COVID-19 Letter from Arabian Horse Trainers and Arabian
Farm Owners to fellow Horsemen

Dear Fellow Horsemen,
We are in unprecedented times where the daily activities of the nation and the globe are being impacted. Every day we are facing changes to our work, social, and personal lives. That change can be hard. It is often easy to ignore or not take to heart when we don’t see it as “our problem.” Today we all need to realize COVID-19 is OUR problem. Whatever name you call it or however you look at it, coronavirus, is no longer a far-off distant crisis of “others.” It is here. It is our crisis.

It is time for us to commit to being responsible members of society. As horse
professionals, we cannot separate our businesses, services, or selves out from the
mainstream. When every other non-essential service business is being told to shut their doors for the greater good of others and the community, we do not need to be the last ones standing. When every school and most daycare centers in the country have closed to the public for the well-being of students, we cannot undermine those measures of caution and remain open. When we ignore and do the exact opposite of what the experts are recommending, we are undercutting the sacrifices that every other business and person is making.

It may seem like forging on in the short term and going against the masses is going to make us the victors, but have you thought about if you are the only one open, you are the number one place of risk? We are not above the repercussions monetarily or in mortality. Our clients are facing threats to their jobs, stocks, and health because of the coronavirus. Our peers are facing threats to their income, clients, and health because of the coronavirus. Our lives, the lives of our clients, and the lives of our horses are worth us closing our doors in the short term to assure we are all here in the long term.

President Trump spoke this week that if we do not flatten the curve, “this could be the
new normal into July.” We cannot afford for this to be the new normal through the
summer. We need to give lessons, we need to go to horse shows, we need to sell
horses, and we need the show horse community to be there for our customers to enjoy. Therefore, in the next few weeks, we will shut our doors to the public and assure we are following every recommendation to stop the spread of the coronavirus. If we are not part of the solution, then we are a part of the problem.

We as professional horse trainers, instructors, and breeders, sign our name to vow that we will put the health of the country before all else and will do everything in our power to beat COVID-19. Our barns are closed, but our hearts are open, and we are here to support our industry to survive this crisis and thrive in its wake.