Hurricane Season: Are You Prepared?
A
reminder for horse owners to plan ahead for disasters.
Story by
Georgia Brown
Photos by Jill Haight
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Got
a plan? As simple as it sounds, if you have one, your response
to an emergency—hurricane or wildfire—will mean
the difference between confusion and a quick retreat to safety
for you and your horses.
First, decide where you will go: will another horse owner
or a friend stable your horses in an emergency? Or contact
your agricultural agent or emergency management authorities
to find local shelters. North Carolina and Florida have online
directories of stables for temporary relocation. Second, tell
your friends and neighbors your plans.
The Basics |
Water-proof
pet rescue identification tags can be placed securely on a leather
or breakaway halter. |
Update
vaccinations in spring to last through hurricane season. Keep
originals of Coggins, vet records and registration papers
in a watertight plastic zip bag and store with your important
papers. Prepare a first-aid kit and keep it in a safe place
for emergencies.
Identifying
Your Horses
Microchips, tattoos and brands are permanent. But for immediate
retrieval of your horses, take photographs of your horse,
both sides and face, and one of you and your horse to prove
ownership. Use fetlock ID bands and attach to both front legs,
etch your phone number into the coat with small animal clippers,
or attach luggage tags with your contact information to a
halter that will break if caught. Or braid luggage tags into
the mane and tail.
Preparing your Property
The choice of whether you should keep your horse in the barn
or in a field with strong fencing is an individual one. Use
common sense when considering the barn’s stability.
Nearby trees or power lines may increase risk. Talk to your
neighbors. Will they evacuate or weather the storm at home?
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Secure
anything that may be tossed around by high winds. Fill water
tubs and other large containers (lined with plastic garbage
bags) to store 20 gallons of water per horse, per day. Store
enough grain and hay for 3-7 days in waterproof tubs and cover
with plastic. Hang a halter with a lead on each horse’s
stall or paddock.
Temporary Emergency Stabling
If you plan to evacuate with your horses, be sure all horses
will load easily! Get moving early. Learn your route and carry
extra gas in the truck bed (not the trailer). If you take some
horses and leave others in the pasture, leave a list and instructions
behind. You will be expected to show Coggins certificates and
bring your own feed, hay, bedding and buckets. If you decide
to cancel, notify the stable so the space can be reassigned.
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Attach fetlock ID bands with your contact information to both
front legs of each horse. |
Hunkering Down
Do not stay in the barn with your horse during the storm. Doubling
up so that buddies stay together may be an option. Turn off
circuit breakers to the barn and place fly masks on pastured
horses to reduce the incidence of eye injuries. |
After the Storm
The after affects of storms present many serious challenges:
power outages, blocked roadways, downed trees (often across
fencing) and increased populations of biting insects. Be prepared
for 3-7 days on your own.
Have a generator and fuel ready and a camera to document damage
for insurance purposes. You’ll need fencing materials,
nails and hammers, duck tape, flashlight batteries, a chain
saw and a skilled person to use it.
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Engraved name plates with ID information can be riveted onto
leather or break-away halters.
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Take
heart. Past hurricanes have proven horses show remarkable
survival abilities during natural disasters—often surpassing
humans.
For temporary emergency stabling and more tips visit:
North Carolina Horse Council www.nchorsecouncil.com
Sunshine State Horse Council www.sshc.org
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Georgia
Brown is a freelance writer who frequently writes about
horses. She raised horses for several years and learned
many life lessons while competing in dressage and distance
trail riding with a gentlemanly Arbian Stallion that
lived to the ripe old age of 33. She currently lives
in Sarasota, Florida.
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