Long before the sheets of fire and bursts of horrid thunder appear on the horizon, the savvy horse owner and farm manager can do much to protect lives and property. Damage wrought to the horse farm by disasters range from mild inconvenience to devastation. They may be slow and insidious (droughts, excessive rain); they may come with some advance warning (hurricanes, floods); or they may arise suddenly and move terrifyingly fast (wildfires, tornadoes). Everyone who owns or manages horses is aware of the need to prepare, but some of us may benefit from a seasonal reminder, and maybe a fresh approach, to prepare for what may come.  

No single article can possibly address every scenario for every size farm and location, so this piece will focus on general principles. It is up to the reader to identify the greatest risks to their horses and businesses and prepare accordingly, starting today.  

Infrastructure

Basic changes in infrastructure can radically affect the susceptibility of a facility to a disaster. These take significant time and investment, but even small changes implemented over months to years are worthwhile. A few examples include:  

• Fire amelioration: Maintain fire breaks, use fire-resistant materials in construction, clear brush and maintain access to water sources for fire fighters.  
• Flooding: Identify and prepare high ground where animals can be temporarily enclosed and fed, improve drainage and divert water away from critical sites.  
• Storms: Reinforce barns and shelters to be more wind-resistant, have a safe place for workers to shelter, remove trees that may damage structures and install and maintain back-up power sources. 
• Drought, excessive rainfall or other potential disruptions in availability of feed and/or water: Construction of adequate feed storage for buying in bulk when feed is available and identify alternative water sources (digging wells, trucked-in water, water storage). 

Training

Do you or your staff know safe equine rescue techniques and how to care for traumatic injuries? These skills need to be developed well ahead of any need. For large operations in particular, running a mock disaster is highly illuminating of the holes in your disaster plan, which should include details like which responsibilities are assigned to specific people (e.g., who is evacuating horses from Barn A; who is clearing roads; and who is delivering feed/water, etc.), and where the resources are coming from (e.g., feed, trucks, fuel, etc.). As a bonus, mock drills help build trust and communication within the farm team.  

Supply chain

As alluded to above, disruptions in the availability of essentials to the horse farm are common sequels to disasters, particularly if the event affects an entire region. Identifying reliable sources of feed, bedding, medication, fencing, etc. in and outside the immediate region before a crisis is one less thing to manage in the moment. Create a current list of suppliers with redundancies built in and keep it up to date.  

Insurance

When the premium payment comes due, review the policy with an agent to ensure nothing has inadvertently (or advertently) been dropped, and that changes in the farm (increased or decreased size or value, for example) are reflected in the coverage.  

Relationships

By far the most important component of disaster preparedness is establishing relationships with the people who will help your horses and your farm survive, and to whom you can in turn provide help. For example:  

• Neighbors: Particularly for small farms or backyard horse owners who may not have access to trailers, heavy equipment or plain old human-power, it is critical to develop a local network of people who you can call (or text) at a moment’s notice (maybe host a Derby party or a trail ride.)  
• Local emergency responders: Invite the local fire department to familiarize themselves with your layout and operation and solicit their input on how to improve.  
• Suppliers: You’ve already identified your suppliers and potential back-ups, but occasionally also utilizing reliable purveyors of feed and equipment in and outside of your immediate region will improve the odds your needs will be a higher priority. 
• Veterinarian: This should go without saying, but don’t wait until a disaster – natural, medical or freak-accident – to have a working relationship with a veterinarian and their team. Incidence of diseases that may increase following disasters can be prevented with routine vaccinations – Botulinum, Tetanus and mosquito-borne viruses (West Nile, Eastern Encephalitis, etc.) Evacuation and the potential for comingling with horses from other farms pose many challenges to biosecurity, so keeping horses up to date on communicable disease vaccinations (e.g., EHV-1, Equine influenza) and having a current Coggins/EIA test are also warranted.  

Put your plan into writing. No one will hold you to it, but the act of committing the time and effort of documenting your strategy and resources will go a long way toward protecting your horses, your farm and the people who work there. Disaster planning resources for horse owners and farm managers:  

• American Veterinary Medical Association 
• American Association of Equine Practitioners
• Farm Bureau AgBusiness Emergency Preparedness Tool 
• Farm Emergency Preparedness Templates 
• Tips for conducting a disaster drill 

This is an excerpt from Equine Disease Quarterly, Vol. 35, Issue 2, funded by underwriters at Lloyd’s, London, brokers, and their Kentucky agents. It was written by Lynne M. Cassone, DVM, Dipl. ACVP, at the University of Kentucky’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, in Lexington.