Being in an outdoor environment is one way of staying healthy and germ-free for most individuals. However, please remember that it is still flu season and many of our participants are more vulnerable to communicable diseases than the majority of the population. The risk of illness from respiratory viruses, including the flu and COVID-19, makes it even more important to take proactive steps to prevent the spread of respiratory illness.
Friday, April 3, 2020, COVID-19 Update
We promised you an update before April 6, and of course, like everyone else, we have no news of when we will be able to resume our services. We are following the guidance of Connecticut CDC and the Governor’s office and will remain closed until it is safe for our participants, volunteers, staff, and of course our horses to resume. We will be sure to let you know as soon as we have news on that front.
Thursday, March 26, 2020, COVID-19 Update
Listen to what is happening at High Hopes at the moment and how we are managing the temporary shut-down as a result of the COVID-19 virus health crisis.
Can you help with a donation?
Wednesday, March 18, 2020, COVID-19 Update
Our status remains the same – please read our Tuesday, March 17, 2020 update.
If you have questions, please contact us via our contact form and we will respond as soon as we can.
In the meantime know that our beloved herd are being well taken care of by Holly and the team and we wish you and your families well during this unusual time.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020, COVID-19 Update
High Hopes has suspended all participant lessons and volunteer assignments as of 12 Noon on March 17, 2020, due to the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) outbreak. We regret this but have no choice given the latest advice from both the CDC and our State Government. We are continuously assessing the situation, please check our website and social media for more information.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Will you be reopening on April 6th?
High Hopes has postponed all operations until at least April 6th.
We will make a public statement on or before April 6th, about our plans for the following weeks.
If we are able to resume on April 6th, we will be in touch with participants and volunteers by phone and/or email personally at least 48hrs before that.
Where should I look for more information?
Our Program and Volunteer Teams will be in touch by phone and/or email but in the meantime please check our website and also our social media.
Will you be rescheduling lessons?
It’s too early to say, we will be reassessing the situation on April 6, and we hope to have a better idea then what the rest of the semester will look like.
Will I get a refund:
Our cancellation policy is on the website but we are postponing operations with a view to rescheduling and extending our semester.
Can I still come and volunteer with the horses?
No – thank you! We have plans in place to ensure the continued comfort and safety of our herd, and one of those is to ensure social distancing for our horses too.
I love coming to the farm – can I still come and just “be”
No. We love you coming to the farm too – and the sense of nature and tranquility is something that is so very important to share with you. However, in the interests of bio-security for our staff and our herd, we please ask that you do not visit the farm at this time.
What will happen to Horse Show Days?
It’s too early to say, we will be reassessing the situation on April 6, and we hope to have a better idea then what the rest of the semester will look like.
What about the rest of the Academic Semester?
It’s too early to say, we will be reassessing the situation on April 6.
What about Summer Camp and the Summer Semester?
We are still planning for an amazing Summer Camp experience and are still taking reservations.
We are still scheduling participants for the Summer Semester.
Should the COVID-19 situation look like it will continue into the Summer, we will reassess and let you know.
Monday, March 16, 2020, COVID-19 Update
We continue to monitory the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 situation and take our lead from the CT and Federal CDC websites.
https://portal.ct.gov/CORONAVIRUS
As of today, High Hopes remains open. We have our wonderful herd of horses to look after, an important part of which is their daily routine. We have implemented stringent cleaning protocols and reminders around the farm about best practices in personal hygiene.
We are cognizant that some of our participants and volunteers may be more vulnerable to illness than the majority of the population. We know that some of you will wish, or have been advised, to self-isolate in the interests of your health and those around you. We respect this personal choice and we will do everything that we can to support your decision. We do ask that if you decide to cancel your participant or volunteer spot, you give us as much notice as possible through our normal cancellation procedures.
Our volunteer team will communicate with you individually about how these closures impact your volunteering schedule.
Please stay well.
Friday, March 13, 2020, COVID-19 Update
Like you, High Hopes is actively monitoring the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 situation. The health and safety of participants, volunteers, and staff is our first concern and we wish to be responsible partners in our greater community’s health.
