The last time I went riding was March 2020 right before covid hit.
Next month I’m gonna look into starting up lessons again (I haven’t had lessons since 2019 when I moved from Arkansas to Florida)
Is there any difference between pre covid and post covid? I’m super excited to ride again soon and learn more English riding as I’ve mostly done western (W,T,C and barrels). I am vaccinated if that makes a difference
I worked at a lesson barn both pre and post Covid. How any lesson barn is handling it really varies. Most of the barns I’ve been at recently (late 2021, SoCal) seem completely “back to normal” (few people masking, not a lot of sanitizing/substandard sanitizing, lots of people coming and going, etc.). However, this area is NOT experiencing a big spike (hospitalizations and such are on the decline again). It was similar at the few horse shows I saw. There are still people masked/sanitizing, but it is somewhat distressing considering the pandemic isn’t actually over.
As far as lesson differences? Most barns stopped group lessons but are getting back to them now. I’ve found there are currently a LOT of beginners/re-riders at this point so a lot of lesson barns are backed up/short horses.
Pretty much no difference here. Pre-vaccination my instructor and I were careful of social distancing and I would ensure I didn’t handle her end of the comm system as much as possible. In general at my barn we would avoid having >1 person at a time in the tack room or feed room, but the rest is open air and easy to keep a safe distance.
Just ask the barn/program whether they are following specific measures that you should be aware of.
I’ve not been at public lesson barns, but at private barns where everyone lessons on their own horse, things aren’t much different. We have a few bottles of hand sanitizer around, we generally chat outdoors instead of in the tack room, and many of us have our own headsets now instead of using the shared barn ones.
Most barns appear to be back to normal (if that is an appropriate term), regarding scheduling lessons. Some say they do require masks for children too young to be vaccinated if the kids are in close contact with one another (like at summer camps). But I’m not sure how strictly that’s enforced.
The big difference seems to be more and more people are riding post-COVID, so barns are less eagerly shopping for new riders.
What is this post-covid you all are referring to?
My $.02 you still need to take precautions.
Riding is dangerous, hospitals are full.
Nothing changed at my barn, except we are a lot busier. Our numbers have been low and face to face at school all of last year except for two days virtual, same this year so far.
And in NY we are soon to have a lot lesson employees at the hospital with the law about having to be vaccinated.
On the original topic - because of Covid I would call around to lesson barns to see about scheduling a visit or to ask your questions instead of just showing up at a lesson barn.
Riding is dangerous, hospitals are full.
well waking up each morning is dangerous as that is the time of day when you are most likely to have a heart attack…and these most often are the more serious heart attacks
…I never said covid was over and I’m aware riding is dangerous.
That doesn’t mean we live in a plastic bubble until covid disappears. I take all the precautions of mask ect.
Riding in a car is dangerous, crossing the street is dangerous, life is dangerous. Should I sit on the couch and not move till covid is over?
Some of us have had to pretty much do nothing for 1.5 years 
. Last summer was supposed to be “the year” for me and my driving mini. Then this year. Now I’m vaccinated and good to go but the hospitals are full and there is no staff and pts are being transferred out of state, so I’m not driving much again (and I had just restarted) just because my health sucks and covid sucks and driving is risky. However, I’m not you and I hope you find a nice place to have lessons. I’m jealous!
That’s what “post” means. After.
Lol, suggesting caution isn’t suggesting you stay home and not move or live in a plastic bubble. 
I’m fully aware of caution. I’m also aware of living my life while I can.
I have a chronic illness that I’ve watched friends die from, I have another friend on oxygen from it.
I’d like to use my lungs while I still can.
I’ve spent atleast probably 1/4th or so of my life in hospital.
Sue me for wanting to make the most of now.
I’m not going to argue it anymore.
To all the nice responses thank you so much! I appreciate the help!!
My barn closed to the public during the height of the pandemic but amongst the borders…not much difference. Some people masked. Most just carried on as normal. All the trail riders already had their usual riding buddies, and those groups juat stuck together. Mine did- We’d already apent so much time together pre covid so if one of us got it others would to so we just kept doing as we alrwady did. 
I don’t understand why you’re so hostile.
I suggested caution.
That’s all. I didn’t comment not to lesson.
You live in FL, one of the worst places with high infection rates, and haven’t ridden in years which means you’re at greater risk of an injury.
Look sorry to be mean if it came across that way I just was just trying to make a point.
And also to me it completely sounded like you were not to ride “riding is dangerous, hospitals are full.” How else am I supposed to interpret that? What is this caution if it’s not meant to be don’t ride?
I’m not stupid around horses, I wear a helmet and proper boots. Could I fall off? Yes it’s happened before. But I think that’s a risk we are all willing to take.
There’s a reason I’m looking into lessons with a good instructor and not just riding anywhere.
The only time I’ve ever fallen off was when I was riding with a friend on a not lesson horse.
Not all lesson barns or all lesson horses are alike.
Nick Peronace comes to mind.
Caution = check references, watch some lessons, etc so you don’t end up at a place that has lesson horses or an instructor or other riders that increases your risk.
For example an indoor that has two or three lessons going on at once can become a zoo, and increase the risk. A place with several arenas, which dedicated one the reriders or new riders decreases risk. One that requires private or semi private lessons for reriders or new riders decreases risk.
Yes falling off happens. To the best and worst among us.
But it’s a risk that can be mitigated.
Caution doesn’t mean don’t. It means make sure that you, and where you end up mitigate the risks as best possible… And then yes, risk still exists, but less.
For example, How new is your helmet?
If it’s > 5 years old, go to several tack shops and try them ALL on. All of them.
Find the one that best fits your head, regardless of price, and buy it. So you have it well before you find the barn.
I bought my helmet in late 2018 so I know it’s fine. I bought a new one to replace the one I’d fallen with.
I appreciate the clarification but I can say I definitely was planning on doing research. I wasn’t just going to call the first barn I found. Infact I already know of one place I don’t want to go.
I was planning on trying to find private lessons or small groups (not large) because that’s what I know I need.
I’m not jumping into this Willy nilly. There was stuff besides what I asked here that I’m doing on my own. I was only wondering how covid changes things
How Covid changes things at this point is entirely dependent on your local area, the infection rate, and the local culture. Now that we have vaccinations no area seems to be doing actual lockdowns. There may be mask or vaccine mandates in some services (more likely in Canada than USA) or there may not. At this point no health authority is saying to avoid physically risky sports to keep hospital space open. The limit on ventilators is more crucial than actual hospital beds. Also COVID is currently surging in rural areas and small towns where there may be no hospital services so if you were critically injured they’d still be flying you out.
Obviously COVID adds a risk of infection to the usual risk of falling off. The risk of infection rises with the local infection rate and the safety practices of the stables, but honestly I have not yet heard of transmission at stables. The risk of falling off is lower with higher quality programs. It’s possible but not guaranteed that a program that looks after horses and students well will also have sensible COVID protocol in place, so evaluate both.
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