New precautions for COVID-19

March 13, 2020 —

Dear students, families, volunteers, and friends,

With the recent announcement from Governor DeWine regarding Ohio schools being closed for the next three weeks, we wanted you to know that we are committed to serving our students as long as we can reasonably manage the risk factors.  While the safety of all of our people is always our top priority, there are many factors to consider, one of the most important being the impact that not attending lessons has on the health and well-being of our participants. For many, their weekly visit is extremely important therapy for them.

Since our last communication, we are increasing our disinfectant procedures for all equipment and surfaces. In addition, we will be requiring every participant to use hand sanitizer while their instructor watches prior to putting on any helmets and again, after dismounting from their horses at the end of their lesson.

If you or a family member are unwell with symptoms such as a fever, nausea, or cough please stay home until you have been fever-free, without fever-reducing medicine, for a minimum of 48 hrs. Additionally, if anyone in your household receives a COVID-19 diagnosis, please let us know as soon as possible.

By the nature of our equipment, it is not possible to thoroughly disinfect everything with which you may come into contact – for example, the straps on helmets are difficult to disinfect. If you don’t own your own helmet, you might consider purchasing a new one that is ASTM-SEI approved. If you decide to do this, you may inquire as to the size and brand of helmet that you or your family member uses by calling Katy Flint at (440)708-0013, ext. 145 or by emailing kflint@fieldstonefarm.org. Typically helmets that we use cost between $50-$100. Please DO NOT buy a second-hand helmet.

As always, the best way to avoid any spread of the virus is to stay home if you have any symptoms or know that you have been exposed. We will do everything we can to accommodate makeups if possible. We are following the CDC recommendations so if you have visited the following countries, please do not come to Fieldstone Farm until you have been home for 14 days and are symptom-free: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland or Vatican City. Also we recommend the elderly or anyone with a health issue making them at heightened risk, please avoid coming to the facility.

We are dedicated to helping control the spread of this illness and will take every possible precaution. We take the safety of our students, volunteers and staff very seriously. We hope additional actions will be unnecessary, but it is important to be prepared. If there are any changes to our current plans, we are committed to keeping you informed.

Thank you in advance for helping us manage the risk. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Lynnette Stuart
Chief Executive Officer