God mine are at home. That is a crazy, unnecessary decision.

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JGC said:
I am in France (must be a different area to Helffrich from the sounds of it) and we are not allowed to the yard. Only those yards that have no one to provide vital care for the horses and no exercise for them (i.e. with no daily turnout) are allowed to let owners in - this is being monitored by the police where I am, and several yards that had tried to put in a rota system have been shut by the police because the horses are turned out and there are staff on site.

I am of course very sad about it, but the more exceptions to lockdown are permitted, the longer the lockdown will continue.
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Just updated. You're absolutely right. And my friends who were trying to put in the rota system have hd to stop doing it...
I'm located in the South-West where people tend to be more "lax"...?:cool:
 
mle22 said:
I think all risk sports should stop. Have you read anything about the pressures on the health system? We all have a responsibility.
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this amused me. I got a new horse before Christmas. I was riding him daily. I ended up in A & E with 2nd degree burns that needed daily hospital dressing. Sadly I couldn't control my hot water bottle as well as I could my new lad. :p

I had never considered taking my hot water bottle to bed as being a high risk sport. :D

We are carrying on riding. We are risk assessing it as with everything and that risk is based on exposure to CV. As we don't meet anyone on our rides we see it as pretty safe.
 
ycbm said:
How much were you riding? How much does it impact your life mentally and or physically if you can't?

I've been looking at your recent posts. It seems that your daughter is a keen eventer and you have one horse between you. If your riding lives are motivated by eventing, (I dont know because you really aren't volunteering any information about it) and you can't because it's all cancelled, then that's a totally different kettle of fish from asking a daily happy hacker to give up the one thing in their day that brings a smile to their face because of the very slim chance they personally will take up NHS resources when they are overburdened with virus cases, which they aren't yet.

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See I live totally on my own and one sister lives in the states, who knows if or when we’ll be able to visit each other again. She’s potentially vulnerable as she’s prone to lung infections and suffers from autoimmune disease. My other sister is in Iceland visiting their son and grandchildren (they have an apartment there) and they’ve brought forward their return home as they’re worried the airline will go bust. So I’ve no one at all and the only thing I really look forward to is riding. I’ll do it as long as it’s not illegal to do so but I’ll only be hacking in walk and trot around the estate or doing stuff the school.
 
ycbm said:
Christ almighty, who is going to pay for the full livery? Thank God mine are at home. That is a crazy, unnecessary decision.

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There isn’t anyone to do our horses as it’s completely DIY and no one lives on site. It wouldn’t be suitable to turn out full time without care as there isn’t enough grass especially as some of the paddocks haven’t dried out yet. What a bloody nightmare!
 
helffrich said:
Update on situation in France: Horse owners and liveries are no longer permitted on the yard premises (decision of the French Equestrian Federation)... Therefore, they MUST fully entrust the care of their horses into YO. Tough... And heartbreaking to all those who love their horses and are used to seeing and caring for them on a daily basis.
When the YO is trustworthy, great! but we all know that, sadly, it may not be the case everywhere.:(
The Haras de Jardy ( a regular host of one of the ERM legs) has taken all of its horses to be turned out in pastures nearby. Good for them!:)
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I feel so sorry for those owners who cannot take daily care of and see their horses.
 
I’m on a large Diy yard. No plans or updates from yard owner re: the current situation. There are no yard staff and the yard owner is elderly and knows pretty much zilch about horses. If we go to lockdown I will still have to visit yard even if only once a day if I share turn out and bring in with others.

ETA I’m still riding and will continue to do so as long as possible. Hunting season is now finished so happy hacker for now. My worst injury resulting in a broken knee was a result of catching a horse in the field.
 
paddy555 said:
I feel so sorry for those owners who cannot take daily care of and see their horses.
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I feel sorry for the horses that potentially might not make it, if yards are forced to turn out 24/7. Big yards that are run by three or four staff as ours are, if staff are not able to travel from home to yard, there is no way one person can deal with potentially 25 -35 horses. It's the colic prone horses, laminitic horses, horses who have just recovered from surgery, those that are not used to being out, the list is endless. There's issues with having enough bedding, hay, feed etc.

Someone at works wife works in local government. Rang husband today to say she's twice heard rumours circulating about the uk going into total lockdown tomorrow. Popped into the feed merchant and stocked up just in case and brought my 2 round hay bale delivery forwards from friday to today and took delivery of those this evening. Partner and I then went down to the paddock, altered my fencing to a postage stamp size and put new water in ready just in case.

Its making me feel ill mentally as I'm sure it is many others. I actually said goodbye to my horse tonight as i genuinely think we will wake up tomorrow to bad news. Even took some photos.

Then i rang my Mum who is 84 who merrily told me she's not bothered if she dies of coronavirus as she's had her life. This after I told her off for driving to the shop for a loaf of bread. Well I for one care if you pop your cloggs Mum!!

It all feels very surreal and now all schools in UK are shut from Friday. So sad.
 
