May 2020 Issue

The News East Coast Horse Owners Need To Know OUR TH YEAR 1993 - PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT 280 LANC., PA 17604 Vol. 27 No. 4 May 2020 Inside... (Continued on page 6) By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Riders and trainers with horses at all levels and disci- plines are hoping competitions will return soon, but at this point, no one is able to say exactly when horse showing will return to normal. The best strategy is to follow developments on the official websites of horse showing gov- erning bodies, particularly the US Equestrian Federation. The USEF’s original 30-day suspension of competitions be- came effective March 16, 2020. As states put stay home orders in place, and social distancing became the new norm, USEF followed recommendations by the CDC and extended the sus- pension of competitions through May 3, 2020. USEF strongly recommends that competition organizers suspend all USEF licensed com- petitions across the country and that equestrians do not compete for this same time period. Those competitions that choose to run as allowed by their local rec- ommendations operate without USEF recognition. There is no accumulation or points, scores, money won, qualifications, or rankings toward any USEF award programs, USEF owned events, or selection to a US team during this time period. This includes USEF National Championships. How long the suspension could continue is unknown. “We continue to regular- ly monitor the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on our community and the ability to resume competitions. Due to the continually changing envi- ronment, decision-making is complex and requires careful thought and analysis. As stated in our communication, we will keep our members and organizers Horse Shows Grapple with the Impact of Covid-19 The sight of random people standing shoulder to shoulder, as this photo of Dressage at Devon’s 2018 Ladies Hat Contest winners depicts, seems almost unimaginable in the depths of social distancing brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. When we will return to this formerly normal interaction—and to holding horse shows at all—is anyone’s guess. Photo credit: Hoof Print Images informed about any updates to our position as circumstances warrant or as instructed by Public Health authorities,” USEF Marketing and Communications representative Vicki Lowell stated In press releases USEF rec- ognizes the disruption to every- one, but also stresses the need to consider the safety of all members in this difficult time. Devon Cancels Some major competitions with dates beyond the current sus- pension period have already made the decision to cancel their event. This includes the venerable Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, scheduled for May 21 through 31. The only other time the 124-year- old horse show has been cancelled was during World War II. Other events are hoping to be able to reschedule to fall dates. In order to make this possible, USEF has indicated that Presi- dent, Murray Kessler intends to use his Presidential Modification authority to waive mileage rules and allow for major events to be rescheduled later in the year. USEF reports they are working to develop a fair method for altering qualifications for rescheduled events and are engaging with orga- nizers daily and continue to review situations on a case-by-case basis. “USEF has implemented mechanisms to responsibly manage the competition calendar given the COVID-19 environ- ment. There are many rules that fall under the heading of ‘mile- age rules’ and the majority of them have to do with timelines, Boarding, lesson, training stables make tough choices during shutdown …pg. 4 Therapeutic riding programs look for ways to continue to serve clients … pg. 11 …and much more! Gorgeous horse farms for sale …. pgs. 12-15