Riding school still teaching in lockdown- poor form??

[Duckanasteroidiscoming]

Not from the coach's point of view but arguably the person being taught would be making a journey to the yard just to have a lesson which would not be an essential journey.

British Dressage have stopped dressage anywhere and judges have been asked not to judge.

https://www.britishdressage.co.uk/news/a-message-from-dressage-anywhere/

But its not against the rules to drive somewhere to do your exercise though not necessarily encouraged, so is more questionable. However freelancers should be able to travel to those people lucky enough to keep their horses at home. That isn't a grey area and the BEF should have distinguished this when making their statement.

 

[milliepops]

Not from the coach's point of view but arguably the person being taught would be making a journey to the yard just to have a lesson which would not be an essential journey.

British Dressage have stopped dressage anywhere and judges have been asked not to judge.

https://www.britishdressage.co.uk/news/a-message-from-dressage-anywhere/

My trainer offered to come to my yard, no need for us to be in contact closer than 5m etc., I'm at the yard anyway to care for and ride my horses. It would be a work journey for him and a journey I have to make anyway so nothing extra. I'm the last person on the yard most evenings, no one else on site.

Unfortunately the BEF guidelines put the kybosh on that as YO said no because of them.

The online dressage thing is a frustrating decision imo. People aren't going to take extra risks to take part in an online show. I'm riding anyway, shows or no shows, for the good of my horses.

 

[magicmoments]

Aside from the governing body guidelines, and insurance. A freelance instructor generally can't work from home so travelling to teach is work travel, allowed by government providing social distancing guidance is complied with. If the pupil needs to be at the yard to care for the horse anyway they are also compliant. This is all providing the YO is ok with this. There seems a lot of confusion over only vital workers being able to work which is simply not the case, again providing social distancing applies and you can't work from home. I'm a self employed cleaner and gardener. I initially stopped all work, but am now gardening as I can comply with social distancing.

 

[Michen]

If a vet won't allow clients in to a surgery to be with a pet when it's being pts it's certainly not right that riding schools are open..
Riding is not essential. There are no competitions to prepare for. Nothing to keep horses fit for. Stay at home.

What a stupid statement. Not everyone keeps their horses fit for competitions... some actually keep them fit for the horses well being!

 

[be positive]

What a stupid statement. Not everyone keeps their horses fit for competitions... some actually keep them fit for the horses well being!

The two here in work are needing to be kept going, one is rehabbing KS which if not kept going may well be the end of her ridden life, the other was lame most of the winter so was not as slim as he should have been and is a very good doer who is in need of work to keep weight gain down to a minimum, both owners are coming as their exercise but only coming alternate days to reduce their travelling, it is a compromise that seems to be working, competitions are the last thing on our minds at the moment, keeping everyone healthy, including the animals, is the priority.

 

[criso]

What a stupid statement. Not everyone keeps their horses fit for competitions... some actually keep them fit for the horses well being!

No but there's a difference between getting horse into peak fitness for a competition or keeping it ticking over for basic health reasons.

 

[Michen]

No but there's a difference between getting horse into peak fitness for a competition or keeping it ticking over for basic health reasons.

That’s not what the post is saying which was essentially no need to keep horse fit as no competitions. Which is just completely narrow minded and insulting to anyone that chooses to keep their horses fit for their own well being and not for competition purposes.

 

[Equi]

my dentist is still operating, she is also a vet but primarily does dental. She can work from home thankfully (as that’s where her clinic is, handy!) but owners are not permitted to get out of their cars she will unbox them, do what needs done then reload. If your horse is really difficult you may not get them seen.

my instructor (Who’s also my yo) is not teaching despite the fact she works from at her own yard and distancing can be easily maintained. She’s in the yard doing the daily stuff anyway so I’m sad for her cause it’s a good chunk of money as most of us avail of her knowledge, but she doesn’t want to encourage people to ride.

I’m on the fence about riding schools. On one hand the horses need worked as I don’t think it’s safe to just chuck them out as many will be cob types who will just balloon and get other issues. But I don’t agree with group lessons because there is too many things people touch and it’s unlikely they will be getting sanitised between rides.
Many instructors will be freelance with no other way of earning money and many won’t be eligible for the gov pay out so it’s a shit situation for all.

 

[criso]

Many instructors will be freelance with no other way of earning money and many won’t be eligible for the gov pay out so it’s a shit situation for all.

In this case you would expect them to be registered as self employed and declaring their income so as long as they have at least 1 year's tax return (the 3 years is ideal but HMRC will consider claims with at least one year) they will be eligible for a grant for 80% of their income. So the people who will not be eligible will be those recently started; those who have another income e.g. running a livery yard and the teaching is welcome extra to not very good wages but can't be seen or their main income or those who are not declaring. I doubt there are many that come under the ltd company paying themselves dividends which has seen people excluded from help.

