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The Right to Freedom Kathie Gregory considers the social restrictions imposed by COVID-19, finding similarities with the experiences of some domesticated horses, and examines what can be done to set up the environment so horses have more opportunities to express and engage in natural behaviors
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n these unprecedented times, at the time of writ ing, people all over the world were facing isola tion due to lockdown procedures aimed at combating COVID19. In the U.K., where I am based, people were being advised to stay at home and not go out unless absolutely necessary and, as a whole, were adhering to this advice – but we also saw that some were not. It led me to wonder what is the im pact of staying at home, and why were there people who were not following the guidelines despite a very real risk to their lives? Let's put aside the issue that if we are at home, many of us are unable to work (which obviously has serious consequences of its own), as this is not pertinent to this article. Instead, I will concentrate on a couple of other issues. One, isolation. We are confined to our homes. We are only able to go out once a day for exercise. We cannot meet up with friends or family. We can only shop if necessary. The reality of this is that we are missing social contact, and that can be particu larly difficult when we have an innate need to see family or friends but are not allowed to do so. There is also the need to interact with other people. With out this social aspect of life people may start to feel lonely. They may not know what to do with them selves, and I imagine there are quite a few people who are unable to always put the time to good use, as the situation we now find ourselves in is upset ting, worrying, and emotionally distressing. Two, being unable to change the environment. This may not seem like a big deal, but people can lit erally feel they are going a little crazy if they are con fined to a space with no choice of going somewhere else. People need a change of scenery, different en vironments, and different things to do. Being made to stay in the same place with no new stimulation can create boredom and frustration. I believe this is why some people are not staying at home. I believe they choose to go against official guidelines because they find it too difficult to remain in isolation and cannot cope with the situation that has been thrust upon them. I find this interesting be cause, what we may not realize is that the circum stances we now find ourselves living in are a lifelong reality for many horses. For us, once the pandemic is over, we may well go back to living our lives as we did before, but horses will not have that option. Take a moment to appreciate what a big deal that is. Does anyone want to remain in this current situation of restrictions for the rest of their lives? Of course not, but this is exactly how many horses are kept. I hope
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© Can Stock Photo / juniart
Horses are a social species who form strong social bonds and will join different groups at different stages of their lives
BARKS from the Guild/July 2020
