Tips and Resources in the Time of Coronavirus

Here’s a mini-guide for horse owners impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether you keep a horse at home or board one elsewhere, chances are you have been affected by COVID-19. Here are some additional tips and links to assist horse owners financially strapped by the pandemic. To help reduce costs, the United Horse Coalition suggests the following: • Turn out horses as long as possible to save on the costs of feed, hay and bedding. • Increase hay consumption and decrease grain and supplements as much as possible.

• With your farrier, discuss the possibility of pulling your horse's shoes.

• Reach out to others and share resources in community collaboration. Can you safely keep riding?

As long as you feel healthy and observe reasonable precautions—and comply with any restrictions your facility has put in place—you might consider continuing with your routine. We know that exercise is good for both you and your horse at this difficult time. However, be careful to follow any local and state orders and use common sense if riding from a barn used by others:: • Try to arrange your ride times so you aren’t sharing space at the barn with a lot of other people (online signup logs are useful here). • If making payments for board or lessons, try to do so in advance over the phone or via the internet.

• Ride outside if at all possible, and maintain a healthy distance from other riders. • Observe the 6-foot distance rule and refrain from hanging around in the aisle or tack room for chit-chat. If you participate in lessons, make sure the groups are small and that the horses and riders stay spread out. • Bring hand sanitizer and wipes with you, and incorporate frequent sanitization into your routine. Touch door knobs, latches and light switches as little as possible.

• Try to reduce or eliminate your use of communal items such as whiteboard markers, wheelbarrows and pitchforks. Other helpful resources: • The American Association of Equine Practitioners ( AAEP.

org) has ideas to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at equestrian facilities.

• The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International ( pathintl.

org) offers some guidelines on biosecurity basics and emergency planning.

• The United Horse Coalition is assembling a state-by-state list of emergency assistance resources for horse owners.

Visit unitedhorsecoalition.org, click on “COVID-19 Resources” for more information.

• The Ontario Animal Health Network has posted suggestions for setting up a care plan for your horses should you become ill. Go to oahn.ca/resources/ equine-all and search for “Caring for Your Horses During a Pandemic.”