Implications on horse care. Coronavirus.

[CavaloBranco]

So glad to see owners making plans! It is only sensible and hopefully won't be needed. I have a serious health condition and am having chemotherapy. If I caught the virus I would be unlikely to survive so I am taking precautions to avoid people where possible.It is heartening to see owners taking this seriously!!
My retired boy is at home and I have help btw.

 

[Mudfukkle]

I could drive there in my own car. Not be in contact with anyone else. However, I might feel too ill to be able to do it. In worst case I would have to turn out 24/7 and hopefully get a neighbour to give hay and check over.

This is my worry too. I don't have any grass until the weather/temperature improves and it starts to come through, I have loads of horrible mud. My trough isn't a self filling one, so I will need someone to fill up their water and supply hay.
If that was all that was needed, I'm sure someone, even a non horsey neighbour would help, but two of mine have cushings and need daily medication. Plus one has suspensory issues and needs bute daily in a feed.

Most of the time, I'm upbeat about this, "Keep calm and carry on" but in the back of my mind, I am worried about my ponies as they are in a field on their own about 6 miles from where I live
Let's all hope that our outdoor lifestyles work in our favour and we all remain fit and healthy xxxx

 

[RHM]

I think it’s more worrying about my dogs. My horse would be quite happy abandoned in a field if my YO or myself where unable to get there. My two working cockers unable to be walked would be an absolute nightmare! I live on a housing estate with a small garden, us all being trapped in would actually be hell! What is everyone planning with their dogs?

 

[JFTDWS]

Crikey, I'm not making plans for the risk of being hospitalised or actually seriously ill with it - the risk of that is incredibly low for the majority of populations. If I had to self-isolate, I could have my hay guy chuck in a bale of hay, my YM (provided unaffected herself) could check on them each day. Or they could be moved to one of my rested fields and left to it. I could also go up there and not interact with anyone or anything which would risk contamination - my field is entirely separate from the rest of the yard, I don't keep stuff on the yard, so no shared surfaces or anything.

My dogs can play in the garden. They'll manage, even the collie is pretty cool about life.

 

[twiggy2]

IF it came to the worse case scenario, no-one have a choice but to chuck livestock (yep that includes horses) out and leave them to get on with it, personally with a horse just now I would be searching high and low to get them somewhere to live out with a natural water source.
Let's all hope it does not come to that but who knows just now.
I am very fortunate once I get home tonight I live on a farm and if isolation was enforced myself and other half would look after all the livestock and dogs here and the farmer could do the outlying stock if needed- we would not have to see anyone.

 

[Supertrooper]

I would have to go, but I rarely see anyone anyway so low risk

 

[SEL]

I think some people are missing the point that if you are ordered to self isolate you don't get to go 10 mins down the road and play with your ponies - irrespective of whether there is anyone else there.

We only have 4 other owners on our yard. The YO is high risk and I am also on the higher end of the scale due to pre-existing health conditions. If this becomes a problem in our area then it really is going to be an issue working out to manage the horses. I don't massively care if someone gets their bucket feeds correct, but hay and water are pretty critical!

 

[Laafet]

I would have to go, but I rarely see anyone anyway so low risk

It doesn't work like that, we were discussing it today, you can't all go on a rota so no one is there at once because you can leave the virus on anything you touch, so can pick it up that way. Isolation is isolation no two ways about it. Our plan is that the horses will have to go out, in their fields, and those not affect top up hay and water and that's all that can be done.

 

[Shay]

If people are required to self isolate, have the virus and are pretty ill but then decide to drive to their horses and cause a nasty accident I wonder what the insurers will think? no idea, just musing that point.

This is a very good point. If you are required to isolate and you don't do so and are then involved in something quite out of your control like an RTA or a vehicle breakdown etc you put those coming to your asstance at risk - as well as quite possibly invalidating your insurance.

We do all need to have plans - but that plan should not be "I'm going to carry on anyway becuase I am low risk..."

