Well guys, shocker of all shockers, Texas is not doing so well with this whole covid thing. We have massively bombed that particular test, and I doubt anyone is surprised.
Our city isn’t looking great either.
I kind of figured this would happen once restrictions were lifted, which is why I’ve changed basically nothing about my own behavior. A few horse shows have taken place but I’ve not heard particularly promising reports/seen particularly promising pictures from most of them with regards to compliance with the covid guidelines. Down here in the land of extreme freedumb people don’t like being told to wear masks or not congregate in groups. And they can be reaaaaaaal vehement about it. I have friends that are organizers and volunteers and show staff and the common observation among them is that telling people to put a mask on (and keep a mask on) is now a full time and very controversial job at horse shows.
Of course, I have taken Presto on a couple outings. Ones that were chosen quite judiciously and with an abundance of caution. For both of his trips off property we worked completely out of the trailer, and didn’t have close contact with any other people (except for Hillary for our trail ride, and she’s been largely self-quarantined herself). I wear my mask if I have to go inside anywhere or if I think I might come in contact with other people, and I wipe down the gas pump and keypad before and after I use it. Naturally, this behavior earned me the comment of “fuckin’ libtard” at a gas station in one particularly delightful small town this past weekend. Sigh.
Some of the horse facilities are handling things pretty well though. The place we went XC schooling is limited to small groups and there is no actual contact or interaction required. I’ve never been there before when there were so few people. But outings like that, I’m pretty comfortable with right now. Since I’m not actually coming into contact with people and it’s an outside activity of an hour or so max… I feel like the risk is extremely low. I greatly appreciate the facilities that are being smart with their restrictions.
I’m glad I decided to wait and see how things went with the reopening and with shows, because to me… they’re not going well. I think it’s safe to say that horse shows are off the table for a while. This whole thing feels like a boulder barreling downhill. And since all the governor has done is roll back a few restrictions (inside seating at restaurants went from 75% capacity to 50% capacity. wow.) and encourage people to stay home when they can (that’s clearly working), I don’t see this improving significantly anytime soon. The numbers are bonkers. And that’s with many testing sites still turning away asymptomatic people due to a shortage of tests. Plus there are different restrictions and mandates and closures, city by city and county by county that generally just makes things feel really confusing and chaotic.
Luckily everyone in my particular little sphere is handling it responsibly and taking smart precautions. My office was supposed to start bringing some work from home people back in starting in July, but that’s been pushed to mid-August now at the earliest. I’m grateful for that, for sure. Even if I kind of hate being at my house. Being stuck on the farm was awesome. Dream life. Being stuck in a house in the city is kind of my worst nightmare, I never actually realized how much I hate living here until now. It’s loud, it’s annoying, and there are way too many people outside all the time. But it’s still better than having to go into the office and increase the risk by being around lots of people in a small space, and I’m still getting out to the barn 5 days a week, so… everything could definitely be a lot worse.
For now I’m just gonna keep staying hunkered down and waiting it out. It doesn’t look like things will be getting much better anytime soon. How is all the covid stuff going in your neck of the woods? Anyone been to any shows?
breedrideevent.com 
A rated h/j shows are happening by me. In the pro photos I’ve looked through it’s about 50/50 on unmounted people wearing masks. The photog’s insta posted a pic they took of a few people walking with a horse & rider from a few weeks ago with a caption like “remember when we didn’t have to wear masks?!” I really hope they thought it was an old photo from their archives. Sooo.. yeah. I said I’d groom for a couple people I board with later this month at a dressage show. Gonna see how it looks when they school the night before.
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I was pretty impressed with how XC schoolings and the local shows in my area have gone. Then again, KY has been doing mostly ok, so that helps.
At XC schoolings, waivers and payments are either being done online, ahead of time, or they are being done via unmanned booths set up at the entrance to the property. (So no actually seeing anyone face to face). The community here is so small that the honor code is working.
