As the primary concern of the Government is to avoid the mass pandemic as experienced in other parts of the World, horse owners are facing a range of restrictions to their normal practices. It is expected that the mandatory social distancing, washing of hands and minimal movements from your home are the prime directive.
For horse owners who do not enjoy the experience of living on the same property as their horses, this has proven to be problematic. Agistment of horses is a common occurrence, in particular in the peri urban areas of Australia.
There are a range of ways in which agistment of horses may occur from full service (feeding, rugging, exercise, cleaning stables/paddocks and organising essential services such as farrier, dental check etc..) to largely do it yourself. Some horses live in paddocks, some are fully stabled, and some have a combination of both so exercise requirements also vary.
Something agistment proprietors can do for their horse owning clients is; provide a document which clearly states where the agistment facility is, how many horses are on agistment, who is the owner (therefore legally responsible for good welfare outcomes) and what care is provided by the horse owner. Detail such as feeding, checking adequate water, keeping paddocks or stables clean, meeting service providers such as farriers or dental technicians and providing adequate exercise to their horses can be included. A key factor when dealing with horses is to remember, like going for a swim, NEVER do it on your own! Having an extra pair of eyes around if you are feeding your horse, changing rugs and especially when excercising is good risk management.