Hi All,
Welcome to topic 4 for 624EHS - Contemporary Issues in Equine Science.
This topic is all about COVID19. Make sure that you look at the launch PowerPoint, which has been posted in the Classroom. DL students (and others who choose this option) are required to contribute to this blog as part of their CW3 assessment. All students have from now until 11:59 pm on Friday 29th of January 2021 to contribute to this blog, to debate the issues surrounding the effect of COVID19 within the equine sector. Ensure you can also evidence your opinions and remember that you are also required to submit a reference list (word document emailed to module leader) by 11.59 pm on Friday 29th of January 2021. You will be graded on the quality and quantity of both your blog contributions and your reference list. Remember, the point of this is to debate the issues, so you should be replying to each other's posts. I will be keeping an eye on the blog, but if you have any issues, you should email me. Please remember to register your name with your comments so that I know who has contributed with which comment. Other FT students can contribute to the blog in preparation for the in-class debate but will not be assessed on this.
Rosa
During the pandemic, horse owners have had to adapt to new routines and regulations when caring for their horses. A study conducted by Williams in 2020, surveyed 6259 horse owners to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on themselves and their horses. The surveys established that the majority of horse owners were visiting their horses less as a lot of livery yards would only allow slots for owners to come up or only enable going up once a day. In a way this is not good and could become a welfare problem if horses are not regularly checked. If a horse injures himself in the time the owners are not at the yard, they may not be checked until the following day, which can lead to injuries or illnesses. The results also showed that owners were not exercising their horses as much, which may not be helpful for horses that need consistent work due to dizziness, fitness or being overweight. As well as this, even though livery yards needed to take actions regarding sanitation and social distancing, nearly half of livery yards in this questionnaire were not providing hand sanitization or disinfection protocols for shared equipment to prevent the spread of covid19, which should be provided by yard owners and made clear to customers attending the yard. A lot of owners also suffered financial losses and struggled to pay for their horses through the pandemic, due to losing jobs or not getting as much money, and owners' mental health was being affected dramatically because of not being able to see and care for their horses as they normally would (Williams, 2020). It is understandable that procaustions were put into place to ensure safety, but mental health in these times is very important as no one has experienced anything like this before in their lifetime, so spending time with animals is valid and should be taken into consideration as a type of ‘therapy’ for a lot of people, as well as maintaining horse welfare through hard times. Yard owners should do regular checks on all horses if owners are only allowed access once a day or at a certain time, to ensure all horses are healthy and happy.
ReplyDeleteTia Greenwood
Following on from the comment above, focusing on the study Williams et al., (2020) the owners who participated in the survey felt that there had been mixed messages from local, national, and government level as to whether they should be riding or not, as well as visiting their horses. Confusion and worry in this situation only adding to the detriment of mental health wellness for some owners. Owners stated they felt pressured into not riding their horses and had seen ‘advice’/abuse on social media towards people who have carried on riding as usual.
DeleteBetween half and two thirds of the owners surveyed had experienced management changes and 36% had reduced how often they rode their horses. These management changes and reduction in riding were associated to an increased incidence of impaction colic.
Alongside the health and welfare of the horses, the negative effect of the mental health of the owners was experienced throughout the pandemic. The stress and worry associated with the uncertainty of who would care for their horses if they became ill and not having the same amount off access to their horses, something as stated above would be a key coping strategy for many in reducing anxiety.
Limitations acknowledged in this study include bias of the participants, as they were voluntarily taking part it could be that they were already people who have been more affected by the pandemic. As the pandemic and lockdowns are still ongoing, it is difficult to get an accurate picture of the impacts of Covid-19.
With a view of moving forward it is important for riders to consider the implications of management changes to their horse’s health. It is important to bring horses back into work slowly, using a gradual fattening programme, alongside feeding for the level of work and doing everything they can to reduce unwanted behaviour which could compromise both horse and rider safety.
