Livery yards being closed, banned from seeing our horses

Mitchelton Scott have been holding virtual races, letting every day riders race against all their top riders. Think Team Ineos have been doing something similar.

I love watching all the races on Eurosport but don't enjoy cycling myself. I have however ordered myself a basic static bike trainer so I can continue the recovery from my torn calf muscles!
 
I've not seen my horse for 3 weeks now. Thankfully I've got an amazing yard and know she's in the best hands. I'm full livery anyway so no additional costs. However from 1st May our horses go out 24/7 and we technically switch to DIY. I'm not sure yet if this means the yard will be accessible to liveries again. I'm hoping so as my horse stays in during the day too manage her weight and I can't afford to pay the yard owner to do her every day as I'm only receiving statutory pay at the moment so am slightly concerned about weight management this summer!
 
southerncomfort said:
Mitchelton Scott have been holding virtual races, letting every day riders race against all their top riders. Think Team Ineos have been doing something similar.

I love watching all the races on Eurosport but don't enjoy cycling myself. I have however ordered myself a basic static bike trainer so I can continue the recovery from my torn calf muscles!
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I'd love to buy a pelethon bike kit. I love virtual spin at 'The Village Gym' by us, the Les Mill The Trip is amazing. Checkthis out, this is just one of about 15 'trips' that you can go on. Large cinema style screen, an audio visual treat and a lot of hardcwork but burns 650 cals a session. Miss it sooo much!
 
hopscotch bandit said:
Checkthis out, this is just one of about 15 'trips' that you can go on. Large cinema style screen, an audio visual treat and a lot of hardcwork but burns 650 cals a session. Miss it sooo much![/MEDIA]
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Well I just watched it all the way through . Twice . So that's my exercise done for the day . Off for a cream bun ….
 
He finished about a quarter of the way down the field, apparently :). The route took him alongside the Thames and through Trafalgar Square.

Cyclists of similar abilities are grouped together. After signing up to Zwift you do a 20 min flat out session to measure your power output in watts, and then divide it by your weight in kg to find your power-to-weight ratio. Your are then grouped with others of similar W/kg.

He is currently on a 100km club run. Apologies for the untidy store room, it is chokka with gubbins from our old garden shed which was demolished. Luckily the new one was finished before lockdown, so we need to move stuff over.

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So how are we feeling after yesterday's press conference & if this could go on for another 18 months. I am not sure if they could keep schools shut for so long....

Cost of furloughed employees for government would be extortionate but does gov debt really matter?

I think most people can cope with short periods of not seeing their horses but 18 months is going to be difficult.

I expect most people on full livery are on full livery due to work but if furloughed staff may want to move their horses off full or part livery yards if they have no access for months on end as they have more time to care for them but wouldn't be able to as it would be classed as non essential journey.
 
SO1 said:
So how are we feeling after yesterday's press conference & if this could go on for another 18 months. I am not sure if they could keep schools shut for so long....

Cost of furloughed employees for government would be extortionate but does gov debt really matter?

I think most people can cope with short periods of not seeing their horses but 18 months is going to be difficult.

I expect most people on full livery are on full livery due to work but if furloughed staff may want to move their horses off full or part livery yards if they have no access for months on end as they have more time to care for them but wouldn't be able to as it would be classed as non essential journey.
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18months, what, eh, I’d missed that?? :(
 
One of the press asked how the social distancing & restrictions could be lifted without a vaccine which could be 18 months. The science guy said it could be lifted if a treatment was found. He seemed to imply only way for this situation to change was vaccine or drug treatment.

It is very difficult to plan if have no idea how long restrictions are going on for. I think a lot of people if they thought they could not see their horses for 18 months due the yard restrictions might want to move their horses if they were able to. Certainly I am now thinking ahead about how to manage my pony needs if this goes on for 18 months. I am a part livery but my pony is native & needs regular exercise over the grass growing months to control his weight.The yard does provide exercise options but I normally exercise & grooming him myself. Long term I cannot afford to have him on full livery with exercise & grooming for 18 months. Short term it is manageable which is what is happening at the moment & I am complying with government advice on non essential journeys. I can see a lot of part livery people being in the same situation. If people can't move yards what happens if their finances change due to loosing their job or running out of savings to pay for extra services?

sarahann1 said:
18months, what, eh, I’d missed that?? :(
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Unless I misunderstood I don’t think it was suggested that the situation as it is now will continue for 18 months. It would be impossible for the government to continue to pay furloughed workers and financially support businesses for that length of time. Other countries ahead of us (for example China where it started in December) are lifting restrictions. Progress needs to be made here on testing and research done on the likelihood of re-infection before they can come up with a long-term strategy. The first priority is of course to slow down the spread, which is why we are where we are, but once that has happened things will start to change for the better. Unfortunately it’s too early to get the answers we all crave about the timescale and what will happen next.

I don’t envy the decision makers at all. If they relax restrictions too soon the risk is the infection rates will blow up but if they stay in place too long the risk is killing the economy. It’s a difficult balancing act and I think they will get bashed whatever they do because they are unlikely to get it exactly right.

