Are you worried about coronavirus & livery?

[Ponyta123]

Sorry to bring up the dreaded word on here...

Just stressing a bit that if we were all made to isolate or lock down, what would become of ponies on livery? Grass liveries would be ok. But what about those who are stabled, with fields unsuitable to stay out in 24/7?

If we have to self isolate, nothing is going to keep me from going to tend to my horses. Well OK, nothing short of military threat but where I live you could find sneaky back ways of getting around.

Worst case, I think yard owners would have to take care of the basics for you. However, as vastly incompetent as this government is and as stupidly as the electorate are acting, I don't see anyone allowing valuable livestock to be abandoned and die.

First of all, we can be advised to self isolate but this isn't a police state and no-one can actually physically stop you from leaving your own home unless Parliament passes some sort of emergency legislation.

Secondly - as PP said - livestock welfare means that livestock has to be attended to. Simple as! If the YO wants to limit access to a livery yard then YO will have to look after the horses. If a livery is self-isolating, then they will have to arrange with someone else to see to their horses.

I have concerns about this too. We have 7 horses between 3 of us. Neither of the others will even consider that it could a problem and shut me down if I try to raise it.
I'll just assume we'll do each other's if needed, and hope that we don't all get ill or quarantined at once. Thankfully coming into summer so they could go out full time but it's not ideal.
Am hopeful that the powers that be won't just drop animal welfare standards and that caring for them will be classed as essential travel.
I have stocked up on bedding and feed as much as possible but nobody else has.

Stock up on what you need and have a livery rota so people don't cross paths? Depends on your yard set up really.

I recently had to self isolate with my family for 6 days while awaiting a corona test result on a DC.

We have 2 ponies on DIY livery, so I timed my visits carefully and wore gloves (for everything- gates, padlocks etc).

I made sure I wasn't in the feed/tack room with anyone else and generally avoided everyone. It worked out ok and no one at the yard actually noticed as we all keep different schedules. We kept in contact a usual with messages etc. Luckily I didn't need any extra bedding supplies or the farrier but I did get some feed delivered to my home and brought it with me. I cancelled lessons etc.

I could have paid for extra services but I didn't need to as I was able to avoid other people pretty much. My ponies were happy.

Avoiding close contact means avoiding being 1-2m from people so easy with busy mucking out, poo picking etc.

I should have said above that for various reasons I was pretty confident of a negative test for the DC.

This is my biggest concern - horse on full livery and in at night. I’m thinking of telling them to leave him out with loads of hay and water now the weathers improving.
Worrying times.

Yes, and mine is on grass livery but round here due to the wet weather we have no grass, just a swamp so we are giving hay several times a day. The ponies are on a farm so no yard owner as such to help us out of we end up quarantined. I think between me and my field mates we will have to still go up one way or another.

I’m not massively concerned about getting to them - I would assume it would be considered essential travel.

It does worry me that if they start closing shops and stuff like that, would agi stores be considered essential - ours only have chaff as our oldie has Danillon and a supplement but we’d need shavings and stuff like that

I've just spoken to my vet about this, and he said that although they've not yet had official guidance, he can't see that animal welfare can be anything other than essential.
So if I was self isolating I'll get someone to see to them, but in case of lockdown can still go to care for them, but keep in short and sweet.

song I'm stocking up on those things, but again like grocery stores staying open, livestock supplies should be available

I'm not particularly worried, one of the blessings of being at a large livery yard is that there will always be someone who can see to your horse in an emergency, even in the worst case where almost all the staff and owners/families are ill or quarantined someone should be able to get up and see to the basics, as someone else says with hand-washing and remaining outside/away from other people that shouldn't be a huge risk. Plus the weather seems finally to be improving so if things get bad the horses can if necessary be chucked out 24/7 for a few weeks which will make looking after them a lot easier (e.g. my not very horsey DH or BIL/SIL could manage to chuck a load of hay out and fill the water troughs, without needing to come within 6 feet of another person). We have our relationship/bitchiness difficulties on the yard as most liveries do of course but I'm confident in an emergency any one of us would make sure all the horses were OK.

I'm a bit more concerned about possible issues with supplies of hay, hard feed, veterinary medicines and such but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, the winter hay store is still going for now, and hopefully the worst is still a few weeks off by which time spring grass and warmer weather will make things easier, luckily my two live off thin air anyway but even the warmbloods and TBs would probably cope with a week or two on less food than usual esp if not being ridden as much!

Anyone that's on a smaller/private yard and worried, there seem to be some emergency networks being set up on social media via local equestrian facebook groups or similar, so in a real dire situation I am sure someone would be prepared to pop in to hay/water/turnout if needed, the horsey community usually pulls together in times of crisis!

I’ve stocked up on chaff - I already had nearly a feed bin full and then bought 2 more sacks over the weekend. They only have a handful for breakfast and tea so our oldie can have her Danillon and supplement so it should last ages.

Shavings are a bit more difficult as we have limited storage space. I’ve got 5 bales and no room for anymore as long as they’re turned out every day we top up about a bale between them a week, but if we have a spell of shitty weather and they’re in then we plough through it. Just have to replace one every time we use it as long as we can still get it

Hay is included in our livery and they’ve still got a barn full so we should be alright there

I’ve just bought a box of Danillon and a new tub of supplement

Hopefully we’ll be OK for a while, it’s just if it goes on for a long time.