Riding schools have been massively affected by the pandemic throughout the year, especially through lockdowns. Because riding schools rely heavily on consistent customers, it has been a challenge between lockdowns to keep customers coming in. Even though many are very keen to come back through this time, they may not have the money for lessons if they have had to leave their job or are on furlough pay in these rough times. Throughout lockdown periods, riding schools have had to shut completely, which then makes it even harder for staff to care for horses, and get the amount of money needed to pay for the riding school horses keep, feed, and other welfare needs (vets, farrier, physiotherapy ect.). Riding schools also get extra income from riding camps through the summer, as well as arena hire and even holding competitions, which of course has not been possible during the pandemic (Merkies, 2020). A survey conducted by The British Grooms Association in 2020, found that riding schools have been worst affected in the equine industry with 100% of riding schools reporting they have been impacted extremely negatively financially because of the pandemic. The results also found that 85% of riding schools report they have had no income during lockdown periods, and one in 10 responders state that it is likely they will need to close in the near future. This is of course extremely upsetting news as riding schools are such a large part of the riding community, and how a lot of people begin their interest in horses. Leaving ridings schools with no income is awful, and it is believed that riding schools should stay open to some extent during lockdown periods as it is outdoor exercise and also may be needed for certain horses which need the work, implying animal welfare. With the correct safety measures, social distancing and Correct PPE, riding lessons should still be able to continue to ensure riding schools are getting some type of income.
ReplyDeleteTia Greenwood
While the government guidelines for riding schools to close has been in force both during the initial lockdown in March 2020 and also currently since the 4th January 2021, the guidelines surrounding coaches is different.
DeleteAs a riding coach in England, you would be permitted to coach on a one to one basis, if covid-19 safety measures and guidelines were adhered to, and also only at the premises where the horse was kept.
A coach may also continue to exercise other people’s horses for them, again providing the activity begin and end where the horse lives.
Coaches are also advised to check with their insurance providers before going ahead with any coaching.
There is, however, no travelling of the horse to another premises for coaching and no arena hire allowed (BHS 2021).
The association of British riding schools (ABRS 2020) produced social distancing guidelines. These guidelines suggest that the 2m distance needed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to be maintained in a riding school environment. There are some circumstances where this may not be the case, including rider falls, lead rein lessons and checking tack before and after a lesson. In these cases, the period of exposure to the other person is low and so mitigation measures may be limited to avoiding direct face to face exposure, wearing masks and washing hands.
Treating individuals after a fall may increase this exposure time to more than 10 minutes, therefore significantly increasing the risk of spread between people.
Falls can happen whether you are in a riding school or having individual coaching at your own yard. The risk therefore is the same for riding schools and individual coaches and they both should be treated as such. Many riding schools are going to lose the income that they require to care for the horses and ponies they have.
Because of the pandemic, nearly all businesses have been affected due to lack of customers, lack of resources, and lack of money from their customers. Equine businesses have also been affected like others, whether that's a small business, a local business, or even a larger business. The BHS have been delivering safety measures through these times, such as what can and can't be done during lockdowns and throughout the past year regarding activities with horses. The rules throughout the past year have been changed depending on the governments restrictions to ensure people in the equine industry have a clear understanding of what they can and can't do with their horses. The most recent regulations are the strictest they have ever been during the pandemic, ensuring complete closure of all riding schools and arena hire (BHS, 2021). The BHS have been prepared and quick to react to different government restrictions, while keeping in mind the welfare of horses. Their guidance is also easily accessible and clear, to ensure all people in the equine industry know the most up to date guidelines, but on the other hand, some riders may believe that some guidance may not be fair and may counteract the idea of social distancing, such as teachers and staff at riding schools being able to school horses, but 1;1 lessons are not allowed, resulting in financial strain and sometimes no income for riding schools. As guidelines for the pandemic continue, the BHS have to take into consideration equine businesses that may be suffering, and come up with resolutions that may help these businesses for the future as long as the correct PPE is put into play correctly by all involved, such as 1;1 riding lessons ect.