At shows, they are setting up clear 6′ boundaries in places where people congregate (show office, rings, etc). Show offices have Plexiglas and everyone wears masks. Parking is more spaced out or done in a completely difference area than previously. So more walking to get to the rings, but less congestion between trailers. Scores have been online, as always. And they are limiting the number of competitors. I think this is mostly being done to accommodate the parking situation, versus anything else.
May is easy enough to deal with on my own or with my husband. At our show, I just ground tied her next to my car and got ready there. If I had a horse that required help from others… I probably wouldn’t be attempting to go off property.
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For the most part, I only go to the feed stores and the barn. My husband goes to the grocery store. I’m not sure how careful the barn people are being, but I haul in for every ride as I don’t have a place to ride at home. I’ve started tacking up at home and if I need to lunge, I bring my own lunge line. I put my gloves on prior to leaving the trailer. Post ride? I do use the hose and cross ties. But, I make sure I rinse my hands and use sanitzer and/shampoo to wash my hands (I used hose with my gloves, but… ). While we see people, I’m never that close to people. With the exception of the one time my trainer held my horse while I got on (we were having a day and standing still was not happening) and the other time she tried to lead us over a jump, I can’t say we’ve actually been that close to anyone.
Overall, I just try to do my own thing and be in and out. If it’s cool and he’s not too sweaty (rare), I’ll untack at the trailer and hose off at home (5 minute drive).
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Yeesh. Glad you’re still hunkering down and playing safe. Yeah, my brother will be coming here tomorrow from Austin area. JOY. But he knows to be careful and our public health nurse momma has schooled us well our whole lives, so hopefully no issues. Still. Boy will be living in my basement until he can get a test lol
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My mostly hunter barn has been showing every weekend, and judging by the pictures, basically nobody at these shows is following the covid restrictions. I’m going to keep an eye on this weekends show, since it will be at a facility that took the virus incredibly seriously and fully shut down for over a month.
We just took a three month break for covid unrelated reasons and are just now back, so it’s not like we’re show ready anyway. I will be working almost fully from home until my contract ends on November 3rd (happy election day!), and we have to report to our managers and possibly self quarantine if we attend any mass gatherings. In my personal definition, that includes horse shows, so that makes me even less likely to show this year.
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I live in Florida. I think that’s pretty self explanatory in itself Lol. I work at a barn and thankfully the owner is an incredible teacher, so I got to keep taking lessons without the fear of coming into contact with people I haven’t already been in contact with. Unfortunately, they are going to shows in Georgia and the Carolina’s and reported huge turnout and very little covid compliance, if any. I’m glad my trainers themselves take it seriously with masks and sanitizer, but I still stay six feet apart when talking to them and sanitize my hands before leaving the farm.
I always found it funny that they call people snowflakes for wanting equal rights and decency for human life, and yet I’ve never seen grown adults cry and moan more about something so stupid as being asked to wear a mask.
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I live in FL, enough said! Like you, I never changed what I was doing during the shutdown. As soon as the re-opening started, I saw people behave as if the virus was over so I pretty much knew the numbers were going to go through the roof. There have been a few shows starting up but based on pics I am seeing on FB, not many masks being worn, not to mention it has been hotter than hell here. In normal times, I woukd never show during a FL summer so no way during a pandemic. In fact, one show was titled the “Hotter than Hades” show. No thanks! To me it does not seem appealing right now. A large part of showing is the social aspect. Most time spent at a show is not on the horse…so, really, what is the point and where is the fun? I am just writing this year off and will work on improving,our dressage skills for another time.
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I am so FUCKING over people. Healthcare worker here. I have to literally be in patients’ faces for anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour at a time. A mask and a faceshield barely feels sufficient at this point, since I realize that a large majority of my patients are only wearing masks because we make them. I’ve had several insist they couldn’t breath and try to take them off while I’m barely 2 feet from their face. I have lost basically all faith in humanity and have spent a large amount of time wishing I was an heiress.
