Covid-19 Precautions

We are committed to making your or your child’s experience as safe as possible during these challenging times. We decided to offer our programs beginning July 2020 based on research documenting low transmission rates outdoors. We also feel that connecting with horses may be especially helpful to some during this period of human social distancing.

We are taking several precautions at our facility. We adhere to the guidelines outlined by the Department of Agriculture (last updated 3/22/21), specifically intended for horseback riding and similar programs. We are happy to discuss our protocols with you in greater depth.

Mask Policy

As protocols and norms are shifting rapidly in different settings, we wanted to take the opportunity to clarify our mask policy. We serve a wide range of participants, including many with medical conditions that make them high risk for COVID-19. For this reason, we are following the guidance issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for public schools in Massachusetts. This guidance is more conservative than the guidance issued by the CDC.

  • Indoors (e.g., in the barn), masks are required for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals

  • Outdoors, masks are optional for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals

  • Certain individuals may be exempt from the mask requirement indoors, in line with the guidance set forth by the MA Department of Public Health

Our policy applies equally to participants and their family members or guests as well as volunteers, instructors, and staff. 100% of our current staff and volunteers are fully vaccinated.

We want everyone to feel comfortable coming to the barn. Please be aware that you have the following rights as participants in our programs:

  • You have the right to request that any instructors, staff or volunteers working with your family member continue to wear masks, even outdoors

  • You can request that your family member only work with support staff that are fully vaccinated

  • You can request an exemption to the mask mandate based on the DPH guidelines

Please submit all requests for accommodations before starting programming, if possible. It is possible that we will hire new staff or volunteers that are not vaccinated. We will not share the vaccination status of any specific person, but we are happy to inform you of the overall vaccination rate of our team. If you have any questions or concerns about our mask policy, please do not hesitate to be in touch.

COVID-19 Symptoms and Participation

We follow protocols in line with the local public schools, which were developed based on CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health guidelines.

Covid-19 Symptoms

A participant may not participate in a scheduled lesson/treatment at the barn if they have any of the following symptoms:

  • Fever 100F or higher

  • Cough

  • Difficulty breathing

  • Shortness of breath

  • Loss of taste or smell

  • Sore throat

  • Headache (with one or more other symptoms)

  • Muscle/body aches

  • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

  • Fatigue

  • Nasal congestion, runny nose (with one or more other symptoms)

A participant may return to normal activities at the barn if they are fever-free without the use of medication for at least 24 hours prior to the activity AND a) they quarantine for 10 days OR b) provide documentation for a negative COVID-19 test.

Exposure to a person who tested positive

A participant may not participate in a scheduled lesson/treatment at the barn if they have had close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. Close contact is defined as:

  • Living in the same household as someone who tested positive

  • Caring for a sick person who has tested positive

  • Being within 6 feet of a sick person who has tested positive for 10-15 continuous minutes

  • Being in direct contact with secretions or body fluids of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 while you are not wearing PPE

  • Being with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 within 48 hours before they showed symptoms or within 48 hours of when they were tested (if the person was/is not symptomatic)

A participant may return to normal activities at the barn if they are fever-free without the use of medication for at least 24 hours prior to the activity AND a) they quarantine for 14 days OR b) they quarantine for at least seven days with documentation of a negative COVID-19 test taken on day 5 or after.