I’d hope an animal feed store would be considered an essential service, but you never know. Plus they regularly run out of stuff at the best of times so if there are supply or delivery issues I am concerned

We’re on a biggish yard but we’re separated across several American style barns. There’s loads of us who would all muck in and help each other out, plus it’s big enough that everyone is pretty spread out

If the worst comes to the worst, we’d have to turn them out 24/7. The field was dry enough to roll yesterday and the grass is coming through . Judging by our oldie’s antics yesterday, spring is definitely in the air

I am on a part/full livery yard so all feeding/TO/mucking out is done by staff. We have been advised today that only liveries can come to the yard, no friends or family & kitchen is now off-limits. Instructors cannot enter yard, but can meet us in outdoor school and teach. Feed/bedding/hay is delivered & there are numerous suppliers. I guess the biggest worry would be one staff member getting sick & the whole group would have to isolate. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. I don’t think the general public understands self-isolation very well, a la Stanley Johnson!

We’re self isolating due to ds having had a cough and the yard owner told us not to come. That’s fine, I had expected that but if there’s a lock down, how long will we not be able to see our horses??! :(

This is my biggest fear. I'm praying as long as I don't have symptoms that I can still go (and take ddog). Mine is full livery during the week and DIY at weekends so I'd be begging favours if I got sick. One of our liveries has symptoms so she's out of the picture for the foreseeable.

Mine are at home, my only concern is feed. I have one that isn't getting anything from hay anymore, and another elderly poor doer that needs every calorie. At worst the others on hard feed would just get a bit too lean. My supplier is great and will prioritise if there are shortages, but it's the supply chain that worries me. The others on hard feed would cope without it and would quickly recover on summer grazing, but it's essential for my elderly pair.

It isn't the daily care issues I think will be a problem for the majority, it's the money long term. People on long term parental leave or with employment at risk aren't all going to be in a position to necessarily afford basic keep, let alone paying for care.

How is everyone getting on? Having been quite confident up-thread I am now feeling the pinch a bit more as our yard manager is sick (hopefully just a cold but in isolation anyway) and one member of staff is in self-isolation due to sick family members, so the yard is a bit short-staffed. I am dreading the lurgy getting in to their on-site staff accommodation as then the 3 or 4 of them who live on site would have to self-isolate for 2 weeks which would leave them very short indeed.

Plus quite a lot of clients are (sensibly) staying away and so being small/light enough and having some time free I have been helping out riding/lunging a selection of kids ponies who are rapidly becoming overfed and underworked and out of hand as a result. In positive news however the improved weather means we should be only a week or 2 away from much more turnout which will help immensely.

What precautions are everyone's yards following? Ours has signs up reminding about hand washing and trying to keep people apart in indoor areas such as the office and tack room, but not everyone seems to be following very conscientiously - had to shoo 2 or 3 teenagers having a good old gossip in the feed shed out yesterday!

We’re doing ok.

Our yard is quite large but spread out across smaller barns. There’s only 3 other liveries in our barn and we all go up at different times anyway - we’re on DIY

I’ve got cover lined up in case any of us get sick

DD is riding a lot while she can, mainly sticking to flat work in the school or a quiet mooch along the bridle way

Can’t get carrots for love nor money so the horses are sulking . Can’t get bananas either - our oldie has a supplement which we have to give her in mashed banana or she won’t eat it so having fun trying to persuade her to take it

Feel a bit in limbo really. Bit worried about the restrictions should we go on lock down

One of our liveries has symptoms so is self isolating so her horse is being done by yard owner/other liveries. We have lots of disinfectant for gateways, doors etc and hand washing the minute you arrive and regularly while there.

Dreading getting symptoms but currently enjoying every time I can get up. Lots of hacks (have started walking in hand for a few reasons and loving that and the bonding/training opportunities) and DDog is happy coming with us.

If they stop us going up there yard owner will be at breaking point I think with all the work and I will be in a right old state.

Smallish yard in a rural area so all OK at the moment. Staying away from each other and washing hands/ using hand san. Forecast over the next week or two could see the grass grow and the land dry, although it's cold at night so maybe not too much grass. Push comes to shove whoever can get to the yard will make sure the basics are covered for everyone. We've done it before when we've been snowed in.

We’re in France so in lockdown already and this is how it has worked out here.

All lessons are cancelled. Livery yard owners are trying to look after as many horses as possible without anyone moving around. Grooms have arranged things amongst themselves so that they do as little moving around as possible. Tending to livestock for welfare reasons is one of the exceptions to the ,pavement ban. No one is riding to avoid further burdening the health care service in case of a fall - we all received this recommendation by the national equestrian authorities.

Thanks for that Booboostwo that's very reassuring :)

Lessons have now been cancelled on our yard, but if that was due to the mistaken BHS advice, today corrected, maybe that will change.
Yard very quiet, everyone keeping themselves to themselves. I hope we don’t have complete lockdown, riding is my lifesaver!

I'll ride mine for the moment but I'm not getting on other people's nut jobs. For me, that's generally where it goes wrong, so I'm not doing it.