With hurricane season upon us, horse owners must take proactive measures to ensure the safety and well-being of their animals. Here are some tips from the Louisiana State Animal Response Team (LSART), the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine for horse owners to effectively prepare in areas prone to hurricane damage: 

Family Preparedness

Develop a personal plan with provisions for your entire family, including your animals, and update the plan yearly. Saving the Whole Family is a useful guide from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). 

Health and Identification

• Ensure your horse is up to date on his/her vaccinations against rabies, tetanus, and the encephalitis viruses (Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis, and West Nile virus).
• Establish a network and communication plan with the horse and farm animal-owning neighbors in your parish (or county, depending on where you live). Get to know one another, hold meetings to discuss various scenarios, and identify local resources for handling disaster situations. Be prepared to assist one another.
• Familiarize yourself with your parish (or county) emergency managers, who are responsible during emergencies. If you are a Louisiana resident visit gohsep.la.gov/ABOUT/STATE-REGIONS for specific contact information.
• Be sure your horse has two forms of identification: (1) Permanent identification such as a microchip, tattoo, or brand, and (2) A luggage-type tag secured to the tail and halter (be sure to use a leather halter for breakaway purposes). Fetlock tags are useful and can be acquired online or from a local farm supply store, or you can use a paint stick or nontoxic spray paint. Clearly legible tags should include your name, address, and phone number (preferably someone out of state in case of local phone outages).
• Keep a record of the microchip number (perhaps on your Coggins, which is your annual proof of a negative test for equine infectious anemia, or EIA) in an easily accessible location. It is advisable to keep a duplicate copy with a family member or friend in a distant location for safekeeping.

Evacuation Planning

• Always plan to evacuate if possible. Identify a destination and predetermine the routes well in advance. It is crucial to relocate your horses a sufficient distance from the coast—if you’re a Louisiana resident, that is preferably north of Interstate 10 and ideally north of Alexandria. Aim to evacuate at least 72 hours before the anticipated storm arrival. Avoid the risk of being stuck in traffic with a trailer full of horses and a looming hurricane. Share your evacuation contact information with your neighbors.

Emergency Preparedness

• Prepare a waterproof emergency animal care kit with all the items you normally use, including medications, salves or ointments, cohesive bandage (Vetrap or CoFlex), other bandages, tape, etc. Store the kit in a safe place where you can easily access it following a storm.
• Initiate early property cleanup to remove debris that could be tossed around by strong winds. Be careful of down live power lines that can pose a danger to people and animals.

Sheltering at Home

• 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. Farms subject to storm surge or flash flooding should turn their horses out so horses are less likely to get trapped and drown.
• Remove all items from the barn aisle and walls and store them in a safe place.
• Have at least a two-to-three-week supply of hay (wrapped in plastic or waterproof tarp) and feed (stored in plastic watertight containers, securing the container seams with duct tape). Place these supplies out of reach of floodwaters in the highest and driest area possible.
• Fill clean plastic garbage cans with water, secure the tops, and place them in the barn for use after the storm.
• Place an emergency barn kit containing a chain saw and fuel, hammer(s), saw, nails, screws, and fencing materials in a secure area before the storm hits so that it is easily accessible following the storm.
• Have an ample supply of flashlights and batteries and other nonperishable items.

Communications and Up-to-Date Information

• Listen to local radio stations in your area. If you have internet access, visit state-run websites that provide accurate status information (i.e., State Police, State University, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry) and take all cautions/warning serious and act accordingly.
• Visit the LSART website for more detailed information regarding horse hurricane preparations and other emergency and health-related information.  

If you’re a Louisiana resident and your animals need emergency medical care after hours, the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital on Skip Bertman Drive is available 24/7, 365 days a year. For pets and small exotics, call 225/578-9600, and for horses and farm animals, call 225/578-9500. While the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital typically remains open during hurricanes, please call first to be sure the hospital is accessible and veterinary teams are able to accept patients following a disaster.