ReplyDeleteTia Greenwood
Following on from Tia's comment, the government have guidance on their website (Department for environment, food and rural affairs and animal and plant health agency, 2021) for animal welfare during COVID-19. Relating to horses, owners are allowed to leave their house to visit and care for their horse. They are allowed to ride their horse in order to maintain their health and welfare with people they live with, support bubble or in a outdoor place with one other person from another household. Owners are allowed to go out more than once to ride their horses however the social distancing rules still apply.
DeleteA farrier is able to visit if it necessary for their work but keep 2 metres apart and make sure that whenever there is contact between the owner and the horse that their hands are washed afterwards.
Mair et al. (2021) conducted an online survey to assess the mental health impact on equine veterinary professionals. Using the 14 item scale Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) the questionnaire was delivered via email to the BEVA membership database and open to vet surgeons, vet nurses, vet student and practice managers/administrators.
ReplyDelete451 responses were recorded, 377 equine veterinary surgeons, 41 equine veterinary students, 20 veterinary nurses, 11 practice managers, and 2 others. The gender split was 61% female to 39% male.
The key findings from this study show that the pandemic has had a negative effect on the mental health of these veterinary professionals. A more common decline is shown in the people who were furloughed compared to those who could continue to work. As the UK population has not been exposed to this type of pandemic in modern history it is not surprising that people have been affected in a negative way.
This survey does not allude to the reasons behind the lower levels of mental wellbeing during the pandemic, however, Serafini et al. (2020) suggest these reasons could include fear of getting ill, feelings of social isolation and loneliness, anxiety regarding the business going forward, plus the potential effects on the economy in general. They also suggest that there may be bias in the responses due to the delivery method of the questionnaire and the fact that not all questions required mandatory answers. The participation from veterinary nurses was quite poor in comparison to veterinary surgeons, suggesting potential for further research in this role specifically.
For the future, more research will need to be completed. As the pandemic is still ongoing it will be a long time before the full effects of people’s mental wellbeing can be concluded. Therefore, continued research throughout will help professionals in determining the ongoing effects.
Furthermore; Staff in the equine industry have been effective massively because of Covid19 in many ways. The British Grooms Association (BGA) and Equestrian Employers Association (EEA) conducted the Impact Survey in April 2020 aimed at how the virus has affected staff in the equine industry. The results found were negative, revealing that 89% of equine businesses have seen a financial impact, with 5% of equine employment reporting they are worried about having to close their business. Freelance grooms also reported that 80% of them have experienced a cut of work hours, as well as over half being furloughed, or made redundant. These results are very concerning as so many equine staff will be struggling with money, which a percentage of owns horses, so may not be able to afford them because of this. Participants also highlighted that the pandemic has impacted 61% of respondents' mental health negatively, which is also an overall large issue during this past year.
DeleteThe British Veterinary Association (BVA) and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) have told veterinary practices that during the 2021 lockdown they are only allowed to conduct non-emergency work if it is essential for animal welfare and health. However, vets have no obligation to take action. Vets should determine if it is essential for the animals health and welfare, if there is the right amount of team resources and how it will impact the public health. They are allowed according to the RCVS code of Professional Conduct to provide 24/7 emergency first aid and pain relief to animals that are in desperate need, classified as a emergency.
ReplyDeleteHowever, only veterinary surgeons working in food supply are classed as essential workers in England because of securing childcare in schools (BVA, 2021).
During the lockdowns, vets have had to push back vaccinations as some vets have to risk assess to see if it is essential (BVA, 2020). Other procedures that have also been delayed are: examinations, dental care, health checks, routine fertility work, joint medications and poor performance investigations ( BVA, 2020). Vets are being asked to do this to reduce the risk of contact and catching the virus, which is why everything that is not classified as essential needs to be risk assessed to see if they will carry the work out. By reducing contact and working from home they are putting less people at risk.
