Planning for Emergencies

Photo courtesy of USRider

Do you have a plan in place for your horse in an emergency situation?  An emergency could include a severe injury, colic, foaling issue, trailer accident, horse being stuck or stolen, fire, etc.

Being prepared for emergencies could potentially save your horse's life.  Here are a couple of ways that you can be better prepared for an emergency:

• Know your horse's temperature, pulse, and respiration- this comes in handy to know what is normal and what is not for your horse when it comes to an emergency.
• Further your personal knowledge about horses by reading accredited articles, speaking with your veterinarian, and attending educational courses by your local Extension service, regional veterinary college, or other educational organizations.
• Develop a neighborhood watch program.  Make sure your neighbors have your contact information and see if they wouldn't mind keeping an eye on your horse while you are at work or away.  Just knowing how many horses you have and where they are kept will help in an emergency situation. 
• Know your veterinarian.  Be sure to know who the after hour emergency veterinarians are and their contact information.  Discuss with your veterinarian how to best handle emergencies with your horse and their veterinarian practice.
•  Know your regional equine referral hospital.  Make sure you know the location and their contact information in case you need to take your horse directly there for an emergency.
• Time is of the essence in an emergency- try to get your horse to the veterinarian within three hours of discovery for best possible results.  Don't ever sit around waiting to see what happens, get medical treatment right away, it could potentially save your horse's life and overall costs.
• Have your truck and trailer ready at all times.  You never know when an emergency is going to happen and your truck and trailer both need to be ready to haul your horse in any situation.  Make sure your trailer is safe and reliable.  It is also crucial that your horse will load on command, remember time is very important in emergencies and if your horse does not want to load, that can become even more stressful on the situation.
• Know your county animal rescue team (CART).  Participate in their emergency planning and become knowledgeable about horses and disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, trailer accidents, etc).
• Develop your own emergency plan for your horse, barn, and farm.  Have the steps written for each scenario such as a fire, colic, or a natural disaster.  Prepare an emergency contact list to have posted in your barn and for nearby neighbors that may be watching your horses for you.  Be sure to have your horse's paperwork handy in a notebook or other organized filing system (vaccine record, coggins, registration papers, etc).  It is also a good idea to have a horse first aid kit in your trailer and barn for emergencies.

Example of a horse first aid kit

Bottom line is that you can never be too prepared for an emergency.  Planning for an emergency and understanding horses in an emergency situation could potentially save your horse's life one day.  Educate yourself and prepare!

For more information, please visit Emergencies and Your Horse: Where and what to know by Richard A. Mansmann, VMD, PhD