OK to go to work if you can keep social distancing.....

turnbuckle

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That seems to be the Govt message on Today this morning. Now, provided that doesn't change, I can't see why that wouldn't allow an instructor to go out and teach, on private yards at least. 2m seperation should be easily acheivable.

Would certainly allow a lot of people to keep cash coming in.

What do folk think? I can see risks but am cautiously positive on the idea.
 

AShetlandBitMeOnce

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I would say that it's a straight no. It isn't essential, any movement of people who don't live together carries a risk, and that the quicker we all sto trying to skirt around the pointm the faster we may get a grip on this thing and all be free to move and work as we like.

I feel for those that are self-employed, I really do, but it is what it is unfortunately.
 

Bernster

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The bef and bhs are saying no, to limit the travel to other yards. Loads on lock down anyway so trainers not allowed even if the guidance was different.

But yes the govt guidance isn’t clear and there is confusion about whether it’s total business lock down or only for those listed.
 

milliepops

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it would make me so happy if this was eventually the case, my lessons are the thing that I love most about having horses, I'd happily stay in the house for a year if I could still have lessons! but I think at the moment it's just not the right thing to do.
 

Murphy1

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If common sense and sensible precautions are taken, such as instructor not to touch gates etc and proper physical distancing there would be no risk of infection spread. However as others say rules are unclear right now and trying to push them is a bit awkward and leading to 'shaming' those who aren't locked indoors. Advice is only travel or work away from home if absolutely necessary, a lesson is not necessary so shouldn't be happening right now according to current advice.
 

milliepops

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If common sense and sensible precautions are taken, such as instructor not to touch gates etc and proper physical distancing there would be no risk of infection spread. However as others say rules are unclear right now and trying to push them is a bit awkward and leading to 'shaming' those who aren't locked indoors. Advice is only travel or work away from home if absolutely necessary, a lesson is not necessary so shouldn't be happening right now according to current advice.
I totally agree with this. Where I go for lessons, I don't have to touch anything, I pay by BACS, trainer is in one corner of the school with no physical contact - I arrive, ride and leave. I can imagine that if/when we get past the stage where this virus is an emergency situation and end up with people who have had it, recovered and there's less of a need for everyone to stay put to prevent it spreading then probably we will be able to see some things like that return to normal. but for now... sadly not.
 

Meredith

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Please stay at home.

Travel to work if it is classed as ESSENTIAL.
there are guidelines for this,
.
Otherwise
You are allowed out once a day for exercise but only with someone from your house maximum 2 people for dog walk etc, keeping social distancing.
Go shopping as little as possible. Use online if you can.

If you are classed as ‘vulnerable’ there are community groups and neighbourhood help schemes being set up everywhere.
This will help with shopping, prescriptions.

There is a duty of care regarding animals so vets, farmworkers etc are allowed to work under specified conditions.

Everyone should maintain social distancing at all times even as far as turning your back on someone.
I read today “ No one can out run a sneeze”

And that’s it folks.
 
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criso

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I listened to the communities secretary today on Radio 4 and from a legal point of view, then yes if your work cannot be done at home and your workplace can follow healthplace guidelines, you can travel to work. Nothing about essential.

From the government site

"Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (where this absolutely cannot be done from home) "

Nothing about what type of work.

Whether you should is another question and I'm looking at cancelling my instructor this week. I feel really bad especially as other people on the yard aren't doing the same. The BEF and BHS are their recommendations but are just recommendations.
 

Reri1826

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are allowed out once a day for exercise but only with someone from your house maximum 2 people for dog walk etc, keeping social distancing.

The advice is confusing but this is incorrect, Everyone in a household is allowed to leave the house once a day, this is not limited to 2 at a time. Any gatherings of 2 or more, not including household members should not happen. So I can go out with my 2 children and partner and stop to talk to my neighbours, maintaining social distancing, but a 3rd family cannot join us.
 

milliepops

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Whether you should is another question and I'm looking at cancelling my instructor this week. I feel really bad especially as other people on the yard aren't doing the same. The BEF and BHS are their recommendations but are just recommendations.
yeah most of the people on my yard have lessons from the YO. I am pretty sure they will be going ahead as normal. which smarts a bit ;)
 

ester

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Matt Hancock clarified yesterday that 'work' doesn't have to be 'essential' - given that there was no definition of that and therefore it is ok people to go to work if it cannot be done at home.
I would say that was definitely the interpretation used by the industrial estate I work on yesterday.

So the answer to the very basic question is yes.
 

turnbuckle

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Ester and Criso, that was excatly what i was picking up on. In normal times I would say it was a pragmatic and sensible interpretation but what's normal about the times....?
 

awelshandawarmblood

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It's not essential. See to your horse, do the basics, ride if you really have to but otherwise just go home! The way I see it other people with other hobbies etc swimming, athletics, tennis etc can't have their lessons despite technically 'keeping distance' so why should riding be any different. NOT essential.
 

Squeak

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I feel so sorry for riding instructors this year. They've had a terrible start to the year with EHV, storms for a few weekends and now the Coronavirus. Most of them haven't been able to earn much before this happened and now they'll be earning nothing.
 

