Safety Video: Evacuating Horses in a Natural Disaster

by Fran Jurga | 27 August 2009 | The Jurga Report



Welcome to the third in a series of safety videos from Texas A&M University on aspects of caring for horses during natural disasters.

I'm taking this one personally, since Tropical Storm Danny is headed toward the coast of New England as I write this. And the coast of New England is about 50 feet from this keyboard.

I don't expect that Danny will be Son of Katrina, but last week we had mile-high waves from Hurricane Bill far out to sea, and who knows what next week will bring.

I think it's time to sit down and go over all your a) "hunkering down" and b)"getting-outta-here-now" plans for you and all your animals. Maybe add category c: if you and your animals are all set, who can you help, and how?

In the back-to-school spirit, you can go out and buy a notebook and start writing down all the details the video suggests you'll need. Get out your important papers and start making copies. Call your vet now for any records you need, and check with your local authorities about emergency plans for your community. You just might be glad you did.

Oh, and keep an eye on Danny...and the next one coming behind him.

Thanks to extension.org for making these safety videos available.

Disaster Planning: Are Left-Behind Horses Better off Left In or Out?

Texas A&M University Extension Specialist Dr Brett Scott continues his disaster planning advice with one of the most difficult dilemmas a horse owner can face: if you have to evacuate and can't take your horses (or all the horses at a location), what is the safest way to set up the left-behind animals?

I'd write more but I'm going to the lumberyard to buy three sheets of plywood and a a can of neon spray paint. And I'm going to hide them in a safe place where they won't get used for something else!

That's one thing Dr. Brett doesn't mention: the time to buy storm supplies like plywood and tarps is not when a storm is coming. The stores will be sold out. Invest in those items when they are on sale and store them away.

Thanks to Extension.org for making this video public.

Safety Video: Is Your Horse Trailer Ready for Fire/Hurricane/Flood Evacuation Use?

by Fran Jurga | 11 July 2009 | The Jurga Report



No one wants to think about it, but it's that time of year. Forest fires, hurricanes and floods are sure to be in the news again this year, but maybe if everyone is prepared, the worst will never happen.

Brett Scott PhD, Assistant Professor of Animal Science and Extension Horse Specialist at Texas A&M University talked to a video camera recently and provided a laundry list of tips for horse owners who should be preparing their plans now for how to evacuate their animals if the need arises.

Who can forget those horrible scenes of traffic jams and closed gas stations back in the days of Hurricane Gustave? It was so hot, and many horses were stuck in trailers pulled by trucks going nowhere. And when they got somewhere...there was no power.

Sure, this is all common sense. Sure, we all already know this stuff. But look around. Imagine that today's the day. If you had to load up and hit the road with your horses because a wildfire was approaching or a nuclear power plant melted down, could you do it?

How would you do it? Walk yourself through the steps. Now ask yourself what would happen if you were away for the weekend. Could a stranger or a neighbor or a rescue agency worker come to your barn and get your horses to safety. Could they find the equipment and identification information and medications your horses would need?

Writing phone numbers on a blackboard is not enough. Make a binder. Take pictures of all the horses and identify them with name, age, medical conditions and behavior idiosyncracies. Write down all the possible information you can think of for people to contact.

Then get to work on that trailer. And maybe get to know your neighbors, just in case.

Thanks to extension.org for hosting this video.

Louisiana State University's Vet School Stands By for Horses in Need After Hurricane

(received via press release)

In the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav, the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Veterinary Medicine and team members of the Equine Health Studies Program have developed a call center in an effort to respond to the potential needs of horse owners in southern Louisiana. The telephone number for horse owners in need is 225 578 9501. This helpline will function from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the coming weekend and perhaps longer if the need is evident. A secondary number exclusively dedicated to this purpose is 225-578-9062.

Today, LSU Ag assessment teams were in the field as Parish officials allowed families back to their homes and farms. District representatives from the Louisiana State Animal Response Team (LSART) have reported that there are no hurricane-related equine needs at this time in terms of a full scale response effort and that there are no plans for any staging areas at this time. However, plans are in place in the event of that need.

“Reports of injured horses, or horses in need of evacuation are minimal at this point”, said Dr. Becky McConnico, LSU Faculty Veterinarian and LSART Equine Branch Director. “That could possibly change as the rains continue and horse owners begin to contact the school from different areas of the state”, she said.

Early this morning, local veterinarian Dr. Justin Gregg reported that many areas in Catahoula Parish are flooding. This is the delta region northwest of Baton Rouge where the Black River and Tensaw River flow into the Mississippi River. LSART has rescued four (4) horses from the area and provided veterinary care. As the heavy rains persist it is likely we will see more of the same from this region of the state. Provisions of feed/hay/water and veterinary supplies are on hand, but can dwindle quickly given the number of horses and cattle in Catahoula Parish and the potential need for ongoing assistance.

Donations are being accepted to assist the effort as the LSU team gears up to respond to the equine community and offer assistance where needed. To contribute to this effort, please make your contribution payable to the LSU Foundation with ‘Animal Disaster Fund’ in the memo line and send to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine – Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge, LA 70803.

Molly the Pony vs. Gustav the Hurricane

Molly: 11. Hurricanes: 0.

Since Molly the Pony was foaled 19 years ago, 11 hurricanes and named tropical storms have darkened the skies over her home state of Louisiana. Andrew, Opal, Josephine, Danny, Frances, Georges, Lili, Katrina, Rita, Humberto, and Gustav have all sent people and ponies scurrying for high ground. Katrina in 2005 almost was the end of the little Pony of the Americas mare; she was abandoned in a barn that later collapsed and Molly was only accidentally found by rescuers.