 

[Equi]

In this case you would expect them to be registered as self employed and declaring their income so as long as they have at least 1 year's tax return (the 3 years is ideal but HMRC will consider claims with at least one year) they will be eligible for a grant for 80% of their income. So the people who will not be eligible will be those recently started; those who have another income e.g. running a livery yard and the teaching is welcome extra to not very good wages but can't be seen or their main income or those who are not declaring. I doubt there are many that come under the ltd company paying themselves dividends which has seen people excluded from help.

That’s interesting on a different note because my cousin is self employed hairdresser but only started about a year ago and just assumed she needed 3 years of books so didn’t think she was due anything.

 

[criso]

That’s interesting on a different note because my cousin is self employed hairdresser but only started about a year ago and just assumed she needed 3 years of books so didn’t think she was due anything.

Possibly not in her case depending on when she started.

She needs at least a tax return for 2018 - 2019 which is why HMRC have extended the deadline to submit that year - it was due Jan 2020. 3 years is to even out variable years but they will also take 1 year if that's all you have

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a...ovid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme

 

[angrybird1]

What a stupid statement. Not everyone keeps their horses fit for competitions... some actually keep them fit for the horses well being!

How very rude of you. Of course not every one keeps horses fit for competing but a lot do.
If you have a horse fit for competing and there are going to be no competitions then what's the point keeping them fit.
You may not agree with what I said but there is absolutely no need to be so rude.
I could say it's stupid that people are ignoring advice and trying to make it fit what they want to do.

 

[angrybird1]

What a stupid statement. Not everyone keeps their horses fit for competitions... some actually keep them fit for the horses well being!

you can keep horses fit in other ways other than riding. It's far more stupid to be bending rules to suit your self. How rude.

 

[Michen]

How very rude of you. Of course not every one keeps horses fit for competing but a lot do.
If you have a horse fit for competing and there are going to be no competitions then what's the point keeping them fit.
You may not agree with what I said but there is absolutely no need to be so rude.
I could say it's stupid that people are ignoring advice and trying to make it fit what they want to do.

you can keep horses fit in other ways other than riding. It's far more stupid to be bending rules to suit your self. How rude.

Sorry, but I personally feel your statement was very rude and narrow minded too. If you have a horse fit for competing what's the point in keeping them fit? Well, many horses who are laminitic for example SHOULD be kept that fit to reduce the risk. Many horses being rehabbed may well be that fit also. Some horses may not be able to be turned out, so they too need keeping fit.

" Competing fit" isn't a specific thing, there is no magic level. Most horses in normal levels of work should be able to go around a low level xc or sj or dr fitness wise or else they are in light work and thus not fit. Unless you are referring to 3 day eventing fit- which there's hardly anyone on here participating in.

Oh and I'm not bending the rules, as I'm not riding (yet- I will be soon for my rehab case).

Finally, for some horses, riding is the only option to keep them fit. Lunging or long reining may well not be feasible. You cannot just apply a blanket statement to all situations like that.

 

[angrybird1]

Sorry, but I personally feel your statement was very rude and narrow minded too. If you have a horse fit for competing what's the point in keeping them fit? Well, many horses who are laminitic for example SHOULD be kept that fit to reduce the risk. Many horses being rehabbed may well be that fit also. Some horses may not be able to be turned out, so they too need keeping fit.

" Competing fit" isn't a specific thing, there is no magic level. Most horses in normal levels of work should be able to go around a low level xc or sj or dr fitness wise or else they are in light work and thus not fit. Unless you are referring to 3 day eventing fit- which there's hardly anyone on here participating in.

Oh and I'm not bending the rules, as I'm not riding (yet- I will be soon for my rehab case).

Finally, for some horses, riding is the only option to keep them fit. Lunging or long reining may well not be feasible. You cannot just apply a blanket statement to all situations like that.

You may not agree with my statement but there is absolutely no need to be rude and call me stupid. Having had a lot of experience with laminitis I am fully aware that they need exercise but in this emergency situation you have to find ways round things.
I don't care if you agree or not but don't call me stupid for having a opinion and also doing what the government asks not bending rules.
It's fine not to agree with other people's opinion. You don't have to be so rude.
I fail to see how my post was rude. You may not agree and that's fine but don't be rude about it.

 

[Michen]

You may not agree with my statement but there is absolutely no need to be rude and call me stupid. Having had a lot of experience with laminitis I am fully aware that they need exercise but in this emergency situation you have to find ways round things.
I don't care if you agree or not but don't call me stupid for having a opinion and also doing what the government asks not bending rules.
It's fine not to agree with other people's opinion. You don't have to be so rude.

Jeez, I said it was a stupid statement, which it was- to ref that no competing means horses don't need to be fit.

Apologies for offending you, but hopefully you won't continue to offend those trying to do the best for those horses. Or those that keep their animals healthy without competition in mind.

