Horse lovers going into debt as COVID-19 closures continue

Business owners in Ontario's equine industry are worried about how they'll stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic given they have moremouths to feed than just their own.

Non-essential businesses across the province were forced to shuttheir doors in March to halt the spread of the respiratory illness,and it's still uncertain how much longer they'llremain closed.

"Horses, they couldn'tcare less about a pandemic. They require their care every day, and we feed them five times a day," said Ryan Theriault, who owns Tranquil Acres, an equine therapy centre in the rural Ottawa community of Kars.

Theriault said he spends $100 a day just to feed his nine horses but doesn't qualify for the Canadian Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan or Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) because he doesn't have a payroll.

Emily Bertrand runs the Royale Equestrian Centre and Royale Ranch in Ottawa, and while shedoes qualify for both CERB and a $40,000 loan through CEBA, she's worried that money won't last long.

That's because it costs$18,000 a month, she said, to care for her more than 40 horses.

"It's so stressful," Bertrand said. "I need to make my money now through the summer so I can feed the horses in the winter ... I'm not so worried about the next month or two, I'm worried about six to 12 months from now."

Can't simply sell horses

Both Theriault and Bertrand said they'd like more federal assistance for the industry,because it's not as simple as selling some of their horses to help cover the bills.

"If everyone is strapped for cash, who can buy and who can maintain and care for these horses?" said Theriault.

"Because the last thing that we want to do is sell a horse to someone that is going to neglect them and not be able to feed them and not care for them."

WATCH: Running an equestrian centre with no lessons

Ottawa equestrian centre struggling with decrease in revenue as pandemic continues

4 years ago

Duration 0:46

Emily Bertrand, owner of Royale Equestrian Centre, says her costs are vastly outstripping revenue right now as riding lessons have ground to a halt.

Equine-focused businessesmay not be eligible for some of the same government incentives that farmers or otherbusinesses are because they may not meet certain operational criteria, said Katrina Merkies, an associate professor at the University of Guelph who specializesin equine behaviour and welfare.

Not being able to afford to care for horsescould lead to them being sold to another industry, Merkies said.

"There's a whole slaughter industry that is out there for horse meat," she said. "And it would be a very sad thing to see a lot of horses entering that pipeline."