Thoughts on riding being allowed with November lockdown

[Tiddlypom]

The BHS will be updating its guidance later. Wonder what it will come up with this time?

As soon as further details are announced, we will clarify what the lockdown means for our Centres, Coaches, BRC and horse owners.

Details will be shared on the BHS social media and the Covid hub on our website.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I didn't ride in the last lockdown. They'd had the winter off anyway due to moving house so I just extended the holiday. There's no lockdown here currently so will continue riding for now. If numbers in hospital go really high again I may give them another winter holiday but honestly want to keep them ticking over if possible to help keep the weight off them and hopefully be ready for some harder work next summer.

 

[teddypops]

Just wondering what people think the official advice will be.
I really hope we will be allowed to carry on, but I know last time the advice was not to, because of having an accident, and needing the over stretched NHS.
However, the mental health aspect of last lockdown does seem to have been noted, and horse riding is definitely Very beneficial to mental health.

The official advice - from the government- was that it was fine to ride and care for your horse. It was the BHS who decided we shouldn’t be riding.

 

[southerncomfort]

The BHS will be updating its guidance later. Wonder what it will come up with this time?

As soon as further details are announced, we will clarify what the lockdown means for our Centres, Coaches, BRC and horse owners.

Details will be shared on the BHS social media and the Covid hub on our website.

I commented that they should make clear that any pronouncements to horse owners are advisory and not mandatory.

 

[teapot]

I commented that they should make clear that any pronouncements to horse owners are advisory and not mandatory.

The BHS has no legal say so nothing they put in a public statement is mandatory.

 

[southerncomfort]

The BHS has no legal say so nothing they put in a public statement is mandatory.

Yes, unfortunately a lot of people don't seem to realise that and take their word as gospel, which is why I think they should make clear that anything they say is purely advisory.

 

[Wheresthehoofpick]

Agreed BHS is advisory. Issue is insurance for the YO My YO says that they need to take advice from BHS on whether they can stay open.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Agreed BHS is advisory. Issue is insurance for the YO My YO says that they need to take advice from BHS on whether they can stay open.

Is your yard a livery yard, or a riding school, or a mixture of both?

 

[Wheresthehoofpick]

A livery yard but apparently "classified" as a leisure facility Owner has her own event horses. 4 liveries. Indoor school etc. Owner gives lessons to liveries once a week on average if that makes a difference.

 

[oldie48]

I gave Rose a holiday for the last lock down but this time she is staying in work but I am moving her from home to the yard my sharer's horse is on. It has really excellent facilities and I will keep her there until the New year so she can be ridden regularly and as the lanes around the yard are very quiet I will be able to hack her. I need a companion for Fatty as I wouldn't keep him on his own, so his owner is bringing a horse that is currently off work but field sound to keep him company, which I know will be very helpful to her. They will be out 24/7 so it will be much less work and it will do Fatty's waistline no end of good! TBH I am rather looking forward to it, the yard is just over 10 minutes away, Rose will be on full livery, I like the owners of the yard and it is very well staffed. Sorry if I sound a bit smug, not intended but it does seem a good option for us whilst I am waiting for my op and I was beginning to worry about how I would manage if my sharer couldn't ride Rose.

 

[L&M]

Rode in the one before and will continue in this one too (well already am as live in Wales).

My cob would either be obese and lamnitic if I didn't, or very grumpy and on rations otherwise........and I would be equally grumpy too!!!

 

[WandaMare]

I'm going to see how it goes. If the hospitals near me get anywhere near breaking point then I will probably not ride. I wouldn't like to risk taking up NHS time if the staff are horrendously under pressure.

I think the BHS are in quite a difficult position because if they turn round and say yes everyone off you go enjoy yourselves and ride, then people have accidents needing hospital resource and quote their guidance, it could look quite bad for them. I would prefer to keep my two in work because they are both a bit too plump after a good summer, but I can always do something else with them if necessary.

 

[Red-1]

I think the BHS are in quite a difficult position because if they turn round and say yes everyone off you go enjoy yourselves and ride, then people have accidents needing hospital resource and quote their guidance, it could look quite bad for them. I would prefer to keep my two in work because they are both a bit too plump after a good summer, but I can always do something else with them if necessary.

But I don't see why it is necessary for them to just make stuff up? They could just use their status to get proper advice as to what is or is not allowed under the govt. guidelines and then disseminate that.

That would help, as obviously everyone contacting the govt. to ask about their situation would not be possible and many questions would be the same.

That would show leadership and care for their members, coaches, registered schools and livery yards, as well as the wider horse owning population. Every would have a portal to get correct information.

Making stuff up just confused matters, then it 'leaked' and locally stirred ill feeling about horse rider breaking 'rules' that were not rules at all.

