Disaster Planning For Horse Owners

Record heat, more intense hurricanes, catastrophic wildfires, droughts and historic flooding…..it seems that no one in North America, or across the globe for that matter, has escaped a natural disaster. Believe what you want about the climate, but there is no denying that we are experiencing far more environmental impacts than in years past, many with deadly consequences.

No matter where you live, you should have a disaster plan for you, your home and your animals.

You need to identify what dangers may be common in your area. And as we have learned this year, even if your home is not, for example, in a flood zone, you should still be prepared for one, because we are learning that Mother Nature has a wicked and cruel sense of humor and is wreaking havoc on areas that have always considered themselves safe.

In north Central Florida, where I live, we are obviously most concerned about hurricanes, but we also have to worry about wildfires, tornadoes and flooding.

There are no concerns of hurricanes in the west, but devastating wildfires are sadly a very common concern, as are tornadoes, drought and flooding.

Once you have identified your potential disasters, you need to devise a plan to handle each one accordingly.

As a former District Commissioner of the local U.S. Pony Club, I would invite a veterinarian, the local fire department and the head of animal control to come to my farm yearly and speak about disaster planning. I would invite neighbors and anyone interested in learning more about protecting their animals and farm. The fire department will be more than happy to come out and share their information with you and it is a good way to have them assess your barn and property for fire dangers.

These are great resources to use in developing a plan for your farm. In addition, there are great resources on FaceBook: my favorite site is Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, headed by Rebecca Gimenez Husted, one of the leading experts in farm animal welfare. Leading up to a disaster and after, there will be local FB sites that will pop up, which will pertain to the disaster, whether it is a site offering evacuation locations for horses or to help find missing animals afterwards.

 
Hurricanes

Should I stay or should I go? No, not a question posed by the rock group The Clash, it is a serious question that you need to address in the event of a hurricane.
Usually, we will have several days notice of an impending hurricane. Except in 2004, when those of us in Central Florida had only 6 hours notice to prepare, when Hurricane Charlie suddenly changed its course. If you are going to evacuate, you need to do so when the first evacuation order is issued. Otherwise, if you wait until the last moment, you may find yourself sitting in a parking lot of bumper to bumper cars on the interstate. We had a nearly identical situation last year in 2022, when Hurricane Ian had a hard time making up its mind as to what track to follow. The bottom line is, hurricanes are unpredictable. But if you are in the CONE, you need to pay attention!

Identify what will cause you to leave. For me, living west of Ormond Beach on the east coast of Florida, it would have to be a category 3 or 4, coming in along Daytona Beach, to force me to leave. I am fortunate enough to be an hour east of Ocala, and the World Equestrian Center, which has been very generous in taking in evacuees. I am fortunate in that my farm is located along a ridge and we are very high and dry. I have a good solid barn, and even after Hurricane Ian in 2022, we did not have any water damage.

Another major factor to consider is whether or not you are in a flood zone. How close are you to a river or lake? Tropical Storm Fay in 2008 caused major widespread flooding for weeks. Even the farm that I was leasing at the time, which had always stayed dry, found the pastures under 8-10 inches of water for 2 months! There was simply no place for the water to go. Many horses in Hurricane Katrina that were left behind, suffered a horrible death when their barns flooded.

How is your barn structure? Is it surrounded by trees? Is there a hay loft which could cause injury or death if it were to collapse. Is your barn close to a pond or are your pastures sitting in several inches of water after a typical rain storm? These are all questions to answer which will help you decide whether or not to evacuate.

Remember, wherever you decide to evacuate to, the aftermath of the storm will most likely follow you, short of heading out of Florida and then going further west. Therefore, you really need to decide NOW if evacuating is a good idea.

Flash Flooding

In situations of flash flooding such as Vermont and parts of New England experienced this past summer of 2023, often there is no time to evacuate beforehand. There may be no roads to travel and your best-case scenario is to safely get your animals to higher ground and to await rescue. The last thing you want is for any animal to be confined to a stall or pen, so if possible, the only thing you may be able to do is to turn them loose and many times they will find their way to safety, until help arrives. But in these cases, your own safety is first and foremost, or else you will be of no help to your animals.

If you leave:

-Take all your animals with you. Don’t leave any animal behind, you don’t know when you will return and it isn’t a good idea to leave their care in someone else’s hands.

-Make sure your vehicle is gassed up and ready to go.

-Keep important papers in your truck: vet records, identification and proof of ownership. In a disaster, health certificates are usually waived. Make sure your animals are current on their coggins and vaccinations.

-Bring along enough hay and feed for several days. Have extra water in your trailer.

-Bring your evacuation kit (below).

-Know where you are going. Before hurricane season hits, research places that you can evacuate to. Don’t assume that showgrounds or other facilities will be open for evacuees.

-Know back roads. Major roads become clogged very quickly.

Staying put? There is a lot to do to get ready, but you can do it!

The biggest question many horse owners want to know is, what to do with my horse? If I stay, do I leave my horse in or out? This is a topic discussed time and time again on countless bulletin boards.

Ask yourself, is your horse better left inside or out? This important question applies to tornadoes as well as hurricanes!

