Equine Guelph has announced that it will hold outreach events for the racing community to educate about barn fire prevention.

After the rash of barn fires in Ontario at the beginning of 2016, Equine Guelph and its partners brought educational material regarding fire prevention to the horse industry. To follow up, during the summer of 2016, a pilot program will be introduced for horse farms involved in the racing industry, including Thoroughbred, Standardbred, and Quarter Horse racing, training, and breeding operations. A limited number of visits will be scheduled for farms interested in having a fire prevention professional walk through their facility to provide an assessment and recommendations to maximize safety.

Many members of the racing industry were impacted by the fires earlier this year, which brought fire safety and prevention to the forefront of industry interest. Equine Guelph is pleased to be able to offer this one-time learning opportunity to Ontario’s racing industry.

"It is our belief that an investment in fire prevention and safety education/training will help protect people, horses and facilities." said Gayle Ecker, Hon. BA, BEd, MSc, director of Equine Guelph. "Prevention is key and this is a special opportunity to become more aware of the steps we can take to reduce the risk. Our horses are depending on us to protect them