The Following Information has been provided by LSART.
Hurricane season is here. What can we do to prepare?
Make sure horses are up to date on vaccinations and have current negative Coggins test. Make sure your horses are acclimated to loading in a trailer and traveling in a trailer.
Suggested vaccines - tetanus and the encephalitis viruses (rabies, Eastern and
Western equine encephalitis, and West Nile). Make sure your horses are identified ideally with a permanent form of id such as a microchip, tattoo, or brand and add a temporary form of identification such as halter, tag, neck collars, leg band, brand, mane clip, luggage tag braided into tail or mane, clipper-shaved information in the animal's hair, livestock marking crayon, non-toxic, non-water-soluble spray paint, or non-water-soluble markers to write on the animals side, permanent marker to mark hooves. Have pictures of you and your horses.
Have a plan- To shelter in place and evacuate out of the area if necessary.
AAEP and AVMA have good resources for this AVMA has a free downloadable
resource titled SAVING THE WHOLE FAMILY that has great information for preparing
for disasters and includes multiple species such as dogs, cats, and exotic pets as well as
equine and livestock species. This Resource is available on the Louisiana Equine Council Website. Louisiana Equine Council |Horses In The Storm (laequinecouncil.com)
For Equine shelter in place plans make sure you have enough food and water for
each animal and person for 10-14 days. Make sure you have local contact information for office of emergency preparedness and the agency in charge of emergency response for horses in your parish usually animal control or sheriff’s office. Get to know your neighbors to identify local resources for disasters and check on each other after the disaster.
Fill water troughs have plastic trash cans filled with water. Make sure hay and feed are
stored in a dry location, Waterproof tarps on pallets for hay and watertight containers for
feed. Prepare for 12-20 gals per horse per day
Have First aid kits for horses any other animals you are caring for and a human first aid
kit. Have an emergency farm kit containing a chain saw and fuel, hammer(s), saw, nails,
screws, and fencing materials such as portable panels for fence repair. The choice of keeping your horse in a barn or an open field is up to you. Use common sense, taking into consideration barn structure, trees, power lines, condition of surrounding properties, and the likelihood of the property and structure to flood. Horseso n farms subject to storm surge or flash flooding should be turned out so they don’t become trapped or drown.
For Equine evacuation plans
Do you have two locations identified where you can take your horse if evacuation is required?
Evacuate early especially for hurricanes at least 72 hours before expected landfall so
you are not on the road during the storm. Have copies of Coggins papers vaccine records and if evacuating out of state a health certificates. Have pictures of you and your horses.
It is ideal to have a second copy of important documents with family or friends out of the
area.
To summarize: Make sure your truck and trailer are well maintained and road worthy. Make sure you have transportation for the animals that require evacuation. If you do not have enough trailer space for the animals in your care, network with neighbors to identify empty trailer space. You may need to prioritize which horses will be evacuated first. Two evacuation
trips may be possible if your evacuation site is close to your farm. Make sure your horses know how to load in a trailer. Bring food, water supplies first aid kits and paperwork.