Why I Choose to Ride During a Pandemic

If you know me in real life, you’ll know that I’m a rule follower. It’s part of my DNA. I have respect for authority, and pretty much I do what I’m told. Following instructions is paramount to me, after all, I’m a teacher which means I can’t do my job well unless students adhere to rules. There would be no learning without discipline and order.

One other thing about me is I HATE controversy. I just want everyone to get along and be nice. During election season, I have to distance myself from Facebook because the back and forth between the left and the right stresses me out. Civil discourse is one thing, but as you know, the civil part tends to go out the window when political passions run high.

Right now the uncomfortable truth I have been holding close is that I am still riding during this national crisis. In fact, I’m riding more frequently than I normally am able to when life is “normal.”

For my fellow equestrians who have been banned from their barns I have great empathy. This is a stressful time and I’m guessing 99.9% of horse folk find time in the saddle lessens the stress. I know many of my friends are not just missing the act of riding, but also missing the connection with their horse.

Our horses are ripe with personality and to temporarily take leave from that friendship is a loss. If you are reading this and are currently unable to see your horse, I’m so sorry. It totally sucks. 🙁

A few weeks ago when I read the declaration that equestrian activities in California were deemed “essential,” I was relieved. When my school closed for what was going to be two weeks, then a month, and now for the rest of the year, I had mixed feelings, but also a weight had been lifted.

Just as the corona virus cases were starting to be reported in Los Angeles, my school was supposed to have its annual open house. I will admit I was apprehensive. The thought of being in close proximity to scores of parents and shaking hands was troubling. I discussed with a fellow teacher putting a sign up on my door, “Sorry, no handshaking tonight,” or wearing a dress with pockets and just keeping my hands shoved deep into them.

I felt particularly vulnerable as classrooms are basically large Petri dishes filled with who knows what, and many families in our community frequently travel internationally, with several possessing business interests in Asia.

I was trying to up my game by cleaning the 36 desktops, 36 backs of chairs and classroom door as much as I could–which at the peak, was only twice a day.

I could not keep up with the influx of six different classes coming in and out in the course of a day.

When the open house was canceled the day before it was to occur, I breathed a sigh of relief.

When the announcement came that teaching would transition to online, I breathed another sigh of relief.

When I went to the barn and saw spray bottles of bleach, Clorox wipes and Ziplocs with rags plump with a bleach mixture, I felt safe.

When I saw my fuzzy-forelocked best friend, I was grateful.

You see, 2019 was for me a year of personal “pandemic.” I won’t go into the heart-wrenching details here, but I was dealt some blows which killed off several aspects of my world and I’m still healing. When my personal life was upended last spring I couldn’t eat, I had to take extended time off work and the only thing that made me feel better was riding Knight.

My life only made sense when I was at the barn.

There were many times I just walked between the paddocks and fields and the perimeter of the property–I tended to stay away from the arena as it felt too confining.

Knight and I wandered really.

I needed to be with my horse going forward somewhere, because going forward in real life seemed impossible.

Riding around with no agenda has always soothed my soul, like the time I was grieving the tragic death of a former student.

If you’ve been following along on Saddle Seeks Horse for some time, you probably know that Knight is an hour and a half away from me. During the school year I only get to see him on weekends because with LA rush-hour traffic that drive one way is closer to 2-2.5 hours.

I’ve felt terribly guilty that with the new teaching flexibility afforded to me due to online education, I’ve been rejoicing in the fact I get to see my horse now more frequently than I have in years! While others’ worlds have shrunk during this current state of affairs, the one “world” that brings me the most joy has been made more readily available to me!

Grappling with this tension, our world has changed and people are dying from COVID-19 and my world has significantly improved, I was feeling bad after reading some Facebook posts in which writers were arguing against the morality of riding during this time.

As I scrolled through the comments, some shocked me. If I recall correctly, one person was lashing out at people who continued to ride insinuating they were selfish and looked upon the people unable to ride (due to restrictions at their boarding barns) as peasants. Other people chimed in that if they were still able to ride because a) their horse was on their property or b) their boarding facility was still open, they would ride because this is a stressful time and for mental health’s sake, they needed to ride. It was pretty ugly.

Can’t we all just get along?

Can’t we all agree that our land is vast and horse keeping situations diverse, and what might be the right decision for someone in New York might not be the right decision for someone in Arizona? What works and is safe in Wisconsin might not work or be safe in Washington?

While driving the 85 miles to the barn the other day I called my sister and confided in her I was feeling uncomfortable. “Is it bad for me to ride? If I fall off and break my arm, will I be taking a medical team and resources away from helping someone who can’t breathe because of corona virus? Am I a bad citizen?”

She said, “Ask the farm owner what he thinks.”

Genius! I would have never thought of that!

When I arrived at the farm, I entered the office using a Clorox wipe in my hand to open the door. I saw the owner at his desk.

“I have a moral dilemma,” I said from six feet away. “Should I be riding during this time? If I fall and break my arm and have to go to the hospital, will I be taking away a doctor and medical team from more important cases with this virus?”

“If you fall and break your arm, you won’t need the ICU and a ventilator. And I know how to set an arm,” he smiled. I’m not sure if this is true, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he could set an arm because he’s a lifelong farmer/rancher type and I know they can do just about anything.

“Well that’s reason enough to NOT fall!” I laughed. We chatted a bit more and then I walked to Knight’s pipe corral and collected him to take him up to the cross ties which I wiped with a cloth that had been in a bleach solution in a Ziploc. I groomed him, tacked him up and had a nice ride, during which I escaped the news and my pain.

For now, I’m comfortable to continue my new normal: my expanded equestrian routine. Should things change and the farm need to close to boarders, I will be okay with it. After all, I follow the rules.

Question: Are you still able to ride and see your horse these days? If yes, have you modified your routine at the barn? If no, how are you holding up? 

Thanks for reading and tally ho!

Join my email list for horse-centric people just like you and me. CLICK HERE to get the scoop about fun new products, horse stories and equestrian inspiration via twice-a-month emails. No spam.

Trot along with Knight and me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.