ATRC COVID-19 ANNOUNCEMENTS
ATRC COVID-19 Policies and Procedures June 1st, 2020
COVID-19 ATRC Program Updates April 13th, 2020
Dear ATRC Community,
We hope you all have been well and staying safe and healthy. Unfortunately, with the current status of New York State and the country as a whole, Albany Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc will be extending our lesson and program closure until at least the beginning of June to stay in compliance with social distancing and non-essential business/ program closures. Although our equine care and barn management is considered an essential service, we cannot comply completely with social distancing within our lessons to provide each rider with the support they need and to keep them safe.
That being said, ATRC Session 2 of lessons, planned to run April 20th through June 1st, will be postponed and potentially canceled. At this current time, ATRC is on track and planning for Session 3 to begin June 8th. If you would like to register for Session 3 please reply to this email or contact Lauren or Taylor directly to secure your spot in the schedule. If you did not register for earlier sessions and have not yet turned in your update paperwork or initial Participant Application and plan to register for Session 3, please do so at this time! Session 3 registration will be open from now until May 31st. If you were registered for Session 1 and your rider already had a spot in the schedule, we still need you to respond saying that you intend to register for Session 3 and that your time slot still works for you/ you need to change times. Contact us today to secure your rider's spot in the schedule!!
If social distancing and the protective measures we are all taking as a community help to flatten the curve and help move COVID-19 past us faster than planned, we will reach out to you all about restarting lessons sooner than June 8th. We have not yet decided if lessons held before the start of Session 3 will continue to be in session format, or in a case by case, lesson by lesson organization type.
In the meantime, if you are in a position to help, please consider a tax deductible donation to, or share, our COVID-19 Herd Support GoFundMe campaign to help ATRC cover the care and maintenance expenses for our horses while lessons are shut down. These herd care and maintenance costs are normally 100% covered by lesson fees and fundraisers, please consider helping us make sure our herd members stay healthy and in top condition so they are ready to start lessons as soon as we are given the go- ahead.
https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/covid-19-atrc-herd-support
If you have any questions whatsoever, or need to request either rider update paperwork/ applications and/or volunteer paperwork please contact Taylor at albanytherapeuticridingcenter@gmail.com or Lauren at volunteer4atrc@gmail.com.
We miss you all and cannot wait to see you soon!!
Dear ATRC Community,
We hope you all have been well and staying safe and healthy. Unfortunately, with the current status of New York State and the country as a whole, Albany Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc will be extending our lesson and program closure until at least the beginning of June to stay in compliance with social distancing and non-essential business/ program closures. Although our equine care and barn management is considered an essential service, we cannot comply completely with social distancing within our lessons to provide each rider with the support they need and to keep them safe.
That being said, ATRC Session 2 of lessons, planned to run April 20th through June 1st, will be postponed and potentially canceled. At this current time, ATRC is on track and planning for Session 3 to begin June 8th. If you would like to register for Session 3 please reply to this email or contact Lauren or Taylor directly to secure your spot in the schedule. If you did not register for earlier sessions and have not yet turned in your update paperwork or initial Participant Application and plan to register for Session 3, please do so at this time! Session 3 registration will be open from now until May 31st. If you were registered for Session 1 and your rider already had a spot in the schedule, we still need you to respond saying that you intend to register for Session 3 and that your time slot still works for you/ you need to change times. Contact us today to secure your rider's spot in the schedule!!
If social distancing and the protective measures we are all taking as a community help to flatten the curve and help move COVID-19 past us faster than planned, we will reach out to you all about restarting lessons sooner than June 8th. We have not yet decided if lessons held before the start of Session 3 will continue to be in session format, or in a case by case, lesson by lesson organization type.