High Hopes remains open. We have our wonderful herd of horses to look after, an important part of which is their daily routine – and so lessons continue. We have implemented stringent cleaning protocols and reminders around the farm about best practices in personal hygiene.
We are cognizant that some of our participants and volunteers may be more vulnerable to illness than the majority of the population. We know that some of you will wish, or have been advised, to self-isolate in the interests of your health and those around you. We respect this personal choice and we will do everything that we can to support your decision. We do ask that if you decide to cancel your participant or volunteer spot, you give us as much notice as possible through our normal cancellation procedures.
As of Friday, 03/13/2020, most of our local school systems have closed for the foreseeable future, and as a result, many of our morning school group lessons have been canceled. Our volunteer team will communicate with you individually about how these closures impact your volunteering schedule.
This is not currently the case for afternoon and evening individual and group lessons. Many participants and their families continue to enjoy a diversion from this stressful situation we all find ourselves in, through the physical and mental benefits of their therapeutic horsemanship activities in a natural and minimally populated environment. In the best interests of you and our herd, we may change class make-up, horse, or participant assignments. If you wish to make changes to your schedule let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
We take note, of course, that public policy in light of the situation is evolving quickly. We are making assessments daily about our programs and policies. Please check this page, your email, and our social media on a regular basis to find the latest information.
The CT Coronavirus website is a great resource for information about the situation in Connecticut. It also provides links to the national CDC information.
HTTPS://PORTAL.CT.GOV/CORONAVIRUS
HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/CORONAVIRUS/2019-NCOV/FAQ.HTML
Friday, March 13, 2020, COVID-19 Update
Like you, High Hopes is actively monitoring the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 situation. The health and safety of participants, volunteers, and staff is our first concern and we wish to be responsible partners in our greater community’s health.
High Hopes remains open. We have our wonderful herd of horses to look after, an important part of which is their daily routine – and so lessons continue. We have implemented stringent cleaning protocols and reminders around the farm about best practices in personal hygiene.
We are cognizant that some of our participants and volunteers may be more vulnerable to illness than the majority of the population. We know that some of you will wish, or have been advised, to self-isolate in the interests of your health and those around you. We respect this personal choice and we will do everything that we can to support your decision. We do ask that if you decide to cancel your participant or volunteer spot, you give us as much notice as possible through our normal cancellation procedures.
As of Friday, 03/13/2020, most of our local school systems have closed for the foreseeable future, and as a result, many of our morning school group lessons have been canceled. Our volunteer team will communicate with you individually about how these closures impact your volunteering schedule.
This is not currently the case for afternoon and evening individual and group lessons. Many participants and their families continue to enjoy a diversion from this stressful situation we all find ourselves in, through the physical and mental benefits of their therapeutic horsemanship activities in a natural and minimally populated environment. In the best interests of you and our herd, we may change class make-up, horse, or participant assignments. If you wish to make changes to your schedule let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
We take note, of course, that public policy in light of the situation is evolving quickly. We are making assessments daily about our programs and policies. Please check this page, your email, and our social media on a regular basis to find the latest information.
The CT Coronavirus website is a great resource for information about the situation in Connecticut. It also provides links to the national CDC information.
HTTPS://PORTAL.CT.GOV/CORONAVIRUS
HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/CORONAVIRUS/2019-NCOV/FAQ.HTML
Friday, March 13, 2020, COVID-19 Update
Like you, High Hopes is actively monitoring the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 situation. The health and safety of participants, volunteers, and staff is our first concern and we wish to be responsible partners in our greater community’s health.
High Hopes remains open. We have our wonderful herd of horses to look after, an important part of which is their daily routine – and so lessons continue. We have implemented stringent cleaning protocols and reminders around the farm about best practices in personal hygiene.
We are cognizant that some of our participants and volunteers may be more vulnerable to illness than the majority of the population. We know that some of you will wish, or have been advised, to self-isolate in the interests of your health and those around you. We respect this personal choice and we will do everything that we can to support your decision. We do ask that if you decide to cancel your participant or volunteer spot, you give us as much notice as possible through our normal cancellation procedures.
As of Friday, 03/13/2020, most of our local school systems have closed for the foreseeable future, and as a result, many of our morning school group lessons have been canceled. Our volunteer team will communicate with you individually about how these closures impact your volunteering schedule.
