Posted on 28th March 2020 by Kate Rocher-Smith
As expected, the government restrictions tightened up at the start of the week and we have followed suit.
On Monday, as a team we chatted through the options if we moved to ‘lock down’ situation, which was very useful as that was what happened a few hours later.
We have decided to run as one ‘household’ within Dassett Fields. Sadly this means Lauren, Amelia, Andrew and Krzysztof will not be working for now as they all have multiple connections in their homes. Hayley and Sue can both isolate at home, and Craig is living on site. Joe (a student who is based with us and rides Oakwood Romeo for the Lascelles) has had his uni course totally moved online, so has also moved into the on site cottage. We are trying to keep horse numbers to around 15 at a time as we rotate them on mini breaks.
We are letting all this sink in at the moment, but are already formulating plans to remain positive! The advantage of running Dassett Fields as one household is we can have some sort of normal interaction between ourselves; we are planning movie nights, Saturday morning breakfasts and Mama Roch is on the case for a Sunday roast! We are also getting dates in the diary for our first dressage competition…team dressage trainer, Lizzie Murray, has already agreed to judge via video link!
We are looking into ways we can safely support and help in our local community and are making sure we keep on the phone to all those shut off to the world for now. We were all also incredibly moved, and proud, of the clapping turn out for the NHS workers on Wednesday night – wonderful. Please stay safe, well and look after one another xxx
