At this point, we are all aware of the global pandemic and want to fight COVID-19. During this time, it has been requested that we all participate in Social Distancing so that we help flatten the curve. Although there is a lot of science jargon behind this, the basics to know are the less physical contact you have with others, the less chance you have of contracting or spreading the virus, which leads to fewer people getting sick, fewer people in hospitals. The sooner we can get back to our pony loving, pony showing lives! But, until then, it is so important to take all of this very seriously, and while we commit to social distancing, it is not just something to be done at public gatherings but also the barn! Check out our Social Distancing Tips for the barn so you can do your part in containing this madness.
1) Don’t Bring Friends or “Outsiders” To The Barn
Although right now you may not have school and see that as an opportune time to introduce your school friends to your pony friends, wait until the rest of the world is back up and running before you combine those two worlds! Social distancing is strictly about reducing physical contact with others. By bringing new faces to the barn you are increasing physical contact with persons who may not have met otherwise. So, keep it to just your barn folks and don’t spend too much time socializing between rides!
2) Be Extra Thorough When Cleaning Your Tack After You Ride
One of the three modes of transmission for COVID-19 is through contaminated surfaces. Use your extra time to thoughtfully clean all of your tack after you ride so that you are not transferring any germs from day to day as you are coming in and out of the barn! Bonus: If you can find some, keep some hand sanitizer in your tack trunk for use before and after handling any tack or coming in contact with any surfaces to decrease your chance of spreading germs even more!
3) Wash Those Gloves
I think we are all far too familiar with using our gloves until they reach that super smelly stage where we are only forced to either clean them or buy a new pair when someone so nicely points it out to us! So, get ahead of the game and go ahead and throw those gloves in the wash! Just another way to combat the spread of this virus while also having clean smelling hands!
4) #PoniesCantGetCovid
Your pony is your best friend, and most importantly, cannot contract COVID-19, so use this time to really bond and connect with them! I mean, who doesn’t love being with your pony all day anyway, and now you have an excuse to do it even more! Embrace this downtime with lots of love, cookies, and carrots! They will love it too, and together we can fight COVID-19.
5) Get on PonyApp!
PonyApp was created to connect the horse industry, so get your pony online and stay connected with all of your friends! Post your activities, cuddle sessions, and clean bridle techniques on your profile. PonyApp is an excellent tool to both spread your wealth of knowledge as well as learn new things from all your friends! We can all use this downtime to become better horsemen and women for our ponies in the long run!
