Disaster
Horse Evacuation Tips
Make advance arrangements to have your horse trailered
[ Emergency Services ]
in case of an emergency. If you don’t have your own trailer
or don’t have enough trailer space for all of your horses, be
sure you have several people on standby to help evacuate
your horses.
Know where you can take your horses in an emergency
evacuation. Make arrangements with a friend or another
horse owner to stable your horses if needed. Contact your
local animal care and control agency, agricultural extension
agent, or local emergency management authorities for
information about shelters in your area.
Inform friends and neighbors of your evacuation plans. Post
detailed instructions in several places—including the barn
office or tack room, the horse trailer, and barn entrances—
to ensure they’re accessible to emergency workers in case
For more information about disaster
you aren’t able to evacuate your horses yourself.
preparedness, write to Emergency Services,
Place your horses’ Coggins tests, veterinary papers,
identification photographs, and vital information—such as
The Humane Society of the United States,
medical history, allergies, and emergency telephone numbers
2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037;
(veterinarian, family members, etc.)—in a watertight envelope.
Store the envelope with your other important papers in a safe
call 202-452-1100; or visit
place that can be quickly reached.
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humanesociety.org/emergency.
Keep halters ready for your horses. Each halter should include
the following information: the horse’s name, your name, your
telephone number, and another emergency telephone number
where someone can be reached.
DISASTER
Prepare a basic first aid kit that is portable and easily accessible.
Be sure to have on hand a supply of water, hay, feed, and
Preparedness
medications for several days for each horse you’re evacuating.
It’s very important that your horses are comfortable being
loaded onto a trailer. If your horses are unaccustomed to this
for Horses
procedure, practice it so they become used to it.
There may be times when taking your horses with you is
impossible during an emergency. So you must consider different
types of disasters and whether your horses would be better
off in a barn or loose in a field.
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Your local humane organization, agricultural extension agent,
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or local emergency management agency may be able to provide
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you with information about your community’s disaster
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©2008 The HSUS. All rights reserved.
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response plans.
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Printed on recycled paper, acid free and elemental
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chlorine free, FSC-certified, with soy-based ink.
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Horses
Barn Fires
and Disasters
The Leading Disaster for Horse Owners
Why Horse Owners
Preventing barn fires and being prepared in the event of a fire can
Consider installing smoke
Should Be Prepared
mean the difference between life and death for your horses. Horse
alarms and heat detectors
owners should know the danger of fires and how to deal with them.
throughout the barn. New heat
sensors can detect rapidly
Disasterpreparednessisimportantforallanimals,but
Fire Prevention Is Key
changing temperatures in your
it takes extra consideration for horses because of their
Prohibit smoking in or around the barn. A discarded cigarette
barn. The heat sensors should
size and the requirements for transporting them. If
can ignite dry bedding or hay in seconds.
be hooked up to sirens that
you think that disasters happen only if you live in a floodplain,
will quickly alert you and
Do not park tractors and vehicles in or near the barn. Engine heat
near an earthquake fault line, or in a coastal area, you may
your neighbors to a possible
and backfires can spark a flame. Also store other machinery and
barn fire.
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be tragically mistaken. Disasters can happen anywhere and
flammable materials outside of the barn.
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Host an open house for
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include barn fires, hazardous materials spills, propane line
Inspect electrical systems regularly and immediately correct
emergency services personnel
explosions, and train derailments, all of which may necessitate
any problems. Rodents can chew on electrical wiring and cause
in your area to familiarize them with the layout of your property.
damage that quickly becomes a fire hazard.
evacuation. It’s imperative that you be prepared to move
Provide them with tips on horse handling or give a demonstration
Keep appliances to a minimum in the barn. Use stall fans, space
your horses to a safe area.
on horse handling.
heaters, and radios only when someone is in the barn.
During an emergency, the time you have to evacuate your
Familiarize your horses with emergency procedures and
Be sure hay is dry before storing it. Hay that is too moist may
common activities they would encounter during a disaster.
horses will be limited. With an effective emergency plan, you
spontaneously combust. Store hay outside of the barn in a dry,
Try to desensitize them to flashlights and flashing lights.
may have enough time to move your horses to safety. If you
covered area when possible.
are unprepared or wait until the last minute to evacuate, you
In the Event of a Barn Fire
Being Prepared for a Barn Fire
could be told by emergency management officials that you
Immediately call 911 or your local emergency services. Keep
Can Save Your Horse’s Life
must leave your horses behind. Once you leave your property,
that number clearly posted.
you have no way of knowing how long you will be kept out
Keep aisles, stall doors, and barn doors free of debris
Don’t enter the barn if it’s already engulfed in flames.
and equipment.
of the area. If left behind, your horses could be unattended
If it’s safe for you to enter the barn, evacuate horses one at
Mount fire extinguishers around the stable, especially
for days without care, food, or water. To help you avoid this
a time starting with the most accessible horses. Be sure to
at all entrances.
put a halter and lead rope on each horse when you open the
situation, we have prepared information and suggestions
Have a planned evacuation route for every stall in the
stall door. Be aware that horses tend to run back into burning
to help you plan for emergencies.
barn. Familiarize employees and horse handlers with your
barns out of fear and confusion.
evacuation plans.
Blindfold horses only if absolutely necessary. Many horses
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Post emergency telephone numbers at each telephone and
will balk at a blindfold, making evacuation more difficult
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at each entrance. Include your barn manager, your veterinarian,
and time consuming.
emergency responders, and other qualified horse handlers on the
Move your horses to paddocks close enough to reach quickly
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list. Also keep your barn’s street address clearly posted to relay
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but far enough from the barn that the horses won’t be affected
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to the 911 operator or your community’s emergency services.
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by the fire and smoke. Never let horses loose in an area where
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Be sure your address and the entrance to your property are
they’re able to return to the barn.
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clearly visible from the main road.
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After the fire, be sure to have a veterinarian check all your
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horses. Smoke inhalation can cause serious lung damage and
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respiratory complications. Horses are prone to stress and
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may colic after a fire.
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