The racing industry employs over 20,000 people across multiple sectors (Harding 2020) and is a multi-billion pound industry, contributing approximately £3.4bn to the UK economy each year ceased all racing during the initial lockdown in March 2020. A survey undertaken by Davies et al. (2020) found approximately 50% of staff continued to work throughout the pandemic, dependant on their job role and sector, these staff considered to be essential workers due to equine care and welfare. Racing grooms and stud staff were the most likely to continue working this was due to the timing of the lockdown alongside foaling and the racing calendar.
ReplyDeleteOver 80% of staff reported the workplace changes implemented prioritised staff health and safety. The most common changes made were increased distancing measures, increased hand washing requirements and therefore facilities and a reduction of staff onsite at any one time. These follow closely alongside the government’s most common mitigation measures (GOV.UK 2020).
Flat racing staff reported the Covid-19 changes less effective than the other sectors. They needed to keep the horses in training due to the uncertainty of when racing would return, they were more likely to be busier due to the racing calendar therefore difficulties in adherence’s to social distancing measures could arise.
Specifically, with the mounting of horses, staff are often required to give ‘leg ups’ as mounting block are not generally used in racing yards. This requires significant contact between individuals and cannot be achieved whilst social distancing. Options around this include mounting from the floor, however there is significant research to show this is harmful to the horse’s welfare, leading to significant increased back pain (Geutjens, Clayton & Kaiser 2008). The welfare of the horse is paramount in racing.
Comparatively the staff in the breeding sector, which would also be busier during this period did not report any negative perceptions regarding the implemented measures.
To continue on from this comment, of course, horse racing is one of the largest sports in the world, and relies on the general public for betting and viewing for money to keep the sport running. Through the first lockdown, horse racing in the Uk was put on hold, and staff were classified as essential workers due to equine care and continued to work throughout lockdown (Davies, 2020). From then on, strict measures in racing yards were applied considering social distancing, as well as on race days when racing was allowed to reopen. Staff and owners have done their best with the latest information to be able to continue racing as a sport, but alterations to race days have been made (The Jockey Club, 2020). While horse handlers apply strict social distancing and PPE to ensure safety, the general public are no longer allowed to spectate at events, only the horses team, investors and owners (British Horse Racing, 2021). Even though it is a positive that horseracing can continue, banning spectators for this time will have a large effect on the race tracks, especially the ones that hold larger races, as a lot of income is being lost from spectators not being able to attend.
DeleteAs well as Racing coming to a standstill during this pandemic, other equine sports and competitions have also been cancelled due to covid restrictions throughout the past year. This is also affecting the sport side of the industry negatively as competition holders and event planners are losing income, and therefore, may be struggling to continue. Large events such as Badminton, Blenheim, HOYS and Burghley had to be canceled for 2020, affecting riders, event yards, event staff and smaller businesses that were hoping to sell their products at the shows. Covid has had a domino effect in all areas of the industry, but with large events such as these, a large amount of money has been lost for a lot of people (Burghley horse trials, 2020). After the first lockdown when some events avoided cancelation, a study conducted by Dermarie in 2020 discovered that Show Jumping and Cross Country courses were shorter, allowing RPE to remain stable, session-RPE to significantly decline and cardiovascular strain not to exceed pre-lockdown values (Demarie, 2020). Because of the time off that horses and riders had off during the season because of lockdown, having competitions be less intense seems reasonable to prevent injury and to allow RPE to be stable.
Following on from Tia's comment about the impact COVID19 has had on the competition side of the equine industry, nearly all competitions were called off in 2020, and the renting of training arenas, cross-country courses etc became prohibited. Many horses in the UK are kept as competition horses, meaning there is a period of the year where their training, feeding, and grazing routines may be altered in order to achieve top fitness level for competition season. Williams et al. (2020) mentions the affect lockdown has had on the overall welfare of the equine population, horses that are primarily competition horses could suffer from weight gain, laminitis, fatigue etc if their trainers don't have access to them, their owners are unable to ride, or there is no access to training facilities. Of the 6259 participants who completed Williams et al. (2020) questionnaire, around 65% reported major differences in horse management and human-horse interaction, this has not only had a negative affect of the mental health of equestrians who are unable to spend as much time around their horses, but it is bound to have an impact on the horse's well being as horse's tend to thrive when they have a set routine. This is applicable to horses and owners who mainly partake in leisurely activities also, however they would not have had as big an impact on the economy.
