COVID-19 may close the barn doors, forever, at Seaton Hackney Stables in Morris Township

By Louise Witt

Turns out, even horses can be furloughed.

After Gov. Phil Murphy ordered non-essential businesses in New Jersey to close on March 19, 2020, to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Seaton Hackney Stables in Morris Township shut its barn doors to the public the next day.

Without riders for lessons, trail rides, birthday parties or traditional East Asian weddings, the 40 horses at the stables were out of work. They spent the next several weeks munching grass in the pastures, rolling around in the soggy fields or running around without saddles and bridles.

With the number of new COVID-19 cases in the state declining, the governor last week lifted restrictions on some state and county parks.

As part of the Morris County Park Commission, the stables reopened with social-distancing guidelines. Phase one allows hour-long private lessons with one student and one instructor in each the three riding rings.

But that’s not enough work for the horses –- or sufficient income to keep the stables running much longer. And working horses without jobs don’t qualify for unemployment.

“It’s a very, very dire situation,” said Marc Schumacher, owner of Equishares USA LLC, which also runs PonyShare. “Possibly we will be closing in September. I was going to retire in five years from now. Maybe I’ll retire earlier.”

Schumacher, who has been renting the historic barns and pastures from the park commission for about 14 years, finally was able to get a small-business loan under the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), during the second round of the funding Congress approved at the end of April.

To be eligible for loan forgiveness, 75 percent of the funds have to go towards employee salaries. The rest can be used for rent to the county, utilities, insurance, veterinarian bills, and feed for the horses, ponies, donkeys, goats and a few chickens and ducks. However, Schumacher said that isn’t enough to cover expenses.

He’s hired back nine out of about 20 employees, many of whom worked strictly on commission as instructors. The stables have a barn manager, a business manager, an office manager, a yard manager and several yard hands. However, Schumacher said he doesn’t have enough work for all his employees.

“If I don’t have work for them, what am I paying them for?” he asked rhetorically. “Nothing. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s a Band-Aid.”

State Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-25th Dist.) said there isn’t much the state or county can do to provide financial assistance to the county’s stables. Schumacher’s company is a private entity that leases the barns and grounds from the county.

Bucco had urged the governor to relax restrictions on the state and county’s parks early on, but recognized the importance of protecting public health. He said Schumacher could reach out to the Morris County Parks Commission, if his circumstances change.

“It’s a difficult situation,” Bucco said.

As soon as the stables shut down in March, Schumacher tightened his budget to survive the lockdown. Schumacher’s wife, Shelly Nice, held a fundraiser through her animal-rescue charity, Operation Mother Goose, to buy hay, grain and shredded material for the animals. The charity also rescues wild mustang horses, some of which now live at Seaton Hackney.

The non-profit’s first fundraiser held at the end of March brought in $1,500, or enough to buy 350 bales of hay, which will feed the horses and other animals for two to three weeks. Another one held a few weeks late brought in about $2,500.

Since the horses aren’t exercising as much, their feed is rationed, so it’ll last longer and they won’t gain weight. The horses also have plenty of sweet spring grass in their pasture.

Schumacher doesn’t want to ask his followers for more money. “There’s only so much we can do,” he said. “People do what they can.”

‘WE ARE A FAMILY’

After the stables closed to the public in March, employees either saw their pay drastically reduced or cut completely. Even so, they volunteered their time to keep the business running and to keep the horses and other animals fed, clean, exercised and healthy.

Lisa Arent, the stables’ social media coordinator, said she happily volunteered in the office. “We love what we do,” said Arent, who has worked with Seaton Hackney for nine years. “We are a family.”

Ania Marcinkiewicz, who rode horses as a young girl in Poland, brings her 8-year-old daughter to the stables while she helps care for the horses. She’s working six hours a day five days a week. Marcinkiewicz feeds the horses, exercises them, grooms them and moves them into the barn when it’s chilly or rainy outside.

“It’s hard work,” she said. “It’s physical work. And I’m allergic to hay, but we have to make sure they’re OK. I have pets of my own. I can’t imagine leaving the barn.”

Naomi Picayo, a Fairleigh Dickinson University student, volunteered to care for the horses, since she could no longer give riding lessons. Since she decided to take off this semester and live in Morristown, she is able to help out at Seaton Hackney nine hours a day six days a week.

“I couldn’t sleep without helping take care of the horses,” she said, adding that helping out at the stables also helps her cope with the pandemic. “It keeps me busy and happy, while all this craziness is going on.”

Seaton Hackney Stables makes most of its money from English riding lessons, trail rides, riding camps, birthday parties and traditional East Asian weddings. Schumacher said his company provides horses for about 200 Indian weddings a year mainly around the tri-state area, but occasionally as far as Florida. Two large white Percherons, French draft horses, carry the grooms.

Every day, he learns that his income is decreasing. Indian-Americans who rent the horses for traditional wedding processions have cancelled or postponed their plans. Girl Scout troops have cancelled their summer camps. Even parks and recreational departments have dropped their events with the stables.

The stables also board several privately owned horses as well as lease some to student riders. About 15 riders on the Seaton Hackney Stables Equestrian Team lease horses. The show team’s season was cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Even with private lessons in three rings, the stables are bringing in less than a third of the income that they usually bring in. If the restrictions on the stables are loosened further, Schumacher said he could add more riding rings for a total of six.

But he doesn’t know when he’ll be able to allow more riders at the stables. The governor extended the state’s stay-at-home order until June 5.

Schumacher said his business lost $150,000 in the last two months. He’s drawn down on his $75,000 credit line to pay for the stables’ expenses. Schumacher contemplates using his retirement funds to keep the stables open.

If he had to close the stables in the fall, Schumacher said he may take four or five horses to his family ranch in Florida, but it’s “already busting at the seams” with rescued animals. He may be able to find homes for another two or three. The rest?

“I don’t even want to think about it,” he said. “Hate to say it, but I’ll have to dispose of them one way or the other.”

In the meantime, the horses are content.

“They’re happy like pigs in crap,” Schumacher said. “They don’t have to work, they get well fed and are taken care of. They’re in very good shape.”

But for how much longer?

“That is a big problem,” he said. “I have no answer for that.”

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE