Implications on horse care. Coronavirus.

SEL

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I've been musing this too. The lady who owns the farm where mine are kept has COPD and is in the high risk age group - so if any of us do get it we should stay away.

24:7 turn out would help but we've still got fields under water.
 

angrybird1

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Yes. Mine in at night and fields very wet at moment. Might be feasible to turn out 24 /7 in a emergency but would be better in a few weeks if weather dries up.
Worrying.
 

vmac66

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We had this discussion at the yard earlier this week. It came down to a case of go and do your horse, don't have any contact with anyone else. There are times when there is no one at the yard during the day. As long as we are not too ill with it.
 

poiuytrewq

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We talked about this yesterday. This week I have another yard of 5 to do for 10 days, their owners are abroad.
Im the only proper member of staff other than the owners at work and have my own 5
I also have screwy lungs.
My more immediate issue is I can’t find paracetamol! Is that an actual thing or did I just get unlucky yesterday?!
 

Bernster

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Agree in some way yards might be better equipped as long as the staff or owners aren’t unwell themselves.

The paracetamol is likely to be a thing I’m afraid. India has temporarily stopped exporting it.
 
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Tiddlypom

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It is a worry which has been on my mind. Animal care - for small animals, equines, farm animals - could all be at risk if we carers get sick.

My neds are at home and now the grass is coming through they could just live out 24/7 for a while with minimal interaction, but I don’t have automatic waterers in the fields so someone would need to be fit enough to top up their water bins every so often.

When I had flu, I was incapable of leaving the house for 10 days, I would not have been able to totter the 50 yards to the stable tap to do the waters. Luckily OH, who wasn’t ill, took it all on.
 

The Trooper

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My horses' welfare will not be compromised, no matter what. I will go on as normal. It's all good and well proffesional advising a 14 day isolation, but in the real world that is not do able.

If I don't work I don't get paid. If I don't tend to my horses no one will. I don't need to come into contact with people to tend my horses and indeed would sometimes be happier if I didn't.
 

dorsetladette

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We were talking about this at work the other day. Everyone is making sure they have DIY jobs to get on with at home so they don't get bored if they have to self isolate.
I said about my horses and that I would spend my time with them. They are not on a yard and I have only 1 livery who is not around very much anyway. As long as I have a tank full of petrol in the car and food in the cupboards at home and feed room I'll be fine I think.

I think on site yard owners/managers, might end up being very busy if everyone starts staying home at the first sign of a sniff or headache.
 

angrybird1

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I wouldn't need to come in to contact with other people. My fear is that Is be too ill to get there or that isolation is compulsory.
Will have to find a emergency plan I think.
 

Goldenstar

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We had this discussion at the yard earlier this week. It came down to a case of go and do your horse, don't have any contact with anyone else. There are times when there is no one at the yard during the day. As long as we are not too ill with it.

if your told that you ought to be isolating for 14days then you must .
You can’t just go out and do stuff because ‘ you’re not to bad with it ‘this virus can live nine days on a surface .
it would be irresponsible in the extreme to do this .
people ought to pull together to keep those told to isolate at home at home .

My horses are at home so it’s easy for me if it happened to me I would simply turn them out and people could check them for me .
Yard owners ought to be making plans now for how they will manage that those who keep horses on rented land away from home need to be making a plan as well .
 

Shay

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My horses' welfare will not be compromised, no matter what. I will go on as normal. It's all good and well proffesional advising a 14 day isolation, but in the real world that is not do able.

If I don't work I don't get paid. If I don't tend to my horses no one will. I don't need to come into contact with people to tend my horses and indeed would sometimes be happier if I didn't.


I do sympathise. The economic impact on self employed, zero hours etc is extreme. But if ordered to self isolate it is massively irresponsible not to do so. HMG did pass emergency powers recently to force detention on those who refuse to isolate - although as this spreads that would become harder and harder to enforce. But the bottom line is that people's lives will depend on others being responsible and isolating if required.

And of course if you actually get ill the issue is moot as you may well feel too unwell to get up / leave the house anyway.
 

dorsetladette

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I have a white board in my feed room with the boys feeds written on in case I need someone else to sort them out at some point (other half, neighbour etc) If DIYer's had similar (and a note about quirks maybe) at least people could help each other out. Even if it just meant one person doing the morning and another doing afternoon.
 

TheSpottyCobby

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I've also had this niggling worry in the back of my head. My pony is on DIY livery with the option for limited services if needed, but his health needs complicate things somewhat... so his needs will always 100% come first. I had swine flu when that went around and it wasn't fab. It's all a bit of a worry.
 

angrybird1

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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.
 

angrybird1

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People who think that self isolating is not for them will be hugely unpopular once we are in worse part of the outbreak .
People will need to consider the impact they would have on others I for one would ever ever employ again someone who ignored the advice to isolate .
I do understand but you are in the lucky position of having your horses at home.
I'm trying to think ahead for worst case scenario. If it was a case of my going out of my horses starving I know what I would do.
That's why I'm trying to get a emergency plan together just in case.
 

Goldenstar

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Its a huge worry and it’s not just horses it’s Things like dogs and cats if you have to be hospitalised I have not got my brain round that one yet.
The more you think about it the worse it gets the more disasters you can see .
My Dads in a care home that’s another awful problem looming if masses of people are ill .
 

