Thousands of Horses At Risk as Mississippi River Swells

As Mississippi River floodwaters rise, continuing to threaten parts of Mississippi and Louisiana, hundreds of
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As Mississippi River floodwaters rise, continuing to threaten parts of Mississippi and Louisiana, hundreds of area horse owners have sought higher ground and many more are watching nervously to determine whether they’ll need to put evacuation plans into action.

"Potentially, thousands of horses could be affected by flooding if there are breaches of the levee system along the Mississippi River," said Rebecca McConnico, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, associate professor of veterinary medicine at Louisiana State University. "Hundreds of horses have been or are already being evacuated from the most at-risk areas, including Louisiana’s Catahoula, Concordia, and Tensas parishes."

In the event evacuation is necessary, McConnico and other area veterinarians strongly recommend including horses in emergency travel plans. She suggested a few points to remember during flood evacuation with horses:

  • Evacuate to stables or other areas where you know your horses will be kept out of harm’s way;
  • Evacuate with enough food, fuel, and cash for both horse and human needs;
  • Be sure that you pack current negative Coggins tests, veterinary records, and ample hay and feed for the evacuating horses; and
  • Most importantly, she said, evacuate horses and other livestock early. Many times stock trailers are not allowed on the roads during peak evacuation times as this could possibly prevent effective and efficient human evacuation.

"Generally speaking, owners should not leave horses behind when there is a risk of flooding," McConnico said. However, in the event that it is impossible to remove horses from at-risk areas, she described how to give horses their best chances for weathering the storm

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Erica Larson, former news editor for The Horse, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.

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