It is that time of year again, when we should consider how to prepare for a Hurricane.

Regardless of whether you stay or evacuate, start early to clean up your property and remove all debris that may be tossed around by hurricane winds. If you plan to weather the storm at home, here are some guidelines:

• The choice of keeping your horse in a barn or an open field is entirely up to you. Use common sense, taking into consideration barn structure, trees, power lines, and the condition of surrounding properties.
• Remove all items from the barn aisles and walls, and store them in a safe place.
• Have two weeks supply of hay (wrapped in plastic or waterproof tarp) and feed (stored in plastic water-tight containers). Place these supplies in the highest and driest area possible.
• Take two plywood boards and spray paint on one side of each board, "HAVE ANIMALS, NEED HELP." On the other side of each board paint, "HAVE ANIMALS, AM OK FOR NOW." Put both plywood boards with your feed supply.
• Fill clean plastic garbage cans with water, secure the tops, and place them in the barn.
• Prepare an emergency animal care kit (waterproof) with all the items you normally use: medications, salves, ointments, vetwraps, bandages, tape, etc. Place the kit in a safe place where you can get to it after a storm.
• Have an emergency barn kit containing a chain saw and fuel, hammers, a saw, nails, screws and fencing materials. Place this kit in a secure area before the storm hits.
• Have an ample supply of flashlights and batteries, and at least one battery-operated radio.
• Using camper tie-downs, secure all vehicles, trailers and maintenance equipment.
• Notify neighbors where you will be during the storm.
• Before leaving the barn, attach identification to all horses.
• Turn off circuit breakers to the barn before leaving. A power surge could cause sparks and fire.
• Do not stay in the barn with your horse during the storm.
• Place a supply of water and hay with each horse.

Remember, trees could be down blocking roads, and you may not be able to return to the barn immediately following the storm. Leave two buckets of water in your horse's stall.

Vaccinations

The very first thing to do and in many ways the most important is make sure your horse is up-to-date with a tetanus booster and has had a vaccination for encephalitis, commonly known as sleeping sickness. This disease is carried by mosquitoes and the height of infection is July and August, just when storm, hurricane and flood season is at its height.

This disease can kill both humans and horses, and should not be taken lightly. Horses should be vaccinated at least every six months, but most large stables do this every four months. See your personal veterinarian for details.

Neighborhood Disaster Committees

Most horse owners live in horse communities. Contact your neighbors long before hurricane season, and organize your own neighborhood disaster committee. Schedule meetings at which horse owners discuss who has what in the way of equipment, concrete barns, flood areas, etc., and explore ways in which neighbors can help neighbors to accomplish a great deal. Contact your county animal disaster team and they will be glad to help you form such a committee.

Animal Identification

After Hurricane Andrew, 80% of the horses found carried no identification. This made the job of reuniting animals and owners much more difficult. Veterans of that storm compiled a list of suggestions to help ensure that your animal can be identified in the confusion that follows a hurricane. The following list includes a variety of alternatives from which you can choose:

• Take a picture of your horse with a family member in the photo as well. Then staple a copy of your coggins test to the picture, along with other information such as tattoos, microchip ID, special scars and any other permanent identification. Place all these items in a zip-lock bag, and keep them in a safe place where you can get to them after a hurricane.
• Purchase fetlock ID bands and place them on both front feet before a hurricane hits.
• Put a leather halter on your horse with a luggage tag attached showing the horse's address, phone number and owner's name and any medication information. Write any special needs on an index card; place this inside a small zip-lock bag, and wrap it around the side of the halter with tape.
• Take a second luggage tag with the same information and braid it into the horse's tail hair. (Caution: Do NOT tie the tag around the tail; this would cut off circulation.)
• Neck ID bands with the same information can also be used. Check with your local tack store.
• Using small animal clippers, body clip the same phone number your horse's neck.
• A permanent method of identification is Freeze Branding. For further information on this option, check out: www.horseweb.com/kka
• Do not put a copy of the horse's coggins test on the horse. Animal Rescue may not be the ones to find your horse. A coggins test is a passport out of state and, as we learned from Andrew, not everyone is honest.

One of the goals of Animal Rescue is to find loose horses and get them reunited with the owners as soon as possible. These suggestions will help tremendously. Remember, you cannot have too much identification with your horse.

If you plan to evacuate in the event of a storm, have a destination and routes thought out well in advance. January, February and March would be good months to do this. Plan to leave 48 hours before the arrival of the storm. The worst thing that can happen to you is to get stuck in traffic with a trailer full of horses and a hurricane approaching. Hurricane Andrew tossed loaded tractor trailers around like they were match sticks.

By the way, if you choose to get out of the area altogether, take all your animals. Don't take your horse but leave dogs, cats and birds at home alone.

After the Storm

After the storm has passed, roads will probably be blocked or flooded. Working in pairs, try to locate your nearest neighbor. Here are some other post-disaster pointers:

• Be very careful when you venture outside. Live electric wires could be all around you.
• See to your animal's needs, keeping them as calm as possible.
• Carefully try to clean debris from the barn, and clear the driveway out to the road.
• Place one of the plywood signs you made earlier at the edge of your driveway, at the roadside, with the appropriate writing facing the road. Place the other sign in a clear area with the appropriate side facing upwards. Aircraft will be flying overhead, and this will help them determine the severity of the effects of the storm. If you do not have a severely injured animal, put the OK sign up. In either case, help will get to you as soon as possible.
• Watch for fire ants. Ants will look for the driest place to nest and will move from wet to high ground when their nests flood. Check your barn/stall walls and feed/hay areas. Ants will also seek refuge from wet ground on fence rails and tree branches, so take care when clearing debris after a storm.
• Snakes will also seek high ground. Do not put your hands or feet in recesses you cannot see. Snakes will also hide between hay bales and banked shavings.

Here we go.....Equestrian Services posts its first blog.

Why do most equestrians have bad experiences at some point either with a boarding facility, a training facility or trainer? Across the board, I hear the same types of complaints. "I called a barn and they never returned my calls." or "I know this trainer has a great reputation, but why is he/she so demoralizing?" "The last time I walked into a facility, everyone either ignored me or looked at me like I was an annoying distraction."

If you have experienced these types of scenarios - you are not alone. In fact I would venture to say you are in the majority. Why is this? Why are some of the most famous trainers and instructors in our field emotionally abusive? Why do we tolerate this? In the corporate and business world - this can no longer happen. So why do we let it happen to us?

I would be interested in hearing your comments. And I am pleased to announce we are launching a hospitality-style professional equestrian management company modeled after successful golf course management. Why shouldn't you get the red carpet treatment? Think Ritz Carlton style staff in a barn.....now doesn't that sound more like it?

- Jennifer Donovan, Principal
Equestrian Services, LLC
Equestrian Management, LLC