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I’ve been to one show here in MO, and we had “some” restrictions. Nobody wore a mask. There were plex barriers at the check-in table, stalls were spaced apart, we had to limit the number of horses in the warmup and we were supposed to only travel in one direction in the barn aisles. EVERYONE ignored the latter – we are way too busy.
Our next show is a week from Sat and there currently are zero restrictions. So we’ll see how that goes. PS. I’m fine and so is everyone from my barn, who I’ll have to be close-ish too.
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PS. I personally wear a mask in stores and into restaurants. Have eaten indoors a couple times, but the facilities have been diligent about cleaning and distancing. I also cheerfully wear one in doctor’s offices.
It still blows my mind that intelligent people I know think they will perish from “bad air quality” while wearing a mask. So tell your surgeon that next you need an operation – he can skip the mask cuz you wouldn’t want him collapsing in mid-slice, now would you? Enjoy your septic wound afterwards…
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I’m in the NW ‘burbs of Chicago and I have to say that I’m not exactly a fan of our governor, but he’s doing a great job handling the outbreak. Mayor Lightfoot in Chicago has done a great job as well. Spring Spectacular just finished 3 weeks at Lamplight, which is a massive show facility in this area. All the pictures I saw of friends there showed almosy everyone with masks but not a lot of social distancing. I’m curious as to how things are in the next two weeks & if there is a spike in our area after the show.
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Well…
If you stop testing the numbers will go down.
If you stop weighing yourself you won’t gain weight.
If you don’t look at thermometers we won’t have any heat waves.
Sounds like a plan to me.
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Knock on all the wood, but Vermont is down to only one or two new cases per day. Yesterday it was zero. My county hasn’t had a new case in weeks. So I’m doing sliiiiiiightly more than I was at the beginning, by which I mean, I’ve gone into a few more stores than before – masked, scrubbed before and after, etc., and only for necessities. But I wasn’t even doing that early on. We’ve also had a few backyard things with friends where we sit on the opposite side of a fire pit from each other and each eat our own food.
No intention of doing indoor dining, casual shopping, or going back to the office for some months yet. Even with the numbers so low, Vermont is generally taking things VERY seriously. While I haven’t seen 100% mask compliance, it’s definitely higher than 50% or 75%. And I’ve never felt stigmatized for wearing one. Very, very grateful to be in Vermont right now – more than usual, even.
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I feel like 2020 in general has been an absolutely horrible year. So much going on in the world, and in my own corner of Earth.
I put my mare down yesterday after 25 years together. A shitty day, in a shitty month, of the shittiest year. She’s at peace, and I’m glad for that, but my heart is so battered and bruised today. Hug your ponies tonight guys.
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German here. Our numbers are down overall. We had a pretty big outbreak in a meat processing plant a few hours away from me. This virus certainly shines a light on the atrocious working and living conditions of the people there.
I am still mostly quarantined unless I go to work or grocery shopping. I meet with family who’s living under similar self-restrictions.
It’s the new normal for the foreseeable future.
I do get mad when I see people partying in the bigger cities or on their seaside vacation, acting as if the threat isn’t still very real. Most people do act responsibly though.
We’ll see if the summer vacations will bring a rise in numbers….
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One of the small farms here in Maryland held a VERY small schooling show. I didn’t go to see the execution, but her plan was genius. She blocked out two hours per division. You show up, have 20 min to tack up, 20 min to warm up, and then they ran the classes. She was limiting the number of entries, too. Everybody out before the next division arrived. I’m very curious how it worked out. We’re doing fairly well here, but I’m still not going out more than necessary. Despite masks being mandated, some people aren’t wearing them or not wearing them properly. It’s like hello, you do know you inhale and exhale the same air/germs through your nose, so COVER IT!!!
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It must be so stressful living surrounded by such high numbers of cases yet so much ignorance. I live in Manitoba, Canada and our current covid number of infected is 18. We had full shutdown for a while and are just starting to be allowed a bit more. Most people wear masks at stores and we have to wait in line to enter. Most restraunts are only takeout. Horse shows are not allowed, but clinics in divided smaller groups are now allowed. Our barn is careful with social distancing and hand washing when you arrive. I miss shows but it is also nice to just ease off and enjoy my horse this summer.
