Paradigm Farms Horse Retirement: COVID-19 Diary, Part 1

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

COVID-19 Diary, Part 1

This morning Jason and I were reminiscing about the good old days - of two weeks ago - when our biggest complaint in life was how much it had rained this winter. I would give a lot to go back to those times from long ago. Then this crazy thing called coronavirus happened, then it was named COVID-19, and then it officially became a pandemic. And all of you know the rest of the story, as schools, restaurants, flights, businesses and borders closed. I see on social media that a lot of people think it's all a hoax, or that it's just another form of the flu, and none of these steps are necessary. I don't fall into either of those camps. As someone who is currently considered immunocompromised (and is also asthmatic and autoimmune), I'm the ideal target for COVID-19. Jason and I are doing our best to shelter in place and self quarantine as I'd prefer to avoid getting personal with COVID-19.

I haven't left the farm in eight days. I've learned that I left the farm far more often than I ever realized to run small errands. It feels like I've been in isolation for at least a month, yet it's been 8 days. I've learned that Jason and I suck at homeschooling. Neither of us are natural teachers, and Carter would be happy to provide a testimonial to back me up on that statement. I've been reminded that my mom can be inconveniently stubborn at times - no need for the peanut gallery to leave 500 comments that I come by my stubborness honestly. I've asked her twice to come stay with us as it would really make me feel better for her to be here at the farm or at my sister's house (who lives a few hours away). Since she feels fine she of course would rather be trapped in her own space than trapped in someone else's space. I've also been reminded that I'm a much happier person when I ride. I've not ridden for a few days as I've decided I don't need to risk having a freak accident on my horse and ending up with a broken bone or something. What if our (awesome, wonderful) help gets sick or has to shelter in their homes? Jason and I need to take every step to stay healthy as horse care must go on no matter what.

I also feel oddly out of sorts much of the time and fluctuate between feeling really stressed and anxious and then really normal when I'm caring for the horses. On one hand our life is carrying on as usual. The routine at the farm hasn't changed. The horses still get fed twice per day, grooming still happens, all of the regular things happen every day. It's comforting to be around the horses who are blissfully unaware that the world is experiencing a pandemic and daily life is being severely altered for so many people. When I read the news or social media, I get a constant barrage of dire warnings and bad news with no end in sight. Thus, with the exception of trips off the farm my daily life is completely unchanged, yet the world around me is melting down. I flip back and forth between thinking I'm overreacting to everything and under-reacting to everything. My daily routine is almost completely unchanged, yet the world around me has almost completely changed.
Let us know how you're doing these days. Has your daily routine changed a lot or a little, how about your horse time?

Blu and Sam