Over recent years, most of us have become acutely aware of the devastation that natural disasters can, and do, cause. Fires, floods and earthquakes have become more commonplace, both here in New Zealand and in many other parts of the world.
To prepare for any large-scale disasters, we’re urged to make contingency plans and have emergency kits prepared for our families – but we also need to make a plan for the safety and welfare of our horses (and other treasured animals).
In addition to natural disasters such as fires, floods and earthquakes, horses are quite capable of getting into some awful situations by themselves, such as getting stuck in ditches. There are also some awful scenarios when horses are involved in float or trucking accidents.
In these situations, having some knowledge of what, and, just as importantly, what not to do can help lead to a safe and successful rescue.
Being prepared
Dr Hayley Squance is an animal welfare emergency management consultant for MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries) and also trains people in both technical large animal rescue (TLAR) and being prepared for disasters. She emphasises the following:
- Have a plan for emergencies ready. The plan should include various scenarios such as what would you do if you were away from your property and there was a warning of an impending natural disaster.
- Part of the plan should include ways to avoid difficulties by evacuating before a problem is likely to occur eg. if you live in a region that floods regularly, and keep your horses in a low-lying area, you will plan to move your horses to higher ground during times of the year when the flooding risk is high.
- Be aware that flood events are continuing to break records, so you cannot rely on how high a flood reached in previous years as being the maximum level it will get to next time. Flooded rivers could get higher and higher and areas that were previously safe may now be considered flood zones.
- If a large-scale disaster such as fire, earthquake or even volcanic eruption does occur, even usually quiet horses will likely become very reactive and jumpy. They will also pick up on your panic, so it is very important to try and remain calm when handling them. Ensure your horses are used to being loaded and lead well (and will do so in the dark as well as daylight, as emergencies can happen at any time). If you have to evacuate it may take extra time to load stressed-out horses, so start early if you suspect you are going to need to go (don’t wait until the last minute when the authorities tell you to leave). If you have a plan in place and are prepared then you will feel calmer, you will be thinking rather than reacting yourself, and your horses should also become a little calmer too.
- Finally, in an emergency situation, be aware of the whole environment around you, and assess all risks first. It is easy to just focus on your horse and miss something that could injure your horse or yourself. Human safety must come first – we cannot look after our horses properly if we are injured ourselves.
In case of flood
Flooding is a regular occurrence in many areas of New Zealand these days and, as discussed earlier, the heights of the floods are reaching new records. If you have warning of an impending flood and are being advised to evacuate, take your horses with you if you can safely do so. If you can’t, move them to a safe place. Horses in paddocks near waterways must, of course, be moved to higher ground. This may mean opening gates within your property (but not on to roads), or asking for help from a neighbour if you have no safe areas. Make sure they have access to clean water and feed until they can be returned to their usual paddocks. It is a good idea to have your horses easily identified in some way eg. your phone number written on with permanent marker or livestock spray. Remove any covers if they are likely to get into deep water.
**As always, look after yourself and family first. You cannot help other people or any animals if you are injured or stuck.**
Veterinary problems and care following a flood
- Horse injuries can occur from them panicking and getting caught on obstacles hidden by flood water. Check your horses carefully all over once you can, remembering that small puncture wounds near vital structures can result in serious consequences. Eyes can get damaged easily when horses are fleeing in a panic, so should be thoroughly examined. Also monitor carefully for any signs of lameness.
- If horses have been standing in floodwater, remember that the water may have been contaminated with sewerage or chemicals. The horse should be thoroughly washed off once there is access to clean water and any wounds need to be carefully examined and cleaned. They are at risk of bacterial infections, chemical burns and even their skin sloughing off, so your veterinarian should examine them as soon as is practical.
- Feed and clean water will need to be obtained as soon as possible. The MPI has information on who to contact if you are in a situation where you need assistance sourcing this.
- Check your horse’s paddocks carefully for debris and broken fences before returning your horses to them.
In case of fire
If there is warning of a large fire travelling in your direction, evacuate as soon as you can. Take your horses with you if it is safe to do so. If you cannot take them, put them in the safest area you can; an area free of anything that will fuel a fire (so, free of scrub, bush, forest etc). Remove any flammable gear from your horses, and anything with metal, such as rugs or halters. It is advised to do this on any high-risk fire day anyway, as if rugs catch fire they can melt, with awful results. Again, open internal gates within your property but not on to roads, and have some identification on your horse.
If there is a fire without warning, for example in your barn or stables, the same plan applies. You need to keep yourself safe, and move your horse if it is safe to do so. Remember that horses will understandably start to panic, so be really careful when handling them. Try and have a back-up plan; for example, a safe paddock they can be run into if they won’t load on the float or truck (or even be caught).
Veterinary problems and care following a fire
- Horse can have all manner of injuries from panicking and fleeing a fire, so will need a thorough check over for wounds or lameness.
- The major concerns are burns and smoke inhalation, and urgent veterinary attention is needed for the welfare of any horses affected.
In case of earthquake
We don’t usually have any warning of a major earthquake, but may need to evacuate immediately afterwards. If evacuation is advised then, as before, take your horses if it is safe to do so. Otherwise, ensure they have access to higher ground to avoid liquefaction, and have access to feed and water. Open gates within your property and put some identification on your horse, as fences may be destroyed.
Veterinary problems and care following an earthquake
- Your vet needs to do a thorough checkover for wounds and other injuries
- As with the flood water, there can be contamination from any standing water causing skin infection, chemical burns or sloughing. Liquefaction is another potential cause of damage to a horse’s skin. Rinse your horse off with clean water once it is available.
- Check paddocks carefully for slips, debris and security of fences.
Individual horse rescue
If you find yourself in the very unfortunate situation of having a horse that needs rescuing from being stuck somewhere it shouldn’t be, the immediate instinct may be to panic and try to pull your horse to safety. In doing this you may well get injured or trapped yourself, cause the horse to panic even more, and it is not very likely that you will be able to move a 500 kg horse who is stuck on your own. So, what should you do?
- Keep calm
- Call 111 and request a rescue truck from the fire service
- Call your veterinarian – they will be needed and may also be able to call on a TLAR team or individuals who have undertaken training in large animal rescue for assistance. Training is open to all and is very worthwhile doing.
- Assess risks
- Keep yourself safe. Horses, and even ponies, weigh a lot more than we do. A struggling horse or pony can easily (and seriously) injure someone standing in the wrong place.
- Work together safely to perform the rescue.
- Ensure your horse is checked over thoroughly by the veterinarian after a successful rescue.
Summary
We may not like to think about disasters and emergencies happening, but we need to be prepared to ensure the best outcome possible if one did occur. Getting together our survival kits, plus human and horse first aid kits, is one part of this.
Making plans for easy evacuation with halters and ropes stored nearby, and floats and trucks kept in good repair and with fuel in the tank will all reduce the potential for extra stress on top of a very stressful situation. Keeping calm and keeping ourselves safe by quickly assessing risks before rushing in is another important skill to learn. Preparing now will give our families and horses the best chance of survival.
For more information and advice
- The MPI has put together a series of very useful information sheets and checklists to help prepare all animal owners for emergencies. There are also contact details of where to go for help. The information can be found and downloaded from their website at https://www.mpi.govt.nz/protection-and-response/animal-welfare/animals-in-emergencies/
- BML Consulting Ltd runs Technical Large Animal Rescue (TLAR) training courses as well as other training in preparedness. The courses are excellent and very practical/hands-on, covering situations such as a horse down in a float or stuck in a deep narrow stream. Contact [email protected] for more information on courses available.