This is not currently the case for afternoon and evening individual and group lessons. Many participants and their families continue to enjoy a diversion from this stressful situation we all find ourselves in, through the physical and mental benefits of their therapeutic horsemanship activities in a natural and minimally populated environment. In the best interests of you and our herd, we may change class make-up, horse, or participant assignments. If you wish to make changes to your schedule let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
We take note, of course, that public policy in light of the situation is evolving quickly. We are making assessments daily about our programs and policies. Please check this page, your email, and our social media on a regular basis to find the latest information.
The CT Coronavirus website is a great resource for information about the situation in Connecticut. It also provides links to the national CDC information.
HTTPS://PORTAL.CT.GOV/CORONAVIRUS
HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/CORONAVIRUS/2019-NCOV/FAQ.HTML
Wednesday, March 10, 2020, COVID-19 Update
In a rapidly changing situation, we want to share what we’re doing to keep our participants, volunteers, and staff safe. Our advice may vary from other organizations, so please take a few minutes to read it. You can help us keep everyone as safe as possible, while still enjoying the benefits of your time here at the farm.
We maintain attendance information for all regularly scheduled volunteers and participants. We now ask all guests and visitors to sign in at the front desk. This is, so we have the information that the CT Centers for Disease Control (CDC) require us to share with them if there were to be a case connected to the High Hopes family. If you or a family member are unwell with symptoms such as a fever, nausea, or cough please stay home until you have been fever-free, without fever-reducing medicine, for a minimum of 24hrs. If you or a family member, or someone you live with has a COVID-19 diagnosis, please let us know as soon as possible.
We typically follow cleanliness and sanitary protocols, such as cleaning high-traffic areas and those items used by many people. We are encouraging handwashing for a 20-second duration and to the best of our ability, we will have sanitizers available in all areas. If you have been to the store lately, you will know that sanitizer is an in-demand commodity, so please feel free to bring your own just in case we run out! On a fun note, as we all wash our hands furiously, here’s a list of tunes you can hum to yourself for the required time. HERE. We promise we won’t record any singing!
By the nature of our equipment, it is not possible to thoroughly disinfect everything with which you may come into contact—for example, helmets and reins. The straps on our helmets are tough to keep clean, so if you don’t own your rider/patient’s helmet, you might consider purchasing one that is ASTM-SEI approved. If you decide to do this, please check with your instructor to know the size and brand of the helmet that you or your family member uses by calling the program team at 860.434.1974 x118 or by emailing mcahill@highhopestr.org. Typically helmets that we use are in the $50-$100 range. Please DO NOT buy a second-hand helmet. Brands that we recommend include: Troxel, Ovation, Tipperary, and Dublin. You can purchase HERE.
If you have visited the following countries: China, Iran, South Korea, Italy, and Japan, or any country that is added to the CDC Level 2 or 3 LIST, since the beginning of February, please let us know by phone or email. If this is a recent visit, we hope you had a great trip, but please do not come back to High Hopes until you’ve been home for 14 days and are symptom-free.
As of March 10, 2020, the Connecticut CDC is reporting less than five confirmed cases; however, this is a rapidly changing situation. If you are a healthcare worker and start working directly with COVID-19 patients, please contact either the program or volunteer team before coming to High Hopes. We may ask that you stay away from the farm until your facility is no longer treating coronavirus patients, and you’ve been symptom-free for 14 days after the last patient was treated.
The CT Coronavirus website is a great resource for information about the situation in Connecticut. It also provides links to the national CDC information.
HTTPS://PORTAL.CT.GOV/CORONAVIRUS
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html
March 5, 2020 – COVID-19 Statement Update
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asks all organizations to remind their communities of some basic, but very important steps you can take to keep you and your families well. Here are some every day preventative actions that the CDC suggest:
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you or your child gets sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you (or your child) stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. The fever should be gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
- While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.
- If an outbreak of flu or another illness occurs, follow public health advice. This may include information about how to increase the distance between people and other measures.
At High Hopes we are also disinfecting common surfaces and areas on a regular basis.
While we maintain attendance information for all regularly scheduled volunteers and participants, we would also ask all guests and visitors sign in at the front desk.