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hopscotch bandit said:
I feel sorry for the horses that potentially might not make it, if yards are forced to turn out 24/7. Big yards that are run by three or four staff as ours are, if staff are not able to travel from home to yard, there is no way one person can deal with potentially 25 -35 horses. It's the colic prone horses, laminitic horses, horses who have just recovered from surgery, those that are not used to being out, the list is endless. There's issues with having enough bedding, hay, feed etc.

Someone at works wife works in local government. Rang husband today to say she's twice heard rumours circulating about the uk going into total lockdown tomorrow. Popped into the feed merchant and stocked up just in case and brought my 2 round hay bale delivery forwards from friday to today and took delivery of those this evening. Partner and I then went down to the paddock, altered my fencing to a postage stamp size and put new water in ready just in case.

Its making me feel ill mentally as I'm sure it is many others. I actually said goodbye to my horse tonight as i genuinely think we will wake up tomorrow to bad news. Even took some photos.

Then i rang my Mum who is 84 who merrily told me she's not bothered if she dies of coronavirus as she's had her life. This after I told her off for driving to the shop for a loaf of bread. Well I for one care if you pop your cloggs Mum!!

It all feels very surreal and now all schools in UK are shut from Friday. So sad.
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I did my feed run today too (was due anyway so not stock piling!) Our yard has 30 horses but YM is managing and YO (who lives on site) if they both come down with it I’m not sure what the plan would be. I can get there and am WFH so no problem to DIY but then I risk contracting it myself/what if I’m ill or my husband and I need to isolate!!

I was quite laid back about it all until the last few days. If we lock down the risk is significantly reduced but it won’t be possible for everyone.
 
My yard is small and remote (12 horses/10 owners including y/o). 3/4 of the owners are never at the yard. I rarely see anyone else when I'm there.

Y/o has yet to give any advice etc possibly because it is such a small yard. It's also full livery so no one has their own tools etc.

I'm hoping to keep riding and take my daughter up regularly now that schools are closing and will continue to do so unless advice changes.
 
I’ve been trying to think about this positively. With the reduction in air travel and less people driving around this may do the atmosphere and pollution levels a whole load of good!

On the riding front, I’ve just got back on mine after a spate of bucking from various ailments and poor saddle fit. It’s annoying but as she’s still throwing the odd mahoosive buck I might stop until this is over, I’m in a job where I have to be in (Armed Forces) and I don’t really want to take myself out the picture falling off my horse... or adding to the burden of NHS workers. However, if Rosie was her normal easy self it might be different
 
I fully intend to ride (when my leg has finally healed).

I'm in the at risk group and supposed to stay home for 12 weeks. A few days in and my anxiety levels have gone through the roof and I can feel my spirits sinking lower and lower.

If the only thing that gets me through this is having a half hour ride in the school each day, then that's what I'll do. I don't jump and their is a good surface in the school so I'd say the risk levels are quite low.

Plus of course its probably the only way we will keep laminitis at bay this summer.
 
hellfrich are all the yard owners in france capable of looking after horses?

Certainly plenty over here who would not physically be able to. (or not have a clue)
 
I have to say that i have considered stopping riding once the pressure peaks for the NHS. The reason is because when I fell off my horse and broke my leg, and ended up in the Bristol Royal Infirmary for 2 weeks, after an operation to reset my leg ( so lots of resources used), in a ward of 7 of us, 3 were horse related problems - my fall, a lady was crushed bringing her normally sensible cob into the stable (it turned quickly, ran back and squashed her) and the third lady rode too soon against her doctor's advice after having a baby and had developed severe abdominal pain, whoops! It was lovely having them to chat horse with during my recovery but it did make me stop and think.
I think its a personal decision though and I certainly wouldn't judge others for riding, they know their horses and as someone else said, it could be more dangerous to leave them unridden and then get back on at a later date. I know mine would be fine though as they've been off work before, however it doesn't do any harm to consider a break from it if it becomes necessary.
 
ester said:
hellfrich are all the yard owners in france capable of looking after horses?

Certainly plenty over here who would not physically be able to. (or not have a clue)
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I would say that DIY livery doesn't exist in my part of France certainly, not sure about elsewhere. There some special exceptions that can be used if the YO gets sick themselves, but that's it.

Life under lockdown is scary and bizarre. There are few people out even on "allowed" outings and the police are checking virtually everyone at the time. The pictures in the hospitals are frightening and the situation is only going to get worse in the coming days because of the long incubation period. Even if I was "allowed" to the stables right now I wouldn't do it. Every extra trip is an extra chance that I will expose myself or others to the virus.

I hope you can all enjoy your ponies as long as possible and that the situation doesn't ever warrant such measures in the UK.
 
helffrich said:
Update on situation in France: Horse owners and liveries are no longer permitted on the yard premises (decision of the French Equestrian Federation)... Therefore, they MUST fully entrust the care of their horses into YO. Tough... And heartbreaking to all those who love their horses and are used to seeing and caring for them on a daily basis.
When the YO is trustworthy, great! but we all know that, sadly, it may not be the case everywhere.:(
The Haras de Jardy ( a regular host of one of the ERM legs) has taken all of its horses to be turned out in pastures nearby. Good for them!:)
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I updated my YO on this earlier. She's in her 70s, with lung and heart conditions and only manages her one elderly horse each day - no way could she do the other 10.

