Wouldn’t you like to be able to foresee the future, even if just for a few little things? Nothing so dramatic as making a killing on the stock market (if that can even be done these days) or hitting the lottery. Simple things would do, such as knowing when the tire is going to go flat on the truck or trailer so you can get it fixed before you get stuck on the side of the road. Or knowing what illness or injury will hit your horse next so you can take precautions. Or even knowing what tree that next thunderstorm is going to take down, or when the creek is going to flood, or when someone is going to drive through your fence, allowing your horses to get out on the highway. Unfortunately, we can’t know these things ahead of time, but we can be prepared to face emergencies of all sizes and deal with the aftermath.

Two years ago our country was changed forever. The hijacked airplanes and subsequent anthrax attacks made our country aware of how easily a few people can wreak havoc on our entire population. As individuals we also are more prepared to care for ourselves and our animals in the face of any crisis, natural or man-made.

Have you created a disaster plan? On page 73 you’ll get a (pardon the pun) crash course in preparing for disasters on your farm. This can be anything from an electrical outage that causes your well pump to quit working, to fast-moving forest fires that mean immediate evacuation. The list of a dozen things to do in the next six months should be a priority, and could help you and your horses survive not only the disaster, but the financial and physical complications of recovery. There also is information on how to gain more education so you can help others in a disaster.

Then on page 43 you’ll find a very interesting story on how livestock (including horses) could be terrorism targets. Can you imagine what would happen if foot and mouth disease were turned loose in Texas? While it doesn’t cause illness in horses, when that disease was present in England last year, the horse industry lost millions of dollars in revenue because events were cancelled and horses couldn’t travel