In the meantime, if you are in a position to help, please consider a tax deductible donation to, or share, our COVID-19 Herd Support GoFundMe campaign to help ATRC cover the care and maintenance expenses for our horses while lessons are shut down. These herd care and maintenance costs are normally 100% covered by lesson fees and fundraisers, please consider helping us make sure our herd members stay healthy and in top condition so they are ready to start lessons as soon as we are given the go- ahead.
https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/covid-19-atrc-herd-support
If you have any questions whatsoever, or need to request either rider update paperwork/ applications and/or volunteer paperwork please contact Taylor at albanytherapeuticridingcenter@gmail.com or Lauren at volunteer4atrc@gmail.com.
We miss you all and cannot wait to see you soon!!
ATRC COVID-19 Updates March 21, 2020
Dear ATRC Community,
With the recent updates from our state government and the CDC, Albany Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc has decided to extend our lesson cancellations and center closure beyond Sunday 3/22 to at least April 1st OR until State and Federal Health Agencies feel it is safe to resume. With the recent NYS shut down, all residents of NY are encouraged to remain home until further notice to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Since ATRC cares for animals, our staff are considered essential employees and will report to work as normal to take care of our four legged staff members! ATRC will be closed to all visitors and volunteers for the time being, excluding volunteers already signed up and committed to their weekly barn shift. The horses are all doing well and miss you all dearly! We will be monitoring state laws and school closures to make our re-opening decision.
Please keep an eye out for Session 2 updates! We are hoping to be able to start up again to finish out Session 1, but in the case that we cannot in response to CDC recommendations and NYS laws, ATRC will be accepting 2019 rider update paperwork and new rider 2020 Participant Applications to register for Session 2! If you were previously enrolled in Session 1 no further action is needed other than to confirm that your current day/ time slot still works for the next session. Please keep an eye out for session date changes as well as the ATRC board of directors continues to assess our situation.
We will continue to keep you all updated and are crossing our fingers to see you all soon! Please contact us with any questions you may have. Stay safe and healthy!
Dear ATRC Community,
With the recent updates from our state government and the CDC, Albany Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc has decided to extend our lesson cancellations and center closure beyond Sunday 3/22 to at least April 1st OR until State and Federal Health Agencies feel it is safe to resume. With the recent NYS shut down, all residents of NY are encouraged to remain home until further notice to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Since ATRC cares for animals, our staff are considered essential employees and will report to work as normal to take care of our four legged staff members! ATRC will be closed to all visitors and volunteers for the time being, excluding volunteers already signed up and committed to their weekly barn shift. The horses are all doing well and miss you all dearly! We will be monitoring state laws and school closures to make our re-opening decision.
Please keep an eye out for Session 2 updates! We are hoping to be able to start up again to finish out Session 1, but in the case that we cannot in response to CDC recommendations and NYS laws, ATRC will be accepting 2019 rider update paperwork and new rider 2020 Participant Applications to register for Session 2! If you were previously enrolled in Session 1 no further action is needed other than to confirm that your current day/ time slot still works for the next session. Please keep an eye out for session date changes as well as the ATRC board of directors continues to assess our situation.
We will continue to keep you all updated and are crossing our fingers to see you all soon! Please contact us with any questions you may have. Stay safe and healthy!
ATRC Statement Regarding COVID-19 and Center Operations March 14, 2020
Dear ATRC Community Members:
At this point, you are all well-aware that several cases of COVID-19 virus (also commonly referred to as “coronavirus”) have been confirmed by local Departments of Health. To our knowledge, at this time, no one affiliated with ATRC (i.e., staff, riders, volunteers, Board members) have contracted the virus. We have been following the recommended protocols to ensure prevention of the illness at the Farm, including disinfecting surfaces and frequent hand washing and sanitizing. Exposure to COVID-19 can occur from any person-to-person contact. For now, the most important thing you can do to protect yourself and your family is to follow the standard preventive practices for influenza, including:
It has also been widely recommended that individuals engage in “social distancing,” a term that epidemiologists are using to refer to a conscious effort to reduce close contact between people and hopefully limit the community transmission of the virus. To that end, at this time, all lessons are suspended through at least Sunday, March 22, 2020. While it is likely operations will be suspended beyond that time, we have not made a formal decision to do so, and will provide an update if/when that decision is made.
