Natural Disasters and Horses: Tips to Remember

Navigate natural disasters with proper planning and research ahead of time and patience during the aftermath.
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Natural Disasters and Horses: Tips to Remember
Don't wait if you'll likely have to evacuate, even if the sun is still shining. Roads can become backed up, and getting enough fuel to haul a trailer could be a problem. | Photo: iStock
From floods and fires to tornadoes and thunderstorms, the numerous natural disasters that struck in 2016 starkly reminded horse owners to have their emergency plans set in advance. When you’re evacuating your horses, it’s crucial to know what to do before your trailer rolls out of your facility.

Bill Moyer, DVM, professor emeritus at Texas A&M University’s (TAMU) College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and former member of TAMU’s Veterinary Emergency Team, said that each jurisdiction will have an Emergency Operation Center, but how evacuations take place, who’s involved, and where emergency shelters are located and how they operate vary from place to place.

Each jurisdiction has a mayor, county judge, or other official who orders evacuations during natural disasters. General information is available online (try searching something like “emergency operation center in ). If a disaster has already left you without Internet, try searching in your local Yellow Pages under “Government—Emergency Operation Center.” Further, some areas have active agricultural Extension services that can provide direction on managing animals during a disaster.

Additionally, Rebecca Gimenez, PhD, Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue president and primary instructor, encouraged owners to seek out tip sheets from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other organizations on packing and evacuation

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Written by:

Sarah Evers Conrad has a bachelor’s of arts in journalism and equine science from Western Kentucky University. As a lifelong horse lover and equestrian, Conrad started her career at The Horse: Your Guide to Equine Health Care magazine. She has also worked for the United States Equestrian Federation as the managing editor of Equestrian magazine and director of e-communications and served as content manager/travel writer for a Caribbean travel agency. When she isn’t freelancing, Conrad spends her free time enjoying her family, reading, practicing photography, traveling, crocheting, and being around animals in her Lexington, Kentucky, home.

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