Letter from the Publisher
A MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION by Carrie Hull, Equiery Publisher & MHC Executive Director
April 2020 will certainly be one for the history books. Te Maryland horse community has been faced with significant interruptions to our daily routines and our businesses. Since Governor Hogan signed the “Stay at Home” Executive Order on March 30, the Maryland Horse Council has made every effort to clarify the components of essential activities for proper horse care. We have communicated with several state agencies and consulted the Interpretive Guidances issued by the Governor’s Office of Legal Counsel in order to bring you the best in- terpretive guidelines for the Maryland horse industry and larger com- munity. Tese guidelines were released on April 17 and include a series of best practices. Te document is available at: https://mdhorsecouncil. org/c19resources#guidelines-best-practices-for-the-maryland-horse- community-updated-april-16-2020 As a reminder and as noted in the preamble to the document:
“Tese best practices/interpretive guidelines produced by the Maryland Horse Council (MHC) are based on Executive Orders and various De- partment Guidelines as of 4/13/20; MHC will make every effort to re- view and revise in a timely fashion when Executive Orders or Depart- ment Guidelines are updated. Tese are Interpretive guidelines and are not binding. Barn owners or operators of equestrian facilities are urged to consult with their own legal counsel, accountants and insurance providers for advice about the Governor’s Orders and the corresponding Office of Legal Counsel Interpretive Guidance, and their applications to their own unique business circumstances. Te Maryland Horse Council is not a regulatory body; it is an um-
brella association for all horse organizations, horse farms, equine-related businesses, non-profits, charities and horse owners. MHC advocates for the equestrian community at the state level on matters of legislative and regulatory affairs. Te MHC Executive Committee is in regular com- munication with the various agencies and departments which regulate activities and businesses related to horses, including, but not limited to, the Maryland Department of Agriculture, the Maryland Horse Indus- try Board (housed at the Department of Agriculture), the Department of Natural Resources, and others.”
I want to thank the Executive Committee for their incredible efforts to create these comprehensive guidelines and for their commitment and
dedication this month as we’ve grappled with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. We meet weekly for emergency meetings to strategize our industry and community-wide response. In fact, we are collaborating now with industry partners like Maryland Fund for Horses, the state’s safety net resource for individuals and now licensed stables relying on lesson in- come, and licensed rescues and sanctuaries.
MHC Goes Virtual At the Maryland Horse Council, we have opened up all lines of com-
munication and appreciate your feedback and commentary. Tank you to everyone who has communicated with us thus far. Please continue to keep us informed about what is happening at your barns, within your own associations, and within your local communities. We continue to be your one common voice across Maryland’s horse community and indus- try and YOUR opinions matter. In order to be of better service and to provide as many resources as pos- sible during this COVID-19 crisis, we have opened up many programs that would normally be reserved for our members to the entire Maryland equine community. On April 14, MHC conducted our first virtual Town Hall. Five panelists provided over 80 participants with an overview of COVID-19 financial relief resources available on a county, state, and fed- eral basis. An interview with one of the panelists, Grier Melick, can be read on page 37 of this issue. Tis Q&A style interview addresses many of the common questions from the Town Hall. We will still provide member-only resources to the public during this
crisis. If you are not currently a member, we ask that you consider joining if you are able, so that we may continue to offer such programs. We real- ize that times are difficult and uncertain, so if you are unable to do so at this time, we certainly understand. However, when all this is behind us, and one day it will be, we ask that you keep us in mind.
Collaberation for Equine Wellfare At the beginning of April, the Maryland Equine Transition Service
(METS) announced this new collaboration with the Maryland Fund for Horses. Details of the collaboration, “COVID-19 Relief Efforts in Sup- port of Maryland’s Equines and the People Who Love Tem” can be viewed on page 26 of this issue. We collectively anticipate greater equine welfare needs across the state as the crisis continues and as we approach a recovery period. Often, the impact on welfare is not seen in these initial months, but instead can be seen as time wears on. It is imperative that continued...
MHC Represents You!
Like all primarily volunteer membership organizations, we constantly work to grow. Without dues-paying members, we would not exist. Without people willing to take on leadership roles, we would be silent. We hope that you will join or renew your dues, encourage your friends to join our work, come to our Quarterly meetings, and look through our web site to see where you can lend your talents to what we are doing. We look forward to working with you in service to the horse and Maryland’s equestrian community,
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join.mdhorsecouncil.org www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 MAY 2020 | THE EQUIERY | 7
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