 

[ester]

Why are we back to 'bending rules' there is no rule about not riding horses.

 

[angrybird1]

Jeez, I said it was a stupid statement, which it was- to ref that no competing means horses don't need to be fit.

Apologies for offending you, but hopefully you won't continue to offend those trying to do the best for those horses. Or those that keep their animals healthy without competition in mind.

No I'm sorry you said it was a stupid statement which implies I'm stupid.
You could say I don't agree. No need to be calling people stupid

 

[ester]

clever people make stupid statements lots of the time.

 

[milliepops]

Why are we back to 'bending rules' there is no rule about not riding horses.

^^ this!

I don't just ride my horses to keep them competition fit, I ride them to keep them physically strong and supple, and mentally on a level. Happens that their normal workload keeps them fit enough for the competitions they would normally be doing, but mine are dressage horses not 3 day eventers.

I don't want to let them down, the TB will go wonky again and the welsh will get too fat and lose the strength that I've spent years building with her, she is in her mid teens now so it will be really hard to build her up again. Not bending any rules keeping them going.

 

[angrybird1]

Why are we back to 'bending rules' there is no rule about not riding horses.

No no rules about not riding just advice. The government rules say stay at home and if you can ride and do that your not bending rules.
Anyway that's not the point. I don't care if people agree. You want to ride you ride.
My point is there is no need to be rude and call people stupid for expressing a opinion.

 

[milliepops]

people are often told to criticise the behaviour and not the person, well to me criticising an opinion is the same, it's not an attack on the person even if it could have been made in a less direct way

Anyway, back to the horses, I don't really think that they can all be kept uptogether with groundwork. I couldn't get enough aerobic work into my welsh without riding her, I don't want to lunge her because she has just returned to full work from soft tissue injury and I'd be asking for trouble. My TB would happily hoon around on long reins until he galloped his legs off, he needs steady controlled strength work to stay sound and well. some of us have made these decisions based on considered reasoning not just because we want to go for a jolly.

 

[Michen]

people are often told to criticise the behaviour and not the person, well to me criticising an opinion is the same, it's not an attack on the person even if it could have been made in a less direct way

Anyway, back to the horses, I don't really think that they can all be kept uptogether with groundwork. I couldn't get enough aerobic work into my welsh without riding her, I don't want to lunge her because she has just returned to full work from soft tissue injury and I'd be asking for trouble. My TB would happily hoon around on long reins until he galloped his legs off, he needs steady controlled strength work to stay sound and well. some of us have made these decisions based on considered reasoning not just because we want to go for a jolly.

Yeah, totally could have, but I still maintain that it's a really stupid opinion to think horses only need to be fit for competitions.

I'll shut up now and go watch my lawn grow....

 

[milliepops]

Yeah, totally could have, but I still maintain that it's a really stupid opinion to think horses only need to be fit for competitions.

I'll shut up now and go watch my lawn grow....

I'm going to let ours grow and see if we can bale it later on bloody hayfields aren't growing, we are going to need every bit later on at this rate!

 

[ester]

I have nothing to ride except the bicycle and apparently I shouldn't be doing that either according to some on this forum.
If you are talking about advice, say advice not rules. Rules are something very different to advice.

but people who are riding their horses even if they aren't at their home are not bending rules.

 

[ester]

Can I have some lawn please?

 

[Michen]

I have nothing to ride except the bicycle and apparently I shouldn't be doing that either according to some on this forum.
If you are talking about advice, say advice not rules. Rules are something very different to advice.

but people who are riding their horses even if they aren't at their home are not bending rules.

I've got 15hh worth of squeaky joy that I could send to you... he's ready to ride in approx 10 days/2 weeks... and I think he's really sick of me!

 

[ester]

I'd squish him into submission!

No just the lawn please
(ps do you have a functioning roof?)

 

[Michen]

I'd squish him into submission!

No just the lawn please
(ps do you have a functioning roof?)

Oh I didn't mean the patchy lawn. That's a total fail... missed the rain. But the rest of the lawn is growing great!

Nope, no roof... works for me though as the rent reduction covers Bear's livery and it's not like I can have guests at the mo!

 

[Bellaboo18]

If a vet won't allow clients in to a surgery to be with a pet when it's being pts it's certainly not right that riding schools are open..
Riding is not essential. There are no competitions to prepare for. Nothing to keep horses fit for. Stay at home.

Unfortunately I think this is comparing apples and oranges. The two situations are totally different one is to do with social distancing and the other to do with time spent away from home and potential risk.
Anyway although competitions aren't currently running, Oliver Townend did a quick interview recently and said he had horses fit and ready for badminton, he couldn't possibly just chuck them out in the field as they'd be creating their own badminton course around the field.
Most things aren't as black and white as your statement suggests.