This COVID-19 pandemic is somewhat unprecedented. While we are disappointed that we will not be providing lessons at this time (after a really successful opening week of lessons), we are confident that this is absolutely the right thing to do, as ensuring the health, welfare, and safety of the ATRC community is of extreme importance to us. In addition, engaging in behavior that potentially places individuals who may have compromised immune systems in life threatening danger, is in-opposite to our mission of aiding in the cognitive, emotional, and physical development of our riders.
We are also postponing the Pints for Ponies Pub Crawl that was scheduled for March 22, 2020 to a date that will be determined in the coming weeks. We are pleased that some 40 individuals signed up to participate in the Crawl, but again, we feel this is the most prudent course of action given the circumstances.
Please feel free to contact Taylor should you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Taylor Huntley Paul Aloy
Executive Director ATRC Board of Advisors
Dear ATRC Community Members:
At this point, you are all well-aware that several cases of COVID-19 virus (also commonly referred to as “coronavirus”) have been confirmed by local Departments of Health. To our knowledge, at this time, no one affiliated with ATRC (i.e., staff, riders, volunteers, Board members) have contracted the virus. We have been following the recommended protocols to ensure prevention of the illness at the Farm, including disinfecting surfaces and frequent hand washing and sanitizing. Exposure to COVID-19 can occur from any person-to-person contact. For now, the most important thing you can do to protect yourself and your family is to follow the standard preventive practices for influenza, including:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Heavily soiled hands should be washed.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
It has also been widely recommended that individuals engage in “social distancing,” a term that epidemiologists are using to refer to a conscious effort to reduce close contact between people and hopefully limit the community transmission of the virus. To that end, at this time, all lessons are suspended through at least Sunday, March 22, 2020. While it is likely operations will be suspended beyond that time, we have not made a formal decision to do so, and will provide an update if/when that decision is made.
This COVID-19 pandemic is somewhat unprecedented. While we are disappointed that we will not be providing lessons at this time (after a really successful opening week of lessons), we are confident that this is absolutely the right thing to do, as ensuring the health, welfare, and safety of the ATRC community is of extreme importance to us. In addition, engaging in behavior that potentially places individuals who may have compromised immune systems in life threatening danger, is in-opposite to our mission of aiding in the cognitive, emotional, and physical development of our riders.
We are also postponing the Pints for Ponies Pub Crawl that was scheduled for March 22, 2020 to a date that will be determined in the coming weeks. We are pleased that some 40 individuals signed up to participate in the Crawl, but again, we feel this is the most prudent course of action given the circumstances.
Please feel free to contact Taylor should you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Taylor Huntley Paul Aloy
Executive Director ATRC Board of Advisors
News and Upcoming Events
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We Are Now Accepting Applications For Session 6!
ATRC is accepting both rider and volunteer applications for the Session 6 lesson session, running November 2nd- December 13th. You can find the Rider Application at the bottom of the "Programs and Services" Page. The Volunteer Application can be found on the "Forms" page under the "Volunteer" tab in the menu! Please email albanytherapeuticridingcenter@gmail.com with any questions or concerns! We Have MOVED!! We have relocated! You can now find us at: 145 Bullock Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159 Please send all mail and applications to: Albany Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc. P.O. Box 91 Slingerlands, NY 12159 |
NEXT VOLUNTEER TRAINING:
NEW VOLUNTEERS- By Appointment Due to COVID-19 Volunteer training is mandatory for those interested in volunteering within our riding lessons. Please print and fill out our Volunteer Application, Liability Release form, Authorization of Emergency Medical Treatment form, and read through our volunteer manual! Please sign up for this training with our Volunteer Coordinator, Lauren, at: volunteer@albanytherapeuticridingcenter.com Please visit our "Forms" page under our volunteer menu, print and fill out all the required forms listed above, and bring them with you to the training! We have a new phone number!! You can now reach us at 518-898-0742
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