Molly's post-Katrina road to recovery turned bloody when she was attacked by a pit bull at a rescue farm. Her leg could not be saved, and things looked grim but Molly's friends convinced Louisiana State University's College of Veterinary Medicine to perform an experimental amputation surgery. With the help of an artificial leg, Molly has not slowed down since! She is now America's most celebrated therapy pony, and spends time each week visiting hospitals, schools, and nursing homes and inspiring all who come near.

So it was a relief to hear today that Molly survived yet another hurricane, Monday's Gustav. Even so, the "Kids and Ponies" Foundation Farm outside New Orleans was damaged. Roofs are leaking, one barn is flooded and there's lots of clean-up work to do, says Kaye Harris, Molly's benefactor and director of the foundation.

Molly is the subject of a best-selling book, Molly the Pony by Pam Kaster, published in April. The first edition sold out in a month, and a second printing is now on sale. Click here to learn more about Molly and to order her book.

Click here for a link to a PayPal donation page where you can make a donation of any amount to help rebuild the farm for Molly and the 19 elderly, retired or otherwise unwanted ponies who have found a sanctuary there.

Survivors like Molly deserve the best.

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http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsehealth/

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New Orleans Racetrack Closes as Gustav Approaches

New Orleans' urban Fair Grounds racetrack announced Friday that it will temporarily close all of its facilities beginning Saturday because of the projected track of Hurricane Gustav.

Gustav could make landfall as a Category 3 storm either Monday night or Tuesday morning along the northern Gulf Coast. Area governments are calling for recommended or mandatory evacuations beginning on Saturday.

"In this time, our primary focus is for the safety and well-being of our employees," said Fair Grounds vice president and general manager Austin Miller.

During Gustav, the New Orleans Fire Department, the New Orleans Police Department and the Louisiana National Guard will be using Fair Grounds as a staging area.

No horses are on Fair Grounds' backstretch. The track's inaugural Quarter Horse meet concluded Sunday, and the backstretch will not open for the Thoroughbred meet until October 15.

Fair Grounds is the nation's third-oldest Thoroughbred racing facility, and has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated.

Gustav Evacuation Plans: Mississippi Horse Park Open for Storm Avoidance

Here he comes.

Three days ago I was talking to someone at Louisiana State University who couldn't get a hotel room in Baton Rouge for his parents...because all the hotel rooms in the area have been booked by coastal residents hoping to avoid Hurricane (or Tropical Storm, depending on his mood) Gustav when he crosses the Gulf of Mexico on Monday.

And if he goes toward Texas instead of Louisiana, they'll just cancel the rooms.

But what about the horses? Are horse owners in the coastal zones planning to evacuate? Which way should they head? According to today's projected route, horse owners would be advised to head east of Louisiana, not west. You may remember that Katrina sent horses toward Texas as the Mississippi coast flooded. And the 1-2 punch of Rita hit west of New Orleans.

Many coastal horse owners will seek refuge at the Mississippi Horse Park near Starkville.

“We expect to see a lot of repeat customers from past hurricane evacuations,” said Bricklee Miller, manager of the Mississippi Horse Park and Agricenter. The facility is located on Mississippi State University’s South Farm.

“The horse park is an ideal facility -- far enough from the coast to be safe, but not too far to drive,” Miller said. “It has excellent stalls, arenas, RV hook-ups, showers and bathrooms. It is also a location that is very hospitable to other animals fleeing the storm with families.”

The horse park has 300 stalls and 150 RV sites.

“We want people to feel welcome and comfortable coming to this facility and to this community to ride out the storm,” she said. “In past years, local horse owners donated hay and assisted with animal care. Our intention is to expand our care for future refugees by providing snacks and a meal each day."

Dr. Carla Huston, an MSU College of Veterinary Medicine associate professor of pathobiology and population medicine, serves on the Mississippi Animal Response Team. This team responds after disasters and in emergency situations to assist with animal care and recovery.

“If emergency management is recommending people leave the coast because of pending weather, horses and other animals need to evacuate, also,” Huston said. “When a hurricane approaches, horse owners want to have their animals in the first wave of refugees leaving the warning area to avoid getting caught in traffic and risking overheating trucks pulling trailers.”

Certain measures should be taken before evacuation orders are given. Animals should have current tetanus shots, and owners should have medical kits packed with supplies for treating cuts and abrasions. Have paperwork such as Coggins tests, photos and descriptions of each animal handy.

“When evacuation orders are given, all people should leave. It’s not unusual to have to leave some animals behind during an evacuation. Make sure they have at least a week’s worth of food and water and some sort of identification on them,” Huston said. “Some people spray paint phone numbers on horses and livestock or use permanent markers on hooves. Identification tags can be woven into the mane to help reunite animals with owners if fencing is damaged.”

Secure all barn windows and doors. Depending on the structure, turning horses out to pasture could be the safest thing for them. Animals will still be at risk from flying debris, and they will need to have access to water and food.

When horses are taken to unfamiliar pastures, they may need help seeing wire fencing. If caught in stormy weather, horses may need some type of eye protection to keep them from becoming frightened and to protect their eyes from debris.

“Most people do not have horse blinders, but other materials can be adapted for that purpose. I’ve seen handlers use life jackets and bras to cover horses’ eyes,” Huston said. “During a time of stress, horses will be prone to specific types of injuries and illnesses including cuts and abrasions, colic and laminitis.”

Thanks to Linda Breazeale of Mississippi State University Office of Agricultural Communications for her help with this post.