George Morris at Carolina Horse Park

[MHM]

@Cinderella

Can we pretty please keep the mask debate in Off Topic?

I don’t look at Off Topic, so I don’t know if there are a thousand threads on the subject.

But the use of masks at horse shows is definitely on topic, since the horse shows could come to a screeching halt again if enough people choose to flout the USEF rules.

[Mara]

@trubandloki

It seems strange that with the endless number of threads debating the whole Covid thing we had to turn this one into yet another Covid debate.

I too am wondering the question that is up thread that it seems like has not been answered. What happened with GM at the show? Did he just leave?

Second this. Does everything have to be all COVID, all the time??

[Mara]

@MHM

I don’t look at Off Topic, so I don’t know if there are a thousand threads on the subject.

But the use of masks at horse shows is definitely on topic, since the horse shows could come to a screeching halt again if enough people choose to flout the USEF rules.

Someone could start (another) separate mask-and-COVID thread in this sub forum…

[merrygoround]

@Mara

Someone could start (another) separate mask-and-COVID thread in this sub forum…

But Mommy, “Angels Six” started it! Send her to another thread.

:lol::lol::lol:

[rothmpp]

@blue_heron

Absolutely untrue. People who contracted COVID in the very beginning and have been released from hospitalization and “cured” are dealing with damage to their lungs and circulation comparative or worse than people who have been life-long smokers, cancer patients, and the like. There are symptoms you will not come back from, and in people who are perfectly healthy previously.

I still don’t understand why even if the symptoms “only” last you five years until your body repairs from significant damage, you wouldn’t try to prevent this by staying home when appropriate and wearing your GD mask? I just don’t see how this encroaches on your personal liberties, and how you think potentially exposing others isn’t encroaching on their personal liberties. I don’t know how to explain that you should care about others. Sometimes it’s just not about you (and it could be about you).

First of all - nowhere in there did I specify whether I wear a mask or not. What you read into it what I said says more about you than me.

And absolutely untrue that everyone hospitalized has permanent long term lung damage. By no means am I saying no one has long term damage, but saying that everyone who may be hospitalized will be permanently damaged is unnecessarily alarmist.

[JFJ]

@blue_heron

…Are probably the same people who think that the government installed COVID trackers on their phone with the latest update, are probably the same people who repost FB articles without even opening the link, are proabably the same people who think there’s real evidence that Obama is from Haiti, are probably the same people who think All Lives Matter, are probably the same people who think police brutality will end via peaceful protest/is fine because cops kill white people too… I don’t know if it’s a personality but it sure is a type…

As for the mask thing: I have allergic asthma and am asked to wear a mask when I ride at the barn. Yes, sometimes I have to take a breather in the middle of the ring and take the mask off my nose, and I bring my inhaler to the barn… so much better than the alternative of contracting a potentially fatal virus or dealing with the guilt that I gave it to someone if someone in the barn got it-- even if I technically have an excuse not to “mask up.”

Well the Covid tracker did show up on my latest up date… ???

You have to RIDE with your mask on? I haven’t heard anyone else doing that, is that happening at a lot of barns?

[Salty]

The jocks wore masks while riding the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

[MHM]

@Salty

The jocks wore masks while riding the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

I’m guessing your average jockey is probably quite a bit more fit and tough than your average horse show exhibitor.

[Mardi]

@JFJ

You have to RIDE with your mask on? I haven’t heard anyone else doing that, is that happening at a lot of barns?

Not at our barn, or the one next door. Very few, if any, ride with masks.

[Dressagehopeful]

To continue the off topic thread. . . Years ago, before I started taking flovent, I managed my allergy-induced (horse-induced) asthma by wearing a mask at all times (including riding) while at the barn. This was in Virginia, where riding in 90+ degree F heat is standard throughout the summer. Yes it was hot. Yes it was uncomfortable. And no, I am not a trained athlete but an average rider in average condition. But one gets used to it, and it’s not that big a deal, particularly when taken in the context of preventing transmission of a virus that could hospitalize or kill a friend, a neighbor, a friend’s elderly parents, et al. Even if the person recovers, why is it somehow not a big deal to transmit a disease that could hospitalize that person and put the person into ICU and on a ventilator?

[hb]

@Salty

The jocks wore masks while riding the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Jockeys get closer to each other than show or recreational riders though. Their horses can be right up against each other.

I’m 100% in favor of masking to prevent transmission of the virus and am the ONLY person that wears a mask in our local feedstore, including the owner and employees, but riding with a mask doesn’t seem critical due to the ability to maintain distance.

[blue_heron]

@JFJ

Well the Covid tracker did show up on my latest up date… ???

You have to RIDE with your mask on? I haven’t heard anyone else doing that, is that happening at a lot of barns?

For a while, yes, all the time. Now just in the indoor. I know of other barns that have implemented the same policy. It is up to the owner/manager.

[BAC]

@Salty

The jocks wore masks while riding the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

And also in the Belmont Stakes, and the other races on Belmont Day.

[blue_heron]

@Mara

Second this. Does everything have to be all COVID, all the time??

Yes, because there’s a current pandemic, and we should talk about it until people realize it’s not just going away if we ignore it.

[trubandloki]

@blue_heron

Yes, because there’s a current pandemic, and we should talk about it until people realize it’s not just going away if we ignore it.

I am not sure that is a reason to turn every thread into yet another discussion about the pandemic. I doubt there is anyone who does not know about it.

Sometimes it does our brain some good to think about things other than the pandemic though. Even if that something is yet again GM.

[blue_heron]

@rothmpp

First of all - nowhere in there did I specify whether I wear a mask or not. What you read into it what I said says more about you than me.

And absolutely untrue that everyone hospitalized has permanent long term lung damage. By no means am I saying no one has long term damage, but saying that everyone who may be hospitalized will be permanently damaged is unnecessarily alarmist.

You are upset that I assumed you do/don’t wear a mask and then immediately made the assumption that I said everyone who contracts the virus is damaged indefinitely… ok.

The fact that you need to point out whether you do/don’t wear a mask tells me what I need to know. I fail to see why it is bad conduct to err on the side of caution.

[IPEsq]

@jumpsnake

I never liked his style and think he has no business being there.

However- approaching him sans mask right now? Are they trying to kill him off? How stupid.

This is where the mask thing started on this thread, on page 1. GM is of a high risk age, so I suppose it’s relevant.

[TheMoo]

@IPEsq

This is where the mask thing started on this thread, on page 1. GM is of a high risk age, so I suppose it’s relevant.

It’s still irrelevant because GM wouldn’t have to worry about unmasked people at USEF shows if he say complied with his ban.

I do agree with the others that not every thread needs to turn into Covid.

[atl_hunter]

@BAC

And also in the Belmont Stakes, and the other races on Belmont Day.

And we would of course expect them to wear masks as they cannot possibly maintain social distancing whilst loading the horses in the starting gate. At a horse show, however, it is very easy to maintain a 6’ social distance from another rider. We don’t line up in a starting gate with a starting gate crew to act as a header as with horse racing. Glad to see they are complying with the guidelines and taking it seriously.

[MHM]

@atl_hunter

And we would of course expect them to wear masks as they cannot possibly maintain social distancing whilst loading the horses in the starting gate. At a horse show, however, it is very easy to maintain a 6’ social distance from another rider. We don’t line up in a starting gate with a starting gate crew to act as a header as with horse racing. Glad to see they are complying with the guidelines and taking it seriously.

I’ve seen many pictures lately of exercise riders at the track wearing masks in the morning as well, although I’m sure they’re not all breaking every horse from the gate.