DeleteIn regards to the racing/competition industry, both have a much larger impact on the economy. Racing in particular in one of the largest forms of entertainment for both equestrians and non equestrians around the world. Although the welfare of the horses may always be a priority to the staff working within these establishments, the government were concerned about the economy.
Abbie
Delete
DeleteRacings main focus is returning to races safely and protecting the health of staff and participants even behind closed doors. They are able to do this by keeping social distance in most cases and the events take place which has shown to be a lower risk of transmission of the virus (BHA, 2020).
Racing has had to make changes for jockeys, trainers and stable staff that are travelling to a non-exempt country in order to participate in a race. All staff have to go through self isolation for 10 days meeting the government requirements (BHA, 2020).
The impact COVID-19 has had on student’s mental health is a concern for higher education institutions across the world. When the March 2020 lockdown began, university campus closed and moved to online and remote methods of teaching. Students found themselves isolated either in student accommodation without family, or isolated having moved back home and so were away from a university environment (Savage et al. 2020). Examinations for students ready to move to higher education did not go ahead, vocational courses such as those in the equine industry are not able to proceed in the hands on way they were. Leading to anxiety and worry regarding the long term disadvantages this may incur, compared to others who studied in a more traditional way (Daniel 2020).
ReplyDeleteTo help students through this uncertain time, universities in Spain have implemented relaxation techniques which have had some success in reducing anxiety and helping students focus and adapt to the new way of learning (Ozamiz-Etxebarria et al. 2020).
Italy surveyed students regarding sleep patterns and found that the COVID-19 outbreak had a negative effect on students sleeping patterns. Through both stress and anxiety leading to insomnia and the increased time which students spent on electronical devices late at night (Marelli et al. 2020).
While there are many challenges to providing education for people in the equine industry and students studying courses which require a hands on and face to face approach, the universities and education providers are trying to find the best ways to deliver this material. In the Philippines, for example, the pandemic has opened up opportunities for the country to upgrade its educational mode of delivery and transfer the attention to emerging technologies. Other higher education institutions, both equine and otherwise may also benefit from emerging technologies, provide accessible mental health related services, and allow the curriculum to be more responsive through changing times (Toquero 2020)
In regards to education during COVID-19, schools have been closed nationwide lasting for at least 10 weeks. Classes have had to move online to maintain learning using their own resources through the internet, radio and TV (Schleicher, 2020). Not only have children had to adapt but also teachers. Teachers have had to get used to delivering teaching online which most are not used to. Hanushek and Woessman (2020) have studied how this will have an impact on the economy with 1/3 of a year of schooling being lost. This will overall have an effect on practical skills and their growth which will be seen in the long run.
ReplyDeleteIt has had a major effect on higher education and universities as they have had to close and teach online. Borders from overseas students have also been closed. They were quick to change to online learning (Schleicher, 2020); however examinations and practicals have been affected. For practical subjects such as equine and animal studies, this has greatly affected their learning. In colleges and universities practicals are a major part of learning and go towards examinations and coursework. Without these practicals students aren’t getting the ‘hands on’ experience that they will need to be successful in the industry. By reducing the practicals, or pushing them back to when schools are back open, it’s putting a bigger workload on students when they return which then may delay qualifications. These subjects also really on work experience to be completed in order to pass the course which will then have to be completed the following year.
Overall the pandemic is causing schools to be taught from home and online with what resources they have available. For some students this may have a greater impact on and they fall behind on classes because of lack of access to internet and other resources. It is also difficult to get into the mindset when being at home as there isn’t that change of atmosphere and other students/ teachers around as motivation (Burgess and Sievertsen, 2020).
