Latest Covid Guidance Equestrian Premises | Association of British Riding Schools

LAST UPDATED 18/01/22

New post-Christmas Covid advice issued for Wales, Scotland and England

Wales

The Wales First Minister has announced new restrictions for Wales to help control the spread of the new Omicron Covid variant. As of Boxing Day (26 December), no spectators be permitted at any sporting events in Wales. This will include sporting events at every level and applies to indoor, outdoor, professional and community sports.

This means that any equestrian sporting fixtures running from 26 December in Wales which are likely to attract spectators should take place behind closed doors. This will be subject to review on 6 January.

The guidance from the Welsh Government for employers, businesses and organisations operating under Alert level 0 was updated on 20 December, and any equestrian facilities and businesses are encouraged to review the document and regularly check for any further updates.

The Welsh government also have guidance for businesses and organisations on reasonable measures action cards to cover a number of facilities and events, which are updated regularly and should be useful for any equine businesses.

Scotland

COVID-19 Update 18th January 2022

Yesterday the First Minister gave an update to the Scottish Parliament on COVID-19 restrictions and while the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is still continuing to infect a large number of people, there is evidence to suggest that the wave of the virus has peaked and we are now on a downward trajectory. While this is a welcome update, she still stressed that we need to continue to follow public health protection measures. These are as follows…

Temporary Restrictions – the remaining guidance that was introduced on 26th December will be lifted on Monday 24th January which means that

Adult indoor contact sport can resume
Indoor live event audiences can return
The 1m physical distancing requirement between groups in indoor public places will no longer be required.

Indoor and Outdoor events with attendances of greater than 1000 – there is a requirement to check the COVID certification of at least 50% of the attendees or 1000 people, whichever is greater.

Baseline measures – the mitigation measures that were put in place before Omicron and being retained and will not be extended, at this time, to other premises. However this will be reconsidered if the situation changes. These measures include the use of face coverings in all indoor public places.

England

The Prime Minister has confirmed that there will be no new Covid restrictions for England before Christmas but has not ruled out any further measures afterwards. It has also been announced that people infected with Covid in England can stop self-isolating after seven days, instead of the previous ten, if they show two negative lateral flow tests on days six and seven.

What this means for equestrian activity

As with England, any equestrian activity in both Wales and Scotland can continue with mitigating measures in place, including risk assessments, but should be reviewed to comply with the advice indicated above. Further updates from all home nations are expected over the coming days and weeks, so British Equestrian is asking stakeholders to follow the news.

“The situation is rapidly changing and with differing requirements across the nations, so I’d urge the equestrian community to exercise caution and remain vigilant,” said Chief Executive Jim Eyre. “It’s important you follow the news in your area to makes sure you’re up to date with any rules and guidance in place during the festive period and beyond. We’ll continue to monitor any updates and publish guidance to ensure activity can continue, provided it’s within any government requirements. Keep public mixing to a minimum, make sure you test before meeting others, wear a face-covering indoors and practice good hand hygiene in order to keep yourself and those around you safe.”

British Equestrian, working alongside the British Horse Society, and its member bodies, has been consulting with government on the restricted use of covered arenas and indoor schools, which had a major impact on the industry during the previous periods of lockdown. Collectively, existing research findings have been compiled, and a new study has also been commissioned, which puts forward a strong case that the application of the Smoke-free (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations 2006 on equestrian riding facilities does not take into account their size and volume.

The submission is currently under review with Defra and we’ll keep up the momentum to try and keep our facilities open should there be another lockdown. In the meantime, any equestrian premises which use indoor or covered riding facilities, are encouraged to write to their MPs outlining their concerns for their business and the resulting impact on equine welfare, should any or all of the country come under lockdown.

COVID UPDATE 11/12/2021

The government’s COVID Plan B brought in for England

The government announced on Wednesday that England will move to ‘Plan B’ in response to the risks of the Omicron COVID variant.

For those living in England, this means:

From 10 December, face coverings will be required by law in most indoor settings.
From 13 December, office workers who can work from home should do so.
From 15 December, certain venues and events will be required by law to check that all visitors aged 18 years or over are fully vaccinated, have proof of a negative test in the last 48 hours, or have an exemption.

Apart from the legal requirements outlined in Plan B, these new restrictions shouldn’t have any major impact on activity within the equestrian industry. In support of Plan B and helping to mitigate the risk of transmission of the virus, British Equestrian recommends:

Keeping yourself and others safe through mask-wearing indoors where indicated, and following hygiene measures including hand-washing and sanitisation.
Having an awareness of COVID symptoms, self-isolating if required, and conducting regular testing with free lateral flow tests, available via the NHS, your local pharmacy or test collection points.
Take-up of COVID vaccination and boosters when invited
Checking with venues for any COVID pass requirements/restrictions they may have in place before attending, and complying with these during your visit.

This article will be updated accordingly and the current guidance from British Equestrian can be found here: British Equestrian Covid News

Further Informaion:

Plan B information for England – Coronavirus: how to stay safe and help prevent the spread – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

For Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, there are no recent changes in requirements, please see below for current guidance:

Wales – https://gov.wales/coronavirus

Scotland – https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/

Northern Ireland – https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/coronavirus-covid-19