That said, last time I low key schooled and walked the very local lanes, so all very much within our safe zone. If the hospitals were rammed (they still had space locally last time) then yes, I would likely stop riding. But that would be because that is the common sense thing to do rather than self appointed people (for this situation at least) making rules up.

 

[Caol Ila]

I'm really impressed with Mountaineering Scotland, the equivalent of the BHS for climbers, hillwalkers, and ski tourers, who got involved with a research study looking at the transmission risks of Covid in mountaineering-related activities (basically, none, unless you're car sharing in order to travel to the hills). Based on that evidence, along with the significant mental health benefits of getting into the mountains, Mountaineering Scotland has been proactively lobbying the Scottish government to not bring in travel restrictions that would prevent its members from accessing mountains. So far, exceptions to the current travel guidance include "outdoor exercise."

Conversely, I was really p*ssed off when the BHS supported yards in curtailing people's access to THEIR OWN horses, and they don't seem to be that active in making sure lockdown guidelines still allow people to care for and exercise their animals as they see fit, which can be done safely as most equestrian-related activity takes place outside.

 

[Abi90]

I'm really impressed with Mountaineering Scotland, the equivalent of the BHS for climbers, hillwalkers, and ski tourers, who got involved with a research study looking at the transmission risks of Covid in mountaineering-related activities (basically, none, unless you're car sharing in order to get to the hills). Based on that evidence, along with the significant mental health benefits of getting into the mountains, Mountaineering Scotland has been proactively lobbying the Scottish government to not bring in travel restrictions that would prevent its members from accessing mountains. So far, exceptions to the current travel guidance include "outdoor exercise."

Conversely, I was really p*ssed off when the BHS supported yards in curtailing people's access to THEIR OWN horses, and they don't seem to be that active in making sure lockdown guidelines still allow people to care for and exercise their animals as they see fit, which can be done safely as most equestrian-related activity takes place outside.

That’s interesting, I imagine mountaineering and hill walking carries a similar risk to general riding. Possibly more so in the winter. How refreshing to see a governing body taking a pragmatic approach to risk vs reward rather than taking the draconian approach that the BHS did!

 

[Caol Ila]

I mean, they panicked and flapped along with everyone else Lockdown 1.0 and told people not to climb or hillwalk, but they've since adopted a much more clearheaded approach (and mountain rescue teams have now had time to create their own protocols) and are advocating that the health benefits outweigh the risks.

 

[Abi90]

I mean, they panicked and flapped along with everyone else Lockdown 1.0 and told people not to climb or hillwalk, but they've since adopted a much more clearheaded approach (and mountain rescue teams have now had time to create their own protocols) and are advocating that the health benefits outweigh the risks.

Ah okay. I think it was the same across most sports. In the canoe and kayak world people were reporting each other for going out on the river.. alone ?‍

 

[teapot]

Conversely, I was really p*ssed off when the BHS supported yards in curtailing people's access to THEIR OWN horses, and they don't seem to be that active in making sure lockdown guidelines still allow people to care for and exercise their animals as they see fit, which can be done safely as most equestrian-related activity takes place outside.

You've clearly never done a risk assessment for a yard (livery, rs, whatever the type) in a Covid 19 world. I'm not denying the risk involved with any mountain related activities, but when you have x amount of people all vying for the same space, gates, wheelbarrows, arenas etc, it becomes a little trickier. Trust me. Covid 19 is a notifiable disease and the HSE would/will come down on businesses like a tonne of bricks if things get missed.

The BHS are damned if they do and damned if they don't, but if there are people who rely on them to be told whether to ride their horse or not, well common sense has gone out the window. Which is kinda why we're in this position, again.

 

[Caol Ila]

If your yard bans you from seeing your horse, whether you ride or not isn't really a choice that you can make anymore. One of my friends at my ex-yard didn't see her gelding for almost two months, until the YO grudgingly allowed owners back on the property. On the positive side for the YO, he got two months of everyone paying full livery, instead of the usual assortment of part and full liveries. Lucky him! Not so lucky was my friend's old horse, who never quite bounced back from his unplanned two months off work.

Luckily, we know a lot more about transmission risks than we did in March. The evidence I've seen suggests that surfaces, especially ones outside like gates, are not as likely to be transmission vectors as was originally assumed. With a few well thought out rules/guidelines, most yards should be able to function.

 

[Tiddlypom]

(and mountain rescue teams have now had time to create their own protocols)

This is a big part of it. Everything was new in lockdown 1, and protocols hadn’t been thought out for the volunteer rescue teams. Same with the RNLI and leisure sailors, though it is very difficult to socially distance on a lifeboat.