There is talk of schools opening at some point in May, even if it’s only for 6 weeks before the start of the summer holidays because of the detrimental effects on children’s education of being off school for a prolonged period and to enable parents to work.
 
How do the figures given accurately show the true picture of Covid though? Deaths - surely you need to know when they went into hospital. New cases - that must depend when they were tested and how long a wait they had? And how many of those tested showed symptoms or were they tested because they'd had contact with someone who tested positive?
 
Denmark is letting some kids back to school next week. Sweden never had lockdown but cases are falling. Spain is letting non essential workers back to work. In the UK the staff furlough scheme is not financially sustainable beyond the end of May so I expect lockdown to start to be relaxed in around 3 weeks time. That puts us in the same time frame as other countries. There is no chance of keeping the country in lockdown once other European countries start to return to normality. Its economic suicide. The country needs to start rebuilding the economy and we have to learn to live with coronavirus and being sensible with our social distancing and hand washing when lockdown is relaxed. There is zero chance of lockdown remaining as it is now until a vaccine is available. It would inflict irreparable harm to the economy and result in more deaths than from CV longterm
 
stormox said:
How do the figures given accurately show the true picture of Covid though? Deaths - surely you need to know when they went into hospital. New cases - that must depend when they were tested and how long a wait they had? And how many of those tested showed symptoms or were they tested because they'd had contact with someone who tested positive?
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I’ve given up trying to understand the figures. In the UK almost 85,000 people have been tested, but we don’t know who or why. 10,000 people have died in hospital, but how many have died at home or in care homes? People self isolating with symptoms have not been told to report it so unless they have needed medical intervention at any point there is currently no way of knowing how many people may have had it.

One positive is the NHS currently seems to have more capacity than people requiring treatment.
 
Well this weekend I've managed a hack complete with scary support the NHS sign (Tigger we support the NHS but not spooking!); schooled around some terrifying poles and did a little gridwork without injury. Also managed the usual catching, handling and mucking out duties without incident.

I did however go splat on an uneven bit of pavement walking out of a supermarket on the way home including a dramatic yoghurt casualty which required donation of a tissue (unused) from a passer by. Luckily OK though a few bruises.
 
Duckanasteroidiscoming said:
Denmark is letting some kids back to school next week. Sweden never had lockdown but cases are falling. Spain is letting non essential workers back to work. In the UK the staff furlough scheme is not financially sustainable beyond the end of May so I expect lockdown to start to be relaxed in around 3 weeks time. That puts us in the same time frame as other countries. There is no chance of keeping the country in lockdown once other European countries start to return to normality. Its economic suicide. The country needs to start rebuilding the economy and we have to learn to live with coronavirus and being sensible with our social distancing and hand washing when lockdown is relaxed. There is zero chance of lockdown remaining as it is now until a vaccine is available. It would inflict irreparable harm to the economy and result in more deaths than from CV longterm
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It will be really interesting to see how Spain & Italy etc. get on and I imagine it will probably give us an indication of what will happen here in 3 weeks time.
 
I didn’t watch the press conference extending the lock down. Furlough scheme has been extended to end of June. Obv that makes me wonder if there’s a connection with how long lock down goes on for, although no one can be sure ofc.

I’m toying with the idea of checking in with you to see if we could do some form of rota, which is where they started but after 2 days went to total lock down. Weeks is bearable but even more weeks and possibly months just doesn’t seem sustainable.

My friend is saying if she’s furloughed she’ll move up to her boyfriends and take her horse with her, so yes I think some will try other arrangements rather than continue total lock down for months and months.
 
I was always working on the basis that this was going to be for much longer than the first 3 weeks and made my decisions on how often to visit and what I needed to do as maintenance for the long term.

I know of people who have already moved horses from yards on total lockdown and now it's been extended, can see more doing so.
 
I can’t imagine we’ll be on lockdown for 18 months. I wouldn’t be surprised if it continued into June, perhaps even July, but will then relax down to social distancing again. So people in some jobs will be able to go back to work etc, but pubs, restaurants and large gatherings/sports events will not be allowed. By this point people would be allowed to shop/visit horses etc.

obviously only my opinion.
 
Even into July is 4/5 months so in terms of horse care it's a long term approach not what is sustainable for 3 weeks. Plus this is individual yards each having their own approach from open house to no liveries on site, even forcing diys onto full livery so they may all have different ideas on when to relax.
 
My understanding is the yard restrictions are around social distancing/non essential journeys. If the social distancing/non essential journeys not related to work may continue to be part of guidance they may not open up to customers. Social distancing recommendations may well continue till until there is a vaccine.

I don't know how economically viable it would be for yards to restrict access for more than a few months as if customers thought this might go on for 18 months they might consider moving yards or turning horses away rather than paying expensive full livery with no access indefinately.

Honey08 said:
I can’t imagine we’ll be on lockdown for 18 months. I wouldn’t be surprised if it continued into June, perhaps even July, but will then relax down to social distancing again. So people in some jobs will be able to go back to work etc, but pubs, restaurants and large gatherings/sports events will not be allowed. By this point people would be allowed to shop/visit horses etc.

obviously only my opinion.
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