We don't have staff, being fully DIY, When people are on holiday we do favours and all help out - but that's usually summer when they can go out 24:7

Very much hoping we won't get to that stage in the UK. Our fields are still swamps and we've got 3 laminitis prone ponies on the yard.
 
SEL said:
I updated my YO on this earlier. She's in her 70s, with lung and heart conditions and only manages her one elderly horse each day - no way could she do the other 10.

We don't have staff, being fully DIY, When people are on holiday we do favours and all help out - but that's usually summer when they can go out 24:7

Very much hoping we won't get to that stage in the UK. Our fields are still swamps and we've got 3 laminitis prone ponies on the yard.
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I think there are going to be some hard decisions made over the next few days in particular in respect to laminitis cases in such a scenario as the one above.

In particular i would worry about emergency vet assistance. I wonder how much notice the country would have in respect of lockdown and what rules there would be and what penalties could be imposed on those that flout them. Have been thinking about whether i could survive living in my car and trailer for a day let alone a week in order to be with my horse and assist y.o with the horses if we did go into lockdown and they were to let me camp out. I wouldn't mind roughing it at all. We have water, electric, fridge, kettle and microwave at our yard.
 
JGC said:
Life under lockdown is scary and bizarre. There are few people out even on "allowed" outings and the police are checking virtually everyone at the time. The pictures in the hospitals are frightening and the situation is only going to get worse in the coming days because of the long incubation period. Even if I was "allowed" to the stables right now I wouldn't do it. Every extra trip is an extra chance that I will expose myself or others to the virus.

I hope you can all enjoy your ponies as long as possible and that the situation doesn't ever warrant such measures in the UK.
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UK residents don't seem to realise that we're not going to avoid what has happened in France and Italy and the sooner everyone takes all precautions the better. We are distancing not because we're scared of catching it, we're distancing because we're assuming we may have it, as anyone could have, and don't want to spread it.

Tell everyone on social media, loudly!
 
Given that my freak accident happened in the stable, not riding (and also hearing about other freak accidents when in the spinal unit, changing lightbulbs was a common one), you can't mitigate for most accidents.

All you can do is make a call on how well you know your horse and your capabilities and take it from there. If I still had a horse and was in the position too, I'd still be riding (but avoiding people as much as possible).
 
hopscotch bandit said:
I feel sorry for the horses that potentially might not make it, if yards are forced to turn out 24/7. Big yards that are run by three or four staff as ours are, if staff are not able to travel from home to yard, there is no way one person can deal with potentially 25 -35 horses. It's the colic prone horses, laminitic horses, horses who have just recovered from surgery, those that are not used to being out, the list is endless. There's issues with having enough bedding, hay, feed etc.
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My yard is 7 day part livery, some staff live on site, some come in. 32 part liveries, 14 race horses (separate business). Currently horses out for 4 hours a day, on chalk, dry, some but not huge amounts of grass (fields never rested). I think if staff shortages / greater lock down, the plan is to turn most horses that can be out 24-7 and feed hay in fields as top up by quad bike. And keep the bare minimum in, on walker twice a day, and skipped out twice a day. Think could do this on a skeleton staff.
 
ycbm said:
Christ almighty, who is going to pay for the full livery? Thank God mine are at home. That is a crazy, unnecessary decision.

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I was wondering this too??! My yard is DIY, there’s 20 horses plus 5 of our own, and I can tell you now, there’s no bloomin way I’ll be able to care for 25 horses on my own! I’m asthmatic so in a high risk group, so I am very conscious of the risks of me getting this damn virus, but for crying out loud, this all seems to getting a bit bonkers now ffs ??‍♀️, I mean what if the YO owners on these yards get ill, whether it be with the virus or something else, what then..?!!?‍♀️
 
our horses are on diy livery at a working farm but yard has no idea on how to look after horses !!! if lockdown would be happen i presume as a sole carer we would be permitted to care of our horses , i am considering sleeping on the yard in my lorry should the worst happen so can still care for him and other liveries if needed
 
We're totally DIY. YO recently had a minor heart attack and has a terminally ill husband AND lives offsite. No way would she want to or be able to care for our horses. I'll be riding when I can and running too, in a remote area (I have a dreadmill if it comes to it). It's all about balance. There's a very real chance I'll be helping on the front line, testing, so I'm going to need some sort of outlet if I'm working two jobs! There's no plan at our yard as such, but we help each other out anyway and there is enough grass for the horses if anyone needs to turn away. We're staggered for visits at the best of times and I'm set apart from the main yard, so no problem social distancing! I do think people are losing their heads, somewhat. Most of the problems so far are arising from panic buying or hypochondriacs overwhelming services.
 
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