 

[teddypops]

The BHS are damned if they do and damned if they don't, but if there are people who rely on them to be told whether to ride their horse or not, well common sense has gone out the window. Which is kinda why we're in this position, again.

Not really as the government said all along that it was ok for people to ride.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Not really as the government said all along that it was ok for people to ride.

Wasn’t it more that the government didn’t ever say it wasn’t all right to ride?

Happy to be corrected on that if wrong. The continual drip feeds of info did get confusing.

 

[MuddyMonster]

You've clearly never done a risk assessment for a yard (livery, rs, whatever the type) in a Covid 19 world. I'm not denying the risk involved with any mountain related activities, but when you have x amount of people all vying for the same space, gates, wheelbarrows, arenas etc, it becomes a little trickier. Trust me. Covid 19 is a notifiable disease and the HSE would/will come down on businesses like a tonne of bricks if things get missed.

The BHS are damned if they do and damned if they don't, but if there are people who rely on them to be told whether to ride their horse or not, well common sense has gone out the window. Which is kinda why we're in this position, again.

But that's surely no harder than a risk assessment for non-equestrian work places? And many of those have had to manage.

I don't think many people *did* need to be told to ride or not (assuming they still has access to their horse) - lots of people I know were quite sensible and happy to make their own informed decisions. I assume it's much the same on yards up and down the country. But, I honestly think the BHS muddied the waters for a lot of generally sensible horse owners by wading in last time without ever clearly stating their (sometimes questionable) advice was advisory.

Hopefully, everyone has reflected, learnt lessons from last time and communications and most importantly the application of CV measures across the industry have improved some what the second time around.
.

 

[teapot]

If your yard bans you from seeing your horse, whether you ride or not isn't really a choice that you can make anymore. One of my friends at my ex-yard didn't see her gelding for almost two months, until the YO grudgingly allowed owners back on the property. He's an old horse, and he never quite bounced back from his unplanned two months off work.

Luckily, we know a lot more about transmission risks than we did in March. The evidence I've seen suggests that surfaces, especially ones outside like gates, are not as likely to be transmission vectors as was originally assumed. With a few well thought out rules/guidelines, most yards should be able to function.

That's a bad YO who didn't put welfare first!

Don't get me wrong, the original BHS advice to centres was appalling and mismanaged, but as time went on, people hanging off their every word seems so odd. They're only an advisory body. Majority of yards in the country are not approved under their rs or livery approvals scheme.

But that's surely no harder than a risk assessment for non-equestrian work places? And many of those have had to manage.

You don't tend to have people arriving at all hours outside of 24hrs services, socialising, properly sharing equipment (unless you're hot desking), kids running around etc. I've done risk assessments for offices and yards, trust me, I know which one I'd rather do.

 

[teddypops]

Wasn’t it more that the government didn’t ever say it wasn’t all right to ride?

Happy to be corrected on that if wrong. The continual drip feeds of info did get confusing.

I thought they said that it was fine to travel to care for your horse and exercise horse.

 

[Keith_Beef]

WTF? That's a bit vague, but surely "stables and riding centres" can potentially mean any yard, not just riding schools? You can't just shut them, as animal welfare demands that horses are cared for. If I was in England, I would be losing my sh*t.

the Government has ordered certain businesses and venues to close. These include:

• indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as ... stables and riding centres,

Compare kennels or catteries to stables... They are places where your animal lives (albeit temporarily), they are not 'leisure facilities'.

I would argue that if your horse is on DIY livery, the stables are just somewhere for your horse to live, you go there to take care of it and to exercise it, which is necessary for the animal's wellbeing.

Or compare a riding school to any other training centre or school. I go for my regular Sunday morning lesson or for a special lesson (e.g. jumping) to learn how to improve my riding.

Over here, group lessons are prohibited, but individual lessons are permitted...

 

[Antw23uk]

When you getting your arse over to ride the chestnut ponyyyyy then?!

When it grows to at least 15hh

 

[Shysmum]

We are not allowed to ride here in France, our lockdown is much stricter ?

 

[ecb89]

The BHS don’t tell us not to ride every winter when hospitals are overflowing and on blackwatch ??‍

 

[Cob Life]

Rode in the one before and will continue in this one too (well already am as live in Wales).

My cob would either be obese and lamnitic if I didn't, or very grumpy and on rations otherwise........and I would be equally grumpy too!!!

This is my reason for needing to Ride.

last lockdown I broke my wrist literally 2 days in so couldn’t have ridden anyway but his owner was still able to ride. This time I am his only rider. He’s already over weight (but is losing slowly) being worked hard 4-6 times a week on no hard feed and limited hay.