In the midst of the Covid-19 panic and restrictions, there’s one small bright light. There is no evidence that the virus can be transmitted between horse and humans. So if you’re lucky enough to be able to visit your horse, make sure to give them a hug.

Right now, I can still get to the barn. My horses live in a private facility and I’m usually the only one there at a given time. Right now, there are also no restrictions on travel. I’ve read online that others aren’t so lucky: their barns are closed or they are in different towns and travel has been restricted.

Just in case it becomes difficult to reach them, I’ve mixed up multiple bags of grain and ordered extra provisions. The one thing I’m worried about is hay. I have an order into my hay supplier but he’s so jammed up, I’ll be lucky if he can get to me next week. We don’t have a lot of storage where I am, so I’m hoping there aren’t any long term issues with suppl

Going to my Happy Place

The time with my horses is soothing right now. A pace of calmness where I can stop thinking about how my father is doing in New York, where Covid-19 is out of control, or whether my mother got out of San Francisco before she was exposed. There’s so much uncertainty that the simple demands of the horses are a relief. Zelda still mugs me for treat (why did I ever think giving them to her was a good idea?) and I’ve had some very relaxing rides on some unusually warm March days.

Zelda, has been a tad less than cooperative. She’s still in “winter mode” and is not keen to put the extra work in. We’ve had a few heated discussions about when she’s “done”. Yesterday, she tried several times to turn back home rather than head on on a new trail and she’s surprisingly articulate for an animal who technically cannot speak. I think I need a slightly more persuasive set of spurs because mine are not having the desired effect.

Given that hospitals are going to be overrun, I’m also doing my best to stay safe. Now is not the time to show up at the ER with several broken bones. So Zelda can count herself lucky. The workouts I’m asking her to do are not that demanding.

How are you all coping with the restrictions from the coronavirus? Are you able to see your horse? Are you riding as usual. In some places foxhunting has already been shut down; I double we’ll have a season this spring. But at least I be out in the sunshine and fresh air in my happy space. I hope you can, too.