August 3, 2009

Emergency Evacuations and Your Horse

Michelle Beagle, Registered Veterinary Technician, Redwings Horse Sanctuary Board of Directors

Big Sur smoke

Smoke from Big Sur fires can be clearly seen from the Redwings webcam on August 2, 2009

Should an emergency happen, do you have an evacuation plan for you and your horse? If wildfires or floods approach your property, a few steps you take to prepare can save you and your horse from tragic or painful situations.

Know the type of emergencies that would affect your area: fire, flood, hurricane, tsunami, and earthquake. Each type of emergency can require different methods of preparation.

Make copies of important documents like photos of your horse and its registration papers, insurance papers, Coggins test results, microchip registration, brand or tattoo information, and detailed feed and care instructions for your horse. You may not be there with your horse when it is rescued and cared for.

Have local access routes and secondary paths out of your area mapped out ahead of time. Set up emergency evacuation spots for you to go to and perhaps meet others. Have a list of phone numbers to friends you have set up as an evacuation point, or to local emergency agencies that would help in a emergency. Place all these items in a sealed plastic bag. A copy of all these materials should be at a secure friend’s or family member’s house. If needed, update all of these materials when you do your drills.

Pack up between five and seven days of emergency feed supplies, and make sure to refresh it every other month. The last thing you want to do is force a sudden feed change onto your horse, increasing the risk of colic, particularly during a time of stress.

Make sure your horse has a way out via a trailer or a friends trailer. Make sure the horse can load before the emergency hits.

With the help of your veterinarian, put together a first aid kit for your horse. One for you would be a good idea too! I cover basic first-aid kits in another article.

Set yourself up with some tools that will be useful in an emergency. For instance, you may have to pull a shoe that your horse bent while trying to escape.

Have extra tack for other horses that you may need to help, or in case your tack breaks. Some people recommend leather halters that won’t burn and melt like the nylons ones would in a fire. Cotton lead ropes are good for the same reason. Leather does break more easily than nylon, so use your judgement.

Put all your emergency needs in a large sealable plastic garbage can or a few cans that you can grab on the run when you need them.

If you have time to collect water before you go, plan ahead to have a few containers that you can fill, throw in your vehicle, and take with you in case water isn’t available where you’re going or becomes contaminated. Time how long it takes to fill them so you know whether you have time to fill them or not during an emergency. Storing water for long periods can lead to contamination, so speak to your veterinarian before trying this.

Get your neighborhood together to talk about emergencies, and set up a call system to alert each other if a fire or other disaster is headed your way. Local law enforcement and rescue agencies may be happy to help with holding a meeting to plan evacuation measures.

If your horse is in a wildfire situation and you still have a chance to get him out, use a wet towel weaved under the halter and over his eyes. Wet him down and try to keep him and yourself wet. Many horses will freeze—a side step followed by forward movement will help. Walking blindfolded be an exercise in trust with your horse that you may want to practice before an emergency. A horse can panic if new to this technique, so stay safe.

Never think you have it all worked out. Run through drills regularly. Schedule them and make it stick. Check the dates on your emergency supplies at these drill dates. These techniques don’t take much time or money, and can save you and your horse from much suffering.

Citation: MLA

Beagle, Michelle. “Emergency Evacuations and Your Horse” Redwings Horse Sanctuary. 3 Aug. 2009. <http://redwingshorsesanctuary.org/horsecare/emergencies.html>

Citation: APA

Beagle, Michelle. (2009). Emergency Evacuations and Your Horse. Retrieved from http://redwingshorsesanctuary.org/horsecare/emergencies.html