Do you live in a hurricane risk area with horses or donkeys?

We certainly do, and we begin our preparations for hurricane season as early as we can. In the spirit of preparing we offer some hurricane preparedness tips for those of you who have equines.

All Year Round Preparation

• This first one may seem obvious: but make sure your horse is comfortable in a halter. Make sure they are comfortable being led, preferably by a variety of people in a variety of odd gear.
• Get your horse or donkey used to emergency clothing - first responders may be in uniforms with bright flashlights, life vests, shiny emergency gear, helmets. Walkie talkies may be going off, etc. If you don't have those items, you can get them used to you and others wearing any odd clothing and carrying flashlights that are turned on. You can find odd sounds on the internet to play, gradually increasing the volume and unpredictability of it to get them used to that.
• Practice loading in a trailer. Eat breakfast in the trailer. Trailer. Trailer. Trailer. You want your horse to be so comfortable in the trailer that it's basically muscle memory and they'll walk in even in scary situations and even with strangers. If you have access to multiple trailers, have them load in as many as you can.
• Microchip your equine (and if they are microchipped, make sure your information is up to date and registered to their chip)! That way any vet or rescue worker with a scanner can scan them for a chip, take the number down to look up, and reunite them with you. All of our horses are microchipped so if at any point during a disaster they are not with us, we can feel safe they will be returned to us. Chips are the best way to get them home if they get lost in the chaos of a hurricane or other disaster.

At the Start of Hurricane Season

Only evacuate with your horses if you're sure you have enough time and a place for them to stay when you get there. The last thing you want is to get stuck on the road with a horse trailer as a hurricane hits.

If you live coastal, find somewhere ahead of time to take your horses - even just a few miles inland can make a big difference. Best if you can find somewhere at the beginning of hurricane season just in case!

Make sure your trailer and truck are ready to go or you have a ride for your horses and a plan with the driver.

If you plan to evacuate, make sure you evacuate EARLY. Days in advance. Many equine lives were lost trying to evacuate when roads get clogged.

If you think you will evacuate, make sure your horses are up to date on vaccinations, coggins, and other paperwork they may need to stay at a facility with other horses.

When a Hurricane is Imminent

• If you don't have time to evacuate, or choose not to, paint your phone number on your horses with wax crayon (or other form of waterproof, horse-safe paint) or braid a small waterproof tag in their mane with your contact information (don't tie ropes or anything that could get caught on things). 
• Do not leave horses contained or latched in a barn, stall, or small confined area during a hurricane.
• Do not leave halters on them as they may become tangled and be unable to move to safety.
• Have a two week supply of hay (wrapped in plastic or waterproof tarp) and feed (stored in plastic water-tight containers). Fill clean plastic garbage cans with water, secure the tops. Place these supplies in the highest and driest area possible.
• Take two large plywood boards and spray paint on one side of each board, "HAVE ANIMALS - NEED HELP." And on the other side paint, "HAVE ANIMALS - OK FOR NOW." Put both plywood boards in the safe location with your feed supply.
  • When the storm has passed and it is safe to do so, place one of the plywood signs with the appropriate writing facing the road and the other in a clear area with the appropriate side facing upwards. Aircraft will be flying overhead, and this will help them determine the severity of the effects of the storm. If you do not nave a severely injured animal, put the OK sign up. In either case, help will get to you as soon as possible.
• Make sure your horse paddocks and pastures have working gates that can be opened easily (not locked) by people in case emergency responders need to get to them and you aren't there.
• Finally, make sure your emergency "go bags" are packed and ready in a safe place whether you decide to stay or evacuate! Other than the usual food (3 square bales of hay per horse as hay can be hard to find in the aftermath), meds, and care items like bandages, have an emergency binder in a safe but easily accessible place.
  • This Emergency Binder should include:
    • Record of diet, medications, vet info and directions for feeding, giving meds, and any cues they know. Copies of these should be with trusted people.
    • Proof of coggins
    • Pertinent vet records
    • Any paperwork proving ownership (adoption papers, registration papers, photos, vet records, etc).
    • Emergency contacts (their vet, anyone you trust to care for them, etc).
    • This binder should go with you if you evacuate, as well. Even if your horse is not with you. If your horse is picked up by emergency response personnel, you'll need a way to prove they are yours.

What do we do to prep for hurricanes with our large herd? We have a barn that is hurricane rated up to category 3, so we put any equipment or items in there that we need to stay safe. Our horses are turned out into our larger pastures and anything that could get tossed around by wind is secured - this includes tree trimming, etc. We put hay out for everyone at the high points in our pastures and we ensure any very fragile horses have a place to stay ahead of time. We are far enough inland that our risk for tidal flooding is minimal and we have large pastures that make it easy for our horses to find dry areas and avoid getting stuck, trapped, or hit with debris.