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My behavior has not changed as we’ve opened up more, other than I’m MORE cautious because my mother has the virus. She started going to dinner with friends, one of which is a non-believer in the COVID. All of them are now positive and sick. She’s having a “light” case so far, but it’s terrifying to have to sit back and not be able to check on or do anything other than leave stuff on her steps.
None of the “this thing is no big deal and has a great survival rate” people have offered to come and expose themselves to her and help care for her. I find that fascinating. You’d think they’d want to catch it and be on their way to “herd immunity” but no. 🙄
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I live in Maryland, about an hour outside of DC, and work in Northern Virginia. DC and MD are in Phase 2, whereas Virginia decided to move into Phase 3 right before the 4th of July. MD and DC are just silently watching VA right now…it does not bode well, especially since Virginia’s numbers were already steadily rising before they moved into Phase 3. It is not fun to be working in Virginia right now.
Maryland has made masks enforceable by the police, with a misdemeanor charge, a $5,000 fine and up to a year in prison if you dare make a fuss about it. Virginia ordered masks but it’s not really enforced. Currently my work team (I work in vet med) is diligent about wearing masks for the duration of our shifts. We share a large basement with a veterinary surgery team…who are not wearing masks among themselves because they’re all young and think they are invincible. Management made masks a company policy but it has been an uphill battle to get them to actually *enforce* them. It makes me insane. One of the women on my team is extremely high risk, and here we are sharing recycled air in a basement with a bunch of young people who are hanging out with their friends on the weekends. And working with clients who are all going on vacation to places like Florida right now. I can’t handle the stupid in this country. I just can’t.
It doesn’t stop there. I used to do Open Gym at a local crossfit gym. They opened up space for outdoor workouts so I had been going there and using their equipment at times when there were only a couple of other people working out. I’d park myself as far away from them as I could and do my thing. Within a week of them reopening indoor hours, they had slashed the time between classes reserved for cleaning and disinfecting equipment…and that’s when I decided to freeze my membership: I wasn’t going to work out with their equipment, even if it was outside, knowing that it wasn’t being diligently disinfected. Like what the actual fuck.
We had been supporting local businesses with takeout but it’s the same thing: now indoor seating is allowed and we are having a hard time thinking about ordering food from anywhere, knowing the staff that prepare and bring our food out are being exposed to hundreds of customers who are not wearing masks. I foresee us being in a similar spot to TX and FL in another 4 to 6 weeks.
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I’m definitely not going to any shows anytime soon, but they are starting to run around here. My state is actually doing really well. As of yesterday (I didn’t look today) we had less than 100 people hospitalized and our positive test rate is about 1%. I’m not sure what phase we’re in technically… Three I think? Restaurants are at 50% capacity, no bars, gatherings of 25 people or less. The next phase was supposed to start around July 20th, but our governor is talking about holding off since seeing what’s happening in states like yours.
I’ve seen both my parents a few times, but mostly stayed outside. My dad had us (me and my brother and his fam) inside, but none of us have been anywhere so I think it was okay. Hopefully. I’m more worried about my dad than the rest of us, since he’s older.
I hope you stay safe, and I applaud your decision to stay away from people and be careful at the gas pumps. I hope they let you continue working from home.
My company was planning to have a picnic at a local beach in August, and was actually going to go ahead with it (which I thought was nuts) but fortunately the beach said they aren’t opening the pavilions to private parties. These are the geniuses deciding whether or not we get to keep working from home… Oye.
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It’s not great up here in the upper Midwest. I was with my family (who have all been quite careful and we are a family of mask-wearers) for the 4th of July weekend and we spent most of it in the house or on my parents’ boat on a lake which was pretty easy in terms of social distancing. But I was SHOCKED at the number of ultra-crowded party boats we saw. It was stressful just to look at them from a distance. I am also constantly shocked at how few people in my state wear masks. Ugh.
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