The Trooper

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I do sympathise. The economic impact on self employed, zero hours etc is extreme. But if ordered to self isolate it is massively irresponsible not to do so. HMG did pass emergency powers recently to force detention on those who refuse to isolate - although as this spreads that would become harder and harder to enforce. But the bottom line is that people's lives will depend on others being responsible and isolating if required.

And of course if you actually get ill the issue is moot as you may well feel too unwell to get up / leave the house anyway.

If there is a law that I will be breaking if I do not follow the guidelines then that is a different story, being a law abiding citizen of course.

Irresponsible and selfish maybe, but my horses are my responsibility, they will not suffer whilst under my care. I will take every precaution to avoid people but I'm entirely DIY with no services offered (currently) so don't have much of a choice.

I have tended to my horses in a sorry state in the past because I have no choice. Norovirus is a good example, I felt like I was dying but had to get on with it.

People who think that self isolating is not for them will be hugely unpopular once we are in worse part of the outbreak .
People will need to consider the impact they would have on others I for one would ever ever employ again someone who ignored the advice to isolate .

As unpopular as someone who neglects their horses? As for our dogs, that's a different story. I am confident that we won't be hospitalised off the back of this as we are both in our twenties, fit and healthy. I guess we are lucky in that regard.
 

Goldenstar

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I do understand but you are in the lucky position of having your horses at home.
I'm trying to think ahead for worst case scenario. If it was a case of my going out of my horses starving I know what I would do.
That's why I'm trying to get a emergency plan together just in case.

the time of year is a little more helpful now are you on a DIY yard because if you are how’s the time to get together and make plans any half sensible yard owner ought to be doing this already.
Horses could be turned out with only forage put in and water checked .
bare places could thought about now for those at risk of laminitis.
But plainly bad things are going to happen in the worse case scenario unless we all help each other .
 

little_critter

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We talked about this yesterday. This week I have another yard of 5 to do for 10 days, their owners are abroad.
Im the only proper member of staff other than the owners at work and have my own 5
I also have screwy lungs.
My more immediate issue is I can’t find paracetamol! Is that an actual thing or did I just get unlucky yesterday?!
My friend couldn't get hold of paracetamol the other day (not panic buying, she has a chronic condition)
 

Goldenstar

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If there is a law that I will be breaking if I do not follow the guidelines then that is a different story, being a law abiding citizen of course.

Irresponsible and selfish maybe, but my horses are my responsibility, they will not suffer whilst under my care. I will take every precaution to avoid people but I'm entirely DIY with no services offered (currently) so don't have much of a choice.

I have tended to my horses in a sorry state in the past because I have no choice. Norovirus is a good example, I felt like I was dying but had to get on with it.



As unpopular as someone who neglects their horses?

you are on another planet you need to make a get by plan with others to prepare for the worse .
you need to be reminding the yard owner about their duty of care and they need to be planning .
This is not Norovirus which is a mild condition .
This will kill the parents and grandparents of the other livery’s in a worse case scenario .
Don‘t bury your head in the sand plan now .
what if you get the virus and where hospitalised you need a plan .
 

paddy555

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If there is a law that I will be breaking if I do not follow the guidelines then that is a different story, being a law abiding citizen of course.

Irresponsible and selfish maybe, but my horses are my responsibility, they will not suffer whilst under my care. I will take every precaution to avoid people but I'm entirely DIY with no services offered (currently) so don't have much of a choice.

I have tended to my horses in a sorry state in the past because I have no choice. Norovirus is a good example, I felt like I was dying but had to get on with it.



As unpopular as someone who neglects their horses? As for our dogs, that's a different story. I am confident that we won't be hospitalised off the back of this as we are both in our twenties, fit and healthy. I guess we are lucky in that regard.

I appreciate your worries but if you get this I doubt you will be going anywhere as, if you get it badly, I suspect you will struggle to get out of bed. :)
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.

I think now is the time for people on yards to get a good back up system and plans into place to minimise upset to the horses. At least there is still a little time to do that.
 

angrybird1

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the time of year is a little more helpful now are you on a DIY yard because if you are how’s the time to get together and make plans any half sensible yard owner ought to be doing this already.
Horses could be turned out with only forage put in and water checked .
bare places could thought about now for those at risk of laminitis.
But plainly bad things are going to happen in the worse case scenario unless we all help each other .
That's fine if you are on a yard with others but if you are completely alone it's not so easy. That's why I'm trying to think ahead.
 

Arzada

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what if you get the virus and where hospitalised you need a plan .
A plan is needed full stop. Nothing to do with coronavirus. Any of us could be injured. Physically and unable to care for our horses but luckily still able to make decisions for them. Or worse injuries/sudden death where we can't look after them/make decisions for them at all.
 

be positive

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If we do have to stop movement it will be a problem for the overstocked yards with limited turnout, mine would just be put out, there is not much grass after the winter but it is coming through and will sustain them with limited input from me and no need for the owners to come, horses are in many ways easier than dogs which may have no access to outside space and need to get walked, as for planning in general we should all have something just in case of the worst case scenario.
 

mini-eventer

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My plan is to have a large bale put in the field and they can live out worst case scenario. If I am ill all liveries will pull together and vice versa. If I really had to go down for welfare reasons, I would go after everyone has left and not use anything communal, spray the gate with disinfectant after I have locked it.
 
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