 

[Goldenstar]

I would have to go, but I rarely see anyone anyway so low risk

you would not if infected but able to ,you need to read some of the accounts of people who had it .
theres a good one from a Brit in Wuhan who contracted it in November . he’s young and fit and recovered but it’s sobering reading .
You won’t be gritting your teeth and making yourself do the horses .

 

[rabatsa]

I think that many pets will just get released. Think rabbits, ferrets and dogs by people thinking that they will be giving them a chance to survive when their family are ill. Others will be beating a track to the vets for them to be put down.

Whilst having the land to just release my equines onto there is no natural water source so if the worst happened the retired ones would get pts.

 

[Goldenstar]

its plan for the worse hope for the best .
What would be bad in a worse case scenario is that it’s not like a one off disaster where one person is badly hurt and suddenly can’t get to their horse lots of people will be incapacitated and it be in clumps .
people may be out of their home town and unable to return .

 

[Goldenstar]

I have no natural water source however I think it’s likely that the worse case scenarios is that they would run untreated water through the system .
If there was truly no water we would turn ours out at a friends over the road .

 

[JFTDWS]

I'm genuinely baffled as to why anyone would release a rabbit or a dog to their own devices because they have to self-isolate for a few weeks, or because of what is - for the vast majority of those affected - a minor illness.

 

[ester]

also baffled.

*releases snek

 

[The Trooper]

you would not if infected but able to ,you need to read some of the accounts of people who had it .
theres a good one from a Brit in Wuhan who contracted it in November . he’s young and fit and recovered but it’s sobering reading .
You won’t be gritting your teeth and making yourself do the horses .

I read his account this morning I think, the teacher?

If I am physically unable to then I will need to sort out someone to check on them and cover their basic needs until I am well enough to see to them myself, I already know people who I could trust to do so.

If I am physically able to then I will tend to them myself, unless of course I am breaking the law by leaving my house. I'll take all the precautions I can to mitigate risk and limit contact with others where possible.

Contrary to your previous statement GS I live in the real world, on this planet funnily enough. I am low risk, the majority of people in my age range who got sick did not die and suffered only mild to moderate symptoms. I understand the risk of transmission to those more vulnerable but there is always a risk of passing anything viral/bacterial on to someone who has pre-existing conditions; colds, sickness bug etc.

I can't ask anyone to care for my horses, for 14 days, at short notice and nor can I afford to employ a freelancer to do it for me so my hands are tied. I will not risk any of my animals suffering on my watch.

 

[Goldenstar]

I'm genuinely baffled as to why anyone would release a rabbit or a dog to their own devices because they have to self-isolate for a few weeks, or because of what is - for the vast majority of those affected - a minor illness.

The situation with dogs and cats is the WHO say it appears both dogs and cats can carry Coronavirus it but the virus may not be replicating in these animals
they are working on this in Hong Kong .

 

[Goldenstar]

I read his account this morning I think, the teacher?

If I am physically unable to then I will need to sort out someone to check on them and cover their basic needs until I am well enough to see to them myself, I already know people who I could trust to do so.

If I am physically able to then I will tend to them myself, unless of course I am breaking the law by leaving my house. I'll take all the precautions I can to mitigate risk and limit contact with others where possible.

Contrary to your previous statement GS I live in the real world, on this planet funnily enough. I am low risk, the majority of people in my age range who got sick did not die and suffered only mild to moderate symptoms. I understand the risk of transmission to those more vulnerable but there is always a risk of passing anything viral/bacterial on to someone who has pre-existing conditions; colds, sickness bug etc.

I can't ask anyone to care for my horses, for 14 days, at short notice and nor can I afford to employ a freelancer to do it for me so my hands are tied. I will not risk any of my animals suffering on my watch.

I have to say in the result of a worse case scenario I hope the government will fine people like you very severely .
You can ask others for help we won’t get through this with helping each other .

 

[ester]

What has that got to do with people releasing their pets exactly?

 

[JFTDWS]

The situation with dogs and cats is the WHO say it appears both dogs and cats can carry Coronavirus it but the virus may not be replicating in these animals
they are working on this in Hong Kong .

Which is a very good reason NOT to chuck them out into the wild, and has absolutely no relation to the assertion that people will kick them out of their homes because they have been infected...

