Preparing Your Stable for a Disaster

Weather is unpredictable, and it always seems like somewhere in the world is suffering from flooding, fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, or worse. While we can breathe a sigh of relief if our property and loved ones are safe, are we prepared in case a something awful comes our way? And what about our horses?

The best time to plan for emergencies is anytime you’re not in the middle of one, and organizations like the American Red Cross offer many resources for disaster planning. But horses can add a level of complication that can slow us down, so here are some tips for including them in your plan.

• Start with the basics: first aid kit, sufficient feed and water, battery-operated flashlights, battery-operated radio, a generator. Have these on hand in your barn as well as your home.
• Keep detailed identification records of your horse–tattoos, microchips, brands, photographs, veterinary records–in a safe place with all your other vital life information. Should you become separated from your horse for any reason, access to this information will help bring you back together.
• If the barn itself is unsafe, be sure to have a place nearby you can take your horse, but far enough away to ensure its safety. Because a panicked horse will reflexively try to stay in the stall, it’s a good idea to regularly practice the exit to the safe place.
• Attach a detailed identification tag, like those used for luggage, to an emergency-specific halter you can place on your horse before evacuating.
• Find out where you can take your horse in case of an emergency evacuation, whether a neighbor, shelter, or other local sanctuary. If you don’t have the ability to trailer your horse, make arrangements with someone nearby who can. If your horse is not accustomed to being trailered, it’s a good idea to have several practice drills to lessen panic in these types of situations.
• Should officials order an evacuation, comply immediately, and take your horse with you. The longer you delay, the more chance you’ll be forced to leave your horse behind, without food, care, or water (Most evacuation notices exclude the travel of livestock, so trailers are not allowed on an evacuation so more passenger cars can get out. This means you have to leave before an evacuation notice is posted).
• Watch for downed power lines, especially in flood areas.
• Keep first aid, rations, and other supplies on hand, for you and your horse. These include water, extra feed, hay, and medications.
• Provide your neighbors with emergency numbers, a copy of your plan, and other relevant information. This ensures an extra level of awareness and response should you be forced to leave your horse behind.
• Post your evacuation instructions in the stable so your neighbors or emergency personnel can access them should you be unable to do so.

While many of these steps are designed to handle external events, accidents can happen too. You should always make sure the stable isn’t a fire hazard. Keep hay and bedding well away from electrical outlets, appliances, motors, cigarettes and other smoking paraphernalia, and anything else that can start a fire. Install some kind of fire detection system, preferably attached to a phone line to help speed rescue efforts. Thermal or flame detectors are preferred to household smoke detectors, which are not very effective in a barn environment. Keep fire extinguishers handy and ready, and consider the feasibility of installing sprinkler systems or fire curtains.

Your veterinarian, local animal control, first responders, and other organizations can be excellent resources for further tips. Since we can’t know when disaster will strike, we can at least rest assured that we’ve done what we can to be ready. And if we never have to put our plan into motion, that’s even better.