Ok, so I’m not sure what your op was intended to glean.
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Happy to answer your question. I’ve ridden throughout the covid era, where at the beginning we stopped jumping, no shows, distancing, disinfection, etc. Now, we are back to pre-covid activity at all the barns in our zone. Kids under 12 still mask to show, and some do at our barn, but all 15 and up are fully vaccinated so we use whatever level of caution we choose while in-barn. You can expect to follow your barn’s protocols on covid precautions. Our shows are back to mostly normal, with folks social distancing and masking as required by the state and local mandates. I’d say, wear your helmet, mask around those you don’t know are vaxxed, especially indoors, and have fun! Our sport is inherently dangerous, so if you’re in a high infection state where hospital care is being rationed, you might consider that, but go get on a horse again! Enjoy!
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Thanks! Appreciate it!
I originally stopped riding due to Covid. I let a lot of people tell me riding was dangerous and what if I took up a hospital bed of a sick person.
Then those same people posted pics of themselves riding and I started riding again. You can make your own personal choices. I chose to ride, not debate people on the internet.
Most barns in the US and shows are back to normal. I know of a few that require masks to be worn in the barn aisles if you are unvaccinated but that is it.
Enjoy riding!
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Thanks! Yeah it’s my own choice and I’m gonna ride!
Where I am (Middle California), I rode just fine thru a lot of the first Covid surge, what with masking and using my own tack and brushes, etc. The barn was only formally closed for about 4 months.
However, now, post post COVID, I have moved to a new area, and horse time is hard to come by. I suspect it is because marginal horses were moved on or euthed in Covid (not earning their way) and marginal businesses closed for lack of ability to adjust tactics. That makes more competition for the existing school horse population.
I’ve been clearly told it is horse time that is the problem, not instructor time.
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Totally dependent on region and barn level. At the beginning of COVID, in California, things were SUPER strict, only leasers/owners were allowed at the barn , only hacks, and flat, no jumping, with sign up sheet , and tacking up in stall vs crosstie (common area), cleaning area/tack room/feed room only one person at a time, and hand sanitizer everywhere. Then they opened back up to lesson folks, and group lessons.
I switched barns recently and one is super casual (now, during delta variant), no mask, no restrictions at all, just like pre-COVID, then another barn, mask required unless you are mounted, every other cross tie used for social distancing, but group lessons are allowed.
Ask around and ride at places where you are comfortable with 
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I am a BO who used to teach up-down beginner lessons to the public. Covid stopped the lesson part of our business completely. There was no way in 2020 that I was going to deal with beginners who could not tack and barely steer, learn how to ride. There was no way to maintain social distancing. There was no way to teach a group safely. Fast forward to 2021. Mr IF, IF Jr and I are vaccinated. As of today, children under age 12 can’t be vaccinated. Young kids are a huge part of the beginner riders we get. Add that I live in an area that is pretty anti-mask and anti-vax.
We try to keep our lessons affordable. We do not teach high dollar private lessons; in fact, it takes considerable work from all 3 of us to have a group lesson. So we decided it just wasn’t worth doing it any longer. Our program concentrates on breeding and sales.
I do miss the kids. I think having a riding lesson program is an important effort to keep horses relevant in the future. The majority of our students never will be more than recreational riders. If I can teach them basic skills, then they will do well on some vacation trail ride or they may have an appreciation for horse sports. Since I am involved with Norwegian Fjords, it means that parents and kids don’t get exposed to this wonderful breed of horse. It does make me sad, but I know I can’t do lessons safely any more.
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