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Disaster Planning:It'll never happen to me... will it?Develop a plan
Idea: contact your local larger shelter in advance for advice on disaster planning for your area. There may be a county or regional coordinator that would assist pet owners in making plans. Decide on a route and map it. Consider having a destination outside of your local area, in case disaster is county-wide.
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Make sure all your horses (and other pets) have ID. We also recommend keeping current photos in case you need to make up a "missing" flyer.
Make sure your horse has at least one of these IDs:
- microchip - permanent, inexpensive, and almost impossible to remove. Cannot be altered.
- tattoo - mostly permanent but check older horses for fade or blurring. If it can't be made out easily, it's not much good.
- freeze brand or hot brand - number, letters, or symbol "burned" onto the skin. When skin grows back, the hair stays white or if branded deeply the skin raises up and little or no hair grows back. Register your brand symbol in your state (if applicable).
- hoof etching - numbers or words marked on a hoof; must be redone every 6-12 months as hoof grows out
Temporary IDs are also important:
- halter with luggage or dog-style tag (also add a number of someone outside the local area in case your local phone systems go down)
- neckband with your farm's name & number. Be sure the band will break-away if the horse gets snagged on something.
- in a major emergency, you can use non-toxic spray paint or markers to put a mark on your animals that will last at least a few days
- nail polish or non-toxic paint: put you phone number or social security number on hooves
- braid a nametag in the tail
Must-have items to keep handy
- proof of ownership for every horse: Coggins, photos, etc. Tip: keep a copy of his Coggins and other records in the horse trailer.
- Extra halters & lead ropes
- buckets and some feed & hay
- top off the fuel tank & hitch up the trailer if a major warning is issued
- charged cell phone
- flashlight
- basic first aid kit
- phone numbers written down and kept in the trailer or truck for easy references: local authorities, state Ag office, state vet office, at least one of your vets, all local shelters & rescues, HorseTrac
- money
- tool kit: duct tape, knife, pliers, screwdrivers, hammer.
- tranquilizers - with your vet's help, get tranquilizers and learn the right dosage. It may be necessary to sedate an injured animal until the roads can be re-opened and a vet can arrive.
Day of the event
- Follow local announcements for evacuation notices, route, road closures, etc.
- A central location for people or livestock may be set up. For horses, many times a county fairgrounds or similar facility is used.
- IF YOU MUST LEAVE EQUINES BEHIND: inform others of your destination and more than one phone number to reach you at. Leave ample hay & water. Do not leave animals in low-lying areas that may flood. Be aware storms may remove fencing, so put horses in the most secure, inner paddock area.
Locating a lost animal
- contact law enforcement and local animal shelters immediately (look in your phone book)
- call HorseTrac
- NetPosse/ Stolen Horse International
- distribute flyers including his photo *and* his ID. Without both, it may be very hard for someone who came across a brown horse to know if it's your "brown horse".
Review the plan periodically
- Check to make sure all horses' paperwork is current
- Make sure all horses willingly load in trailer
- Make sure trailer is in good working order: tires are inflated and not dry rotted, wiring works, brake battery box is not dead, etc.