Look at your barn construction. In the event of strong winds, is your roof likely to blow off or collapse inward? In the event of a collapse, what will fall on your horse? Concrete walls or 2x4’s? Is there a hayloft overhead with hay and equipment that can fall on your horse? If you turn your horse out, you have to consider that in 100 mph plus winds, even the smallest object becomes a flying missile. Tree branches, jump cups, buckets, blown off roof tops, will all cause serious injuries and fatalities to horses. Are there electrical wires near your fields?
What about your fencing? If you leave your horse out, ideally, there should be at least 2 perimeters of fencing, as downed fencing is a reality. In Hurricane Andrew, many horses that survived the storm, later died because of downed power lines in their fields and broken fencing which allowed them to escape and to be hit by vehicles. This is something you need to consider not only in a hurricane, but in an approaching tornado. Don’t assume that your horse is able to
outrun a tornado! They can’t!
The bottom line is, whether you leave your horse in or out is a decision that you need to make, based on your facilities. Personally, I will take my chances with a collapsing barn rather than leaving them out in the elements. In one of the many tornadoes that touched down a few years ago, one farm in North Carolina lost all of their horses that were outside. The stalled horses all survived, save for one. The truth is, in a storm such is Andrew of Katrina, there is only one good answer, and that is to evacuate!

Once you identify where your horse will ride out the storm, you have a lot of work to do:

-Pick up and store every possible object that isn’t tied down. Knock jumps over.

-Fill every bucket, trash can and other containers with water. Empty tote containers work well! You cannot have too much water stored! I have invested in several rain barrels that during the off season I store tarps in them. During a hurricane, the tarps are used to cover feed and hay and the barrels are filled with water.

-Pick up enough extra hay and feed to last at least a week. Cover it with a tarp.

-Identify low areas and prepare with sand bags. I have found that bags of mulch or dirt work just as well. If possible, prepare low lying areas before hand: fill in such areas, add rock or take other measures to prevent flooding.

-Have sand bags to set around barn door openings as well as stall doors, especially stall doors that open directly to the outside.

Plan on identifying your horse with at least 2 methods.
These include:

-Body marking with livestock paint. Available at Tractor Supply. Put your address and a phone # on the side of the horse.

-Painting hooves with phone #

-Leather neck straps with ID

-ID on leather halter

-Braid ID tag into mane and tail

-Braid baggie with emergency info into tail

When using a phone number, it is best to include your # as well as one of a friend or relative who lives outside of the area, as there is a good chance that local lines and cell phones may not be working. Just be sure that the person is aware that they are an emergency contact and will know just what to do with the horse if found!

  
-Never attach your horses coggins to his body. Many horses were stolen after Katrina because they had their coggins attached to them. This gives the founder of the horse an instant pass over state lines.

-Make sure you have current photos of your horses and keep with their records in case they become lost.

-Leave a breakaway halter on your horse. It is also advisable to attach reflective tape to the halter, in case your horse gets loose in the dark. You can also attach reflective tape around their pasterns.

Wildfires

In my opinion, wildfires are the scariest disaster, as they can occur in an instant. All it takes is for one inconsiderate person to throw their cigarette butt out a car window and disaster can result.
If conditions are prime for a wildfire in your area, be prepared to evacuate at a moments notice. Do not wait! Fire officials will close down roads making evacuation impossible. Therefore, it is a good idea to have your truck gassed and the trailer hooked up and ready to go. Have your evacuation kit packed, including feed and hay.

To safeguard against wildfires and to protect your farm:

-Keep shrubs and palmettoes 50’ from your barn.

-Keep your property well marked and have a wide entrance to allow fire trucks to enter your property.

-Have tranquilizers ready. Low flying helicopters, smoke and fire trucks may agitate your horse and make loading difficult.

-Make sure that your horse knows how to load!

-Have adequate hoses and fire extinguishers ready and perform drills to know what to do!

Now is the time to prepare your evacuation kit!

Evacuation Kit:

3-7 day supply of feed, hay and water

Bandanna’s (blindfolds)

Batteries

Blankets

Copies of vet records, coggins and proof of
ownership

Duct tape

Emergency contact list

Face Mask (for fires)

First Aid kit

Flashlight

Fly Spray

Heavy gloves

Hoof instruments

Instructions for feeding and medications

Knife

Leg wraps

Maps of local and alternative evacuation routes

Medications

Non-nylon halters and cotton leads

Plastic trash cans with lids (to store water and
feed)

Radio

Rope

Shovel

Tarps

Trash bags

Twitch

Water and feed buckets

Wire cutters

Water purifier (bleach)


ID tags can be made at any pet store for under $10. Laminated luggage tags from Kinko's for about $2. Make sure your info is updated and correct. Include at least 2 phone #'s, stable address, vet info and any medical issues your horse may have. Braid luggage tag into mane or tail, attach pet tag to leather halter.

If you are a barn owner with boarders, you should post your disaster plan where everyone can see it, or better yet, make sure every boarder has a copy. If your plan is to evacuate, your boarders need to know what is expected of them. If you are in a wildfire prone area, it would be helpful to hold fire drills with your boarders.

And if you are a horse owner who boards, you should demand that your barn has a disaster plan in effect and that everyone knows what it is.

Disasters can strike at any moment in time. Know what can occur in your
area. Blizzards and earthquakes also require planning on your part.
Be a smart horse owner and plan now!

Be Prepared!