Animals are often reservoirs of disease. That's nothing new or interesting in relation to corona virus.

 

[Pippity]

I have a compromised immune system, so am in the at-risk group. Last time I had flu, I ended up in hospital getting intravenous antibiotics because my lungs were completely shot, so covid-19 would likely be fatal for me. For now, I'm taking sensible precautions, but I'm prepared to step that up to obsessively paranoid if cases occur in my area.

My horse is on full livery, so there would be no issues if I have to isolate. If both grooms and YO have to isolate, I suspect the horses would be turned out into the summer fields, which have enough grass to see them through a fortnight, but would have an impact on summer grazing. All fields have automatic waterers.

I've stocked up on food and litter for my cat. She's indoor-only, so any covid-19 she picks up will come from me!

 

[RHM]

I read his account this morning I think, the teacher?

If I am physically unable to then I will need to sort out someone to check on them and cover their basic needs until I am well enough to see to them myself, I already know people who I could trust to do so.

If I am physically able to then I will tend to them myself, unless of course I am breaking the law by leaving my house. I'll take all the precautions I can to mitigate risk and limit contact with others where possible.

Contrary to your previous statement GS I live in the real world, on this planet funnily enough. I am low risk, the majority of people in my age range who got sick did not die and suffered only mild to moderate symptoms. I understand the risk of transmission to those more vulnerable but there is always a risk of passing anything viral/bacterial on to someone who has pre-existing conditions; colds, sickness bug etc.

I can't ask anyone to care for my horses, for 14 days, at short notice and nor can I afford to employ a freelancer to do it for me so my hands are tied. I will not risk any of my animals suffering on my watch.

I think you are maybe misunderstanding why there will be isolation. Yes the majority will be fine, probably you included but it is in place to protect the most vulnerable in our society. To flagrantly break these rules is at best highly inconsiderate!

 

[cobgoblin]

People dump their pets to go on holiday.. There are some shits out there.. Can't see them changing.

 

[southerncomfort]

Government now suggesting whole households will need to self isolate which is a bit of a problem for anyone relying on partners to check horses for them.

I would suggest that everyone collated a list of local freelancers in case of illness.

I'm one of those more at risk of serious complications due to asthma so I'm guessing I'd be more likely to be treated in hospital. Fortunately we have ours at home so it shouldn't be an issue unless OH gets ill too.

I've never worried about any of these epidemics before, nor have I ever taken my asthma very seriously, but this being a respiratory illness has got me scared and I'm not afraid to admit that.

 

[ester]

I will say I never quite understood why it wasn't whole households.

People that dump their pets to go on holiday aren't doing so to give them a chance to survive. They just CBA to pay for care.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Is there current Government advice still to isolate if you are at risk of having been exposed? I am aware of people coming back from China and Northern Italy and Venice and not isolating, in the last week. I had thought this was being enforced at the airports, but apparently not?



I think if this hits UK hard, isolation because you have Corona Virus will become pointless, and the expectations will be loosened, as it will sweep the population. And probably the immunocompromised will need to self- isolate.



Also the idea, I thought of isolation, was to isolate those who had been exposed to risk of infection, until they had passed the risk point of getting coronavirus. Isolation once someone has been diagnosed, is pretty much missing the point, as people are already infectious in the run up BEFORE they show symptoms anyway.



Though the secondary point, is if you get Coronavirus you may well be too ill to leave home.

 

[Goldenstar]

I assumed it was whole households it’s a bit pointless otherwise .

 

[Goldenstar]

Well in China they have slowed the infection rate down by forcing isolation and I think that’s what they will do here as well .
They know that works .

 

[bouncing_ball]

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

 

[cobgoblin]

I will say I never quite understood why it wasn't whole households.

People that dump their pets to go on holiday aren't doing so to give them a chance to survive. They just CBA to pay for care.

For people that do this sort of thing, the mere thought that their pets can catch, or harbour corona virus, will result in kicking them out... They won't be thinking about the animals surviving at all, just as they don't when they go on holiday... It happened in China.