Natural Disasters Tips

If the weather were perfect year-round with just the right amount of rain, sunshine, heat and cold, more people would likely own livestock. Unfortunately, in our world, the only certain thing about the weather is how unpredictable it can be. Floods, severe storms, wildfires and arctic blasts seem to be occurring more frequently, and if you are not prepared, the consequences could be dire.

Sometimes you might get advanced warning of an impending natural disaster, allowing you to evacuate if necessary; other times, you may only have seconds to react. In either scenario, having a plan in place well in advance could be lifesaving. Use the tips below to prepare yourself and your horses for several different types of emergencies.

While every emergency situation is different, there are things you can do to prepare in advance for any kind of crisis:

• Sign up for your town or county’s emergency alert system, and put the numbers for your local emergency management officials and law enforcement in your phone. Keep a hard copy handy as well.
• If you have a horse trailer, keep it in good working order, regardless of how often you use it. If you don’t have a horse trailer, or if you have more horses than trailer space, see if your neighbors would be willing to team up in the event of a crisis.
• Keep a “go bag” on hand in an easy location with your horse’s papers, veterinary records and some first aid supplies. Include up-to-date photos, which will be helpful for identification should you get separated from your horse.
• Familiarize yourself with the roads and highways around you so you can have multiple evacuation routes, and do a test run with your trailer in tow. You may find that a step that seemed logical while planning your route does not work in practice.
• Should you have to turn your horses loose, make sure they are marked with your contact information. They can be done via microchips, fetlock ID bands and brands. You can also braid a luggage tag into your horse’s tail or attach a luggage tag to a breakaway halter. If you have none of these options on hand, you can shave your phone number into your horse’s hair.

Wildfires are one of the most frightening things a horse owner can deal with. They often begin in forests, rangelands or grasslands, and can spread quickly and unpredictably without warning. The fire itself isn’t the only danger — smoke inhalation can cause irritation and severe damage to lungs, meaning even horses that seem unscathed need to be monitored in the weeks after a fire.

Early evacuation is the best plan of action for a wildfire, but if the fire is spreading too quickly to get your horses out, it may be best to turn them loose. Make sure they can’t get trapped in small pens or barns, and mark them with your contact information.

Hurricanes can cause strong winds, flooding, storm surge, spin-off tornadoes and long-lasting power outages, meaning anyone in the vicinity of the storm should be on alert. Evacuation is usually the safest bet, but if you decide to stay put, make sure you have enough hay, feed and any medications to get you through several weeks. Keep in mind that a sturdy barn may survive a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, as long as all loose equipment is secured, but bigger storms will likely cause devastating damage to structures.

If you’re in a flood zone, your horses may be better off turned out in a large pasture that has higher ground rather than locked in a barn that could flood. Drowning is the obvious danger, but flood waters also can contain chemicals, sewage and even venomous snakes, which can cause injury and infection. Plus, horses that stand in water for long periods are susceptible to laminitis and aspiration pneumonia.

During a severe storm, tornadoes, hail and lightning strikes can pose real threats. While you might know several days in advance that a severe storm is coming, tornadoes usually strike without warning. Whether you should keep your horses in a barn or leave them turned out during severe weather depends on your barn’s structural soundness.

A solid structure can protect horses from lightning, hail and debris from high winds, but if your barn is unstable, horses will likely be safer outside. Some barns can survive a direct hit by a smaller tornado, but for larger tornadoes, turnout may be a safer plan as horses can try to flee to safety. If you live in a particularly tornado-prone area, an equine tornado shelter, designed to withstand a direct hit from an F-5 tornado, might be an option.

Evacuation ahead of a blizzard is usually not necessary. Healthy horses can do well during blizzards as long as they have either a draft-free, ventilated barn, or a shelter to break the wind combined with a thick winter coat or warm, waterproof blanket. Blizzards are generally more impactful on horse owners, who have to fight against conditions to get horses fed and keep water buckets filled and unfrozen.

The day before a blizzard is predicted to hit, fill all water troughs, buckets and spare containers completely and try to store up at least three days’ worth of water. Utilize trough heaters if you have them. Make things easier on yourself by moving a weeks’ worth of hay to an easily accessible location so you don’t have to lug bales to the barn or field during the storm.

Most of the disasters on this list hit fast and are over quickly, though they may require days or weeks to mitigate the aftermath. In the event of a drought, though, you could be looking at months of hardship before conditions improve.

Droughts can dry up pastures, leading to nutritional deficiencies and overgrazing. Green grass is a prime source of Vitamin E for horses, so you might need to supplement it until the grass returns. You will also likely need to feed more hay, which could become pricier or even difficult to find during a drought, to compensate for the lack of pasture grass.

Beware of sand colic and toxic hepatitis during droughts. Horses desperately trying to find blades of grass may eat more dirt and sand than normal. They might also start consuming toxic weeds if they’re not getting enough pasture to eat.

After you experience a natural disaster, you will likely feel overwhelmed and unsure where to start putting things back together. If your horses or other animals were displaced, a good place to check for them is local fairgrounds, which tend to take in livestock during crises. Should you or your family need shelter, food or supplies, your town’s social media pages will often post information about where to go for different items. If you don’t have internet or a phone connection, or if you are unable to travel, putting a sign in your window that says “Help” will let first responders know you need assistance.

For disaster aid after an event, reach out to The Foundation for the Horse and Fleet of Angels.