Coronavirus Pandemic Policy

Coronaviruses cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious respiratory infections like bronchitis, pneumonia and severe acute respiratory syndrome. Coronaviruses are spread mainly from person to person through close contact. Those with weakened immune systems may be at higher risk such as older people and/or people with chronic disease (such as diabetes, cancer, heart, renal or chronic lung disease). Most common symptoms are fever, cough, difficulty breathing, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, sore throat and/or runny nose.

Earthbound Farm & Country House will continue to monitor the recommendations received from Public Health, as well as taking direction from our Provincial and Federal leaders on how to proceed through the Pandemic.

Operational Plan

As states of emergency relating to COVID-19 begin to be lifted or phased out, equine farms and equestrian facilities must implement the appropriate protocols to prepare for the return to business operations. The goal of this plan is to provide guidelines that minimize the risk to participants and continue to limit the transmission of COVID-19 during the process of returning to pre-pandemic activity levels.

Therefore, as Earthbound Farm & Country House allows riders to return to the program, additional measures will need to be put in place to ensure a safe and healthy environment for everyone at each site. Supervisors will communicate with all parents, staff, students and/or volunteers the directions and measures that will be taken should we continue to operate as normal.

COVID-19 Preventative Procedures and Policies:

1. A welcome station will be set up just inside the barn office, which will serve as the facility entry point, with hand wash or sanitizer for all persons to wash or disinfect their hands. 
2. All riders can now arrive 30 minutes before their lesson to tack up and stay 30 minutes after their lesson to take care of their horse and equipment. If you prefer not to enter the stable or require your horse to be tacked and un-tacked, please let our office know and we will try and accommodate your request.
3. There will be up to 5 students per each group lesson
4. A maximum of 7 people (including staff) are allowed in the barn at one time.
5. Everyone in the barn is required to wear a mask.
6. There is a limited viewing area in the indoor arena. All parents in the arena are required to wear a mask.
7. Only one parent/guardian is allowed to accompany a rider at one time 
8. While on the property all visitors are to maintain physical distance of two meters in all aspects of operations.
9. In order to minimize the number of people onsite we will implement a schedule that limits the amount of people allowed at the facility at one a time for riding or visiting
   a. Lessons/Visits are scheduled by appointment only.
   b. We will use a sign-in/out sheet so that the people can be easily managed, and, in the event of an outbreak, contact trace-back can be easily facilitated and contained 
10. Restriction of all companion animals from visiting the property and visitors from having physical contact with farm livestock other than their own horse. 
11. Avoid passing things from person to person (buckets, pitchforks and brooms). 
12. All doors will remain open whenever possible, without compromising horse or human safety. 
13. Change clothes, boots, and wash hands before coming to the farm. 
14. Washrooms will be cleaned on a daily basis. We ask parents, after each use please help us keep surfaces sanitized by giving sinks and taps a quick spray with the bleach/water spray solution provided.
15. Tack, equipment and clothing can be vectors of COVID-19. Please ensure your tack is cleaned using saddle soap after each use. Boarders; wherever possible we ask that you please use your own personal saddle pad, grooming kit, crop etc.
16. Disinfection bottles with the appropriate disinfection products will be available to parents so that they can wipe down common surfaces such as chairs and benches before and after use. 
17. Personal water bottles must be labelled and taken home after each visit.
    
    

Do you have any of the following symptoms?

•  Fever
• New or worsening cough
• New or worsening difficulty breathing
• Sore throat

And in the past 14 days, have you:

• Been to a COVID-19 impacted area or facility, or
• Been in close contact (within 3 to 6 feet) with a confirmed (positive laboratory test results) or probable case of COVID-19, or
• Been in close contact with a person with respiratory symptoms/illness who has been to a COVID-19 impacted area or facility

If anyone answers YES to any of the above questions, he/she will not be permitted to enter the stable. If the responses are NO, riders will use hand sanitizer their before entering activity areas. All responses will be recorded on a health screening checklist and kept on file.

Anyone demonstrating any of the above symptoms will be required to need to return home as quickly as possible. Our regular sick policy indicates that children, staff, students and/volunteers must be symptom-free for 24 hours, before returning to the child care centre. During a pandemic, Earthbound Farm & Country House will be extending this to 48 hours of being symptom-free which includes fever, cough, vomiting, diarrhea and/or runny nose. If one appears “under the weather”, we highly recommend for them to stay home and allow time to rest and recover.

Acceptance of Risk