WHILE many Government supports have been rolled into place to help keep businesses afloat as the nation grapples with coronavirus, there’s also many costs associated with keeping animals that other businesses just don’t have to sustain or worry about.

While it was announced yesterday (Friday) that extra supports are being made available to businesses in regional lockdown, a special case should and must be made to aid the equestrian sector with a range of additional supports.

It is not surprising that last Friday’s 11th-hour regional lockdown has caused both headaches and renewed heartache for the equine sector across Kildare, Laois and Offaly. Many of these businesses were just getting going before new restrictions suddenly came into force again.

The current Government guidelines is that non-contact sports, like equestrianism, can go ahead outdoors with a maximum of 15 people. However, anyone with any experience of running even a small weekly league or an annual summer show knows the amount of work – and the costs – involved. Those yards are reliant on numbers to offset such costs. In this scenario, organisers have no option but to cancel and sit it out.

Whether there is money coming in the gate or not, horses and ponies still need to be fed and cared for, veterinary, farrier, and training costs are ongoing.

The equestrian sector certainly needs and deserves all the additional supports it can get in these times.