Horse Owner COVID-19 Lock Down Survey by Helen Roberts, Director of XV Insight
62% of those that normally hack out on public roads and tracks have stopped
70% of those who normally do fast work/jumping at home have stopped
in place. As the equestrian sector starts to re-open and ‘Stay at Home’ restrictions come to an end (at least for now) we take a look back at horse owners experiences through ‘lockdown’.
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What horse owners did, and didn’t, do Most owners reduced the amount of riding and driving activity with their horses: Competitions, rallies and travelled to lessons all came to a stop. 70% of riders stopped fast work and jumping at home and 62% of those who usually hack out stopped doing so. However, some activities saw some increases, with almost two- thirds of owners doing as much or more schooling and doing flatwork at home than before lockdown. Most owners (82%) continued doing in-hand work with almost half of those people saying they were doing more than before lock-down. Over third of owners spent more ‘quality-time’ with their horse during lockdown. The trend seen in home DIY and decorating was also reflected among horse owners, with 40% spending more time on yard and field maintenance.
Not to be reproduced without permission All enquiries to:
info@xvinsight.com
Main worries Fear of catching or spreading COVID-19 influenced horse owners behaviour, as did a worry of getting hurt and needing hospital treatment. However, the biggest worries were around care of their horses. In particular, being able to get to their horse if not kept at home and care of their horse if either they are ill or their horse needed veterinary treatment. Sadly, the other big area of concern is around money, with 55% of owners worried about whether they could afford to keep their horse. A positive legacy from this crisis is that two-thirds of owners now have a clear and shared Care Plan for their horses in the event of an emergency.
© 2020 XV Insight Limited
Care and Information Vets were generally very good at keeping their owners informed, either individually or via their websites and social media. Video and telephone consultations increased considerably, an approach that may well continue into the future as a more efficient and cost-effective approach for some veterinary care. Farriers typically did not publish information, but rather communicated with owners one-to-one. 97% of owners have been happy with the service they have had through lockdown from their farriers. 77% of horse owners turned to equestrian organisations (BHS, BEF etc.) for information during the crisis and that will likely continue as they navigate the easing of lockdown restrictions.
The impact on spend and the equestrian trade Financial worries, enforced closure of businesses, stoppage of teaching etc. have all had huge negative effect on the equestrian sector. 91% of those self-employed as trainers, instructors, grooms etc. saw their hours and income drop or stop. Whilst there is some activity now starting it will likely take a long time for volume of work to return to pre-COVID levels as owners find themselves with less money to spend. For the equestrian retail sector, non-essential businesses were forced to shut premises. While online trade continued, sales of riding equipment (in particular clothing and show-kit) dropped considerably with over a third of horse owners
6 THE SUMMER SPECIAL 2020
hen the COVID-19 lockdown began in March, XV Insight carried out research to find out how horse owners were adapting to, and coping with, the restrictions that were put
82% are still working their horses in-hand 61% are still doing still doing flatwork at home
36% of owners are spending more “quality time” with their horses
cutting back or stopping spend. The response from Livery Yards Livery Yards varied in response to the crisis. Most put social distancing rules in place. Around half put restrictions on who could come to the yard, typically banning non-owners. A quarter of DIY yards and 40% of full livery yards set specific times for owners to visit ad/or limited the length of time they could stay. A very small number of DIY yards (5%) banned owners, though this was typically because of health concerns for the yard owner. This rose to 37% of owners being banned from yards where their horses were on full livery. 73% of owners with horses on livery agreed with the changes their yard made. There are examples of yard owners supporting key workers and their horses without any additional charge. 16% felt their yard had not done enough, perhaps reflecting the lack of clear measures in place in some yards, particularly around shared areas and equipment. A small number of owners reported examples of yards that were not allowing them on the premises and were then charging extra for the additional care being provided by the yard. These owners clearly felt they were being treated unfairly.
© 2020 XV Insight Limited
Not to be reproduced without permission All enquiries to:
info@xvinsight.com
Recovery and Learning The economic damage to the sector, across equestrian trade, freelancers and individual owners financial circumstances is huge and the potential long-term effects continue to cause considerable concern. However, as we come out of lockdown, most owners fears around the care of their horses have thankfully not been realised. Vets and farriers are generally providing a full service, albeit with some alterations to process where necessary. More riding activity is happening now including the restarting of rallies, teaching and competitions. We therefore look forward with hope and optimism for horse owners and all those involved in the equestrian sector over the coming months and years.
About the research The XV Insight horse owner survey explored the experiences of horse owners across the UK. It looked at what horse owners did do during the lockdown, their experiences with vets and farriers, changes in their spending habits, the worries they had and where they are getting information from. The research was conducted via an online survey promoted to horse owners through social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram). Further details can be found at
https://xvinsight.com/coronavirus-horse-owner-survey/ A total of 680 horse owners across UK took part between March and May 2020.
About XV Insight XV Insight is a Warwickshire-based market research agency founded in 2017.
https://xvinsight.com/. The company is led by Helen Roberts a market research expert with 30 years of experience in the sector. XV Insight works with clients across sectors including travel & tourism, sport & leisure, retail and healthcare. Clients include both private and public sector organisations.
For further information please contact: Helen Roberts, Director XV Insight Email:
helen@xvinsight.com Tel: 07500 005449
For the latest news visit
www.centralhorsenews.co.uk
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