Jo Parkman, who lives in France, says that riding schools were shut straight away but pretty soon all yards were also shut. You could only go to your horses if they weren’t on livery. So if you had DIY, which is rare in France, or you had your horses at home you could carry on pretty much as normal. Riding was discouraged but not banned. Confusion was caused by being told that people could ride if their horses couldn’t be ridden by the livery yard which caused a certain amount of chaos. Since Monday however, everything is open again and riding has to some extent returned to normal. Anyone who makes a journey in France must have a printed form to say where they are going and for what purpose.


Things are far from being back to normal but the sound of those hooves bought a smile to my face as it meant that the world is making little steps to recovery.


As the Island closed its doors and shut down, I found that one of the positives that has come out of this crisis is discovering new ways to communicate with each other. I now thoroughly enjoy a cup of virtual coffee with friend and attend a virtual pub quiz on a Sunday night. I have even been able to have virtual riding lessons curtesy of my Pixem camera system with my friend Karen back home in Oxfordshire. Durante and I are beamed onto her computer live all the way from here to Swalcliffe, that is one thing that I shall certainly carry on with.


Marty Wheeler Davison


I was a little concerned that horse feed would be in short supply after witnessing the great loo roll scandal unfurl in supermarkets across England. Interestingly the only place that didn’t run out was the wonderful local shop, Norris’s, here in Niton. I was rather hoping that the panic buying didn’t happen with shavings - the horse equivalent of loo paper ! Very sensibly, everything at the local animal feed supply shop was rationed, so they ensured that everyone got and are still getting everything that they need.


Horses have been totally absent from the roads over here, with no one hacking out. My few trips out in six weeks were purely for voluntary purposes delivering food and prescriptions. Each trip felt like a mission and was eerily quiet with mine frequently being the only vehicle on the road; in fact, it is a time that would have been ideal for hacking out! They are however, a supremely responsible set of riders over here and no one put themselves or others at risk.


Today is the first day I have been out for a drive. There are more vehicles on the road and this morning I heard the reassuring clip clop of hooves going down the road.


Please mention Central Horse News What’s On when responding to advertisements June/July 2020 31


Jo Parkman


As Shows right across England have been cancelled the popularity of the online show and dressage sites has really taken off, and with no immediate end to social distancing in sight these online competitions have certainly come into their own, giving riders a great focus in the months ahead. I even entered Durante for Virtual Windsor, just so I could say in the coming years that he had entered, I think that is the closest we will get!


So, who knows what the future holds, I would rather not have a crystal ball with this one. Nevertheless, I will say that we are a resilient lot, us horse riders, and we will definitely Keep Calm and Carry on in what ever format is available to us in these


unprecedented times.


Stay Safe.


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