Due to the worldwide pandemic, in March 2020, schools, colleges and universities closed in 150 countries, impacting over 80% of the worlds student population (Muacevic and Adler, 2020). Students that were in their final year of uni did not get the chance to attend a graduation or say goodbye to their friends, students living in halls were potentially left with no where to go, essential practical lectures were postponed, and lessons/lectures/exams were moved online (GOV.uk, 2020). This had a huge impact on all students, but those involved in practical studies including but not limited to medical/veterinary and animal management courses were especially affected as not all essential hands on learning can be done online. Equestrian students involved in the care, training, treatment, or management of horses were unable to continue doing so, especially if there was no access to horses at home.
ReplyDeleteThere are already multiple studies into the well being and mental health of students, Thorley (2017) claimed that levels of mental illness, distress and low well-being in UK higher education students were climbing then, take the pandemic into account and it is safe to assume that students are struggling. Especially those studying subjects they can not fully complete. Academic learning is important in the equine world, but hands on experience for practical roles is where most skills are acquired and those students who are finishing their courses without this experience may not feel as confident going into a new job role. Not only that, what with the future of many equestrian establishments hanging in the balance, there might not be as many job opportunities available to those who left education in 2020, or those leaving in 2021.
Abbie
DeleteFollowing on from this Muacevic and Adler (2020) also comment on the mental health of academic staff. Often the mental health of higher education students is a concern for staff, however there is little focus on the staff themselves. During this pandemic it is likely that teachers/lecturers have lost loved ones, or had to make big changes to their lives, however they have gone on to change their whole teaching method to suit online learning, they have to interact and engage with students through completely different platforms and they have to support their students through an uncertain time when they are unsure themselves. Equestrian lecturers who own their own horses and have been affected by the lock down rules may have lost their own way of releasing the stresses of being an educator and riding instructors have been thrown completely off guard.
DeleteIts easy to get caught up in the economical impact the pandemic is having on the country, but it is important to remember those who are still giving it their best despite a loss of loved ones, jobs, income, access to horses/riding, education, and general support.
Abbie
The equestrian tourism industry is a popular activity in the UK, according to the BETA national survey (2015) over 3 million people went on a riding holiday in 2015, approximately 6% of riders in the UK(OECD 2020)
ReplyDeleteTourism is a significant part of many national economies, the immediate and immense shock to the tourism sector resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the wider community. Restrictions on travel and people to people interactions have led to the industry halting to a standstill (OECD 2020).
In Marrakech, Morocco the prospect of starvation for carriage horses and other animals used in the tourism sector since there are no visitors due to the pandemic. The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad, or SPANA, says hundreds of Morocco’s carriage horses and donkeys are threatened amid the collapsing tourism industry. They are among the estimated 200 million horses, donkeys, camels, and elephants worldwide providing various livelihoods for over a half-billion people (Masaiti 2020).
In the UK the government has implemented a scheme in which businesses may apply for financial help through the pandemic. The furlough scheme which provides 80% of an employee’s usual salary to the cap of £2500 per month, bounce back loans providing loans of up to £50,000 (British Equestrian 2021). That being said, there is no way of predicting how the equine tourism industry will fair once the restrictions are lifted again, and if the businesses don’t do well enough to cover the cost of repayments for loans, will horses have to be sold and businesses be affected again?
To help equine businesses during Covid-19 many charities have formed together to create an Equine Rescues Emergency fund. World Horse Welfare, National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) and The Petplan Charitable Trust (PPCT) have joined together to create an emergency fund for small equine welfare organisations in the UK who have been affected during the pandemic. Many more charities have contributed to the fund to help the organisations who have animals in care that aren’t able to be rehomed, closed to visitors and have had to cancel fundraising events (Petplan Charitable Trust, 2021). By having larger businesses form together to help smaller businesses, will help them when the time comes that they are allowed to reopen again. Most businesses during this time are struggling financially without having visitors and contributions to help keep the business running, and certainly with taking care of the animals it is important that they get the funding to make sure that they are looked after.
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