Winters100

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Do so many people really have difficulty in understanding what is right in the current situation? Do people really not see how very serious this is? Just because you can argue that the instructor is going to work does not make taking lessons ok. It is certainly unnecessary travel, and right now we should all be thinking of ways that we can maximise our time alone at home, not how we can use the absence of specific prohibitions to justify carrying on as normal. Every trip outside of your home increases risk - the 2m rule does not mean that it is fine to go ahead with something - it is just a way to try to make necessary interactions safer. It is impossible to write up rules that give specific instructions for every situation, but the intent is clear, stay home as much as you possibly can.

I also feel sorry for riding instructors. Along with bar workers, theatre staff and everyone else who will suffer financially because of this. But you do not need to take lessons. You could go ahead and pay them anyway if you can afford it (I am doing this with my dog sitter, paying her the full rate for the 40 hours that she usually spends here, a bit painful but there you are), you could book and pay for extra lessons to be taken when this is over, or you could pay a percentage of your normal spend on lessons. What is totally invalid is trying to use concern for the financial situation of the instructor as a flimsy excuse for carrying on with lessons. All around the world people are dying due to lack of access to medical help. The health services of any European country are not equipped for this, and in particular in the UK where time was lost so early on. I begin to get really upset with the attitude of 'well it didn't say that I couldn't.....' - we are not children and by now should all understand the purpose of this.

Please stay at home and leave only to do things that are absolutely unavoidable.
 

Meredith

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scats

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I closed my business although I work from home. In my mind, for people to bring their dogs to me, they have to make a non-essential journey. Dog grooming is not essential, so, despite the fact that I work at home and could have minimal human contact, I don’t want to encourage anyone to make a non-essential trip.

Its a nightmare. About £10k has gone into starting my business up and I’ve been open for 6 weeks. I now have no income at all. But I am obeying rules to save lives and, to be frank, to also save the good name of my business.
A couple of non-essential businesses locally have stayed open and they have been absolutely crucified on social media.
 

hopscotch bandit

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That seems to be the Govt message on Today this morning. Now, provided that doesn't change, I can't see why that wouldn't allow an instructor to go out and teach, on private yards at least. 2m seperation should be easily acheivable.

Would certainly allow a lot of people to keep cash coming in.

What do folk think? I can see risks but am cautiously positive on the idea.
I'd say no too. I know someone who is a veterinary physio and she has been advised by the ACPAT "Whilst we need to fulfill the ethical obligation to our patients and their owners, most out-patient in-person animal physiotherapy is not emergency treatment or essential care"
 

SusieT

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NO. We need to stop moving the virus. Instructors are absoloutely not necesssary (tbh horse riding is not necessary) - they travel, they have an accident, they then get put next to someone with covid - they die. Was it worth it?
Or the paramedic treating them for their car accident catches covid off them and dies. Was it worth it?
STAY HOME
 

Crazy_cat_lady

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No it is not necessary, I'm on livery at a yard which is an rs and they are shut for lessons I can go and care for my horse and ride, the only rule yo has put in place is no hacking or jumping. I dont jump anyway and while i prefer hacking to anything else will follow the rules as they are for people's benefit.
I have an app with schooling exercises so will be using that for motivation/ ideas for what to do. If i did have an external instructor i wouldn't be having them in as it is YO's property so howeve slightly would increase the risk to her, her family and the other liveries it wouldn't be fair just so I could have a lesson that isnt essential. Riding I will continue to do as it gives him exercise but I can ride without an instructor
 

fburton

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... right now we should all be thinking of ways that we can maximise our time alone at home ...
Or time alone at work, in the relatively rare cases where this is possible. (Getting to that work must also not involve opportunities for cross-infection, obviously - so that would rule out public transport. And proper precautions re handwashing etc. when getting into and out of work.)
 

EventingMum

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I think many people are hoping that because they can't work from home there is a loophole which allows them to work but IMO this is selfish if their work is not really essential.

No one understands more the implications on self-employed people than my family. Mr EM is a joiner, he is not working. He will pay his employee a full wage this week then furlough him, hoping the government help for furloughed workers comes through soon as there is a limited time he can afford to do this. He has no premises with non-domestic rates so doesn't qualify for the small business grant and as yet there is no helped for the self-employed so income has dried up overnight. He had a lot of work lined up and hopes his clients still wish to proceed once things get back to normal.

Our son is an EDT, luckily with no employees, some in his profession want to continue working, he has canceled all work and so has no income at all.

I have a riding school and have stopped all lessons, my livery income will cover some of my yard costs; feed and utilities but not all and not staff wages. I have 30 horses, all in overnight as our ground is still very wet so turning out 24/7 just now is not feasible. As a disabled person I am limited on what I can do physically and Mr EM has a heart condition so I'm now facing making a decision on my staff. If I furlough them I have to find 80% of wages until funding comes through but then I don't have help to muck out and care for horses. If I keep staff on I will get no help towards their wages, the small business grant will help for a short while but we don't yet know when it will be available. Unlike a shop I can't just shut the doors and forget about things.

Things are very scary for many just now, I want to protect my family, I want us to survive this nightmare, physically and financially so we can still have our businesses to provide jobs for our employees.
 
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