Posted by cjride on 6/27/2012, 11:18 pm 24.2.38.217
Reading awful stories of folks having to leave horses behind in the evacuation areas. Horses who won't load in trailers, horses who can't/won't be led out.
Such a horrible situation. And, such a vivid reminder to ensure that your have an evacuation plan. Make sure all horses will load in any trailer, will they lead off a truck, can you pony them, how many can you shove in your stock trailer? Do you have a defensible space?
One suggestion was to make sure the names of the owners and their phone numbers are duct taped to halters in case the horses get emergency evacuated to various locations.
So incredibly sad.
Re: Fire evacuations in CO
Posted by westcoast on 6/28/2012, 7:01 am, in reply to "Fire evacuations in CO" 75.41.115.138
You're so right. Anyone having or taking care of horses needs to have an evacuation plan and then practice using it on regular basis.
Do you know how those of us in California can help those who are trying to rescue and then house equines that have been displaced by the fire? I know the Colorado rescue groups must need financial help, but I don't know how to locate the appropriate groups. Any advice?
Posted by RobynB on 6/28/2012, 8:11 am, in reply to "Fire evacuations in CO" 71.146.130.212
When we were having the CA fires a few years ago, they recommended buying those big grease markers that they use at endurance races and writing your info directly onto the horse. Halters get removed/lost/etc. And microchip your horses!
Re: Fire evacuations in CO
Posted by Tori on 6/29/2012, 10:28 am, in reply to "Fire evacuations in CO" 75.107.5.244
Some people didn't have any pre-evacuation notice to organize what they would take when they had to leave. Some people don't own trailers.
I believe that firefighters were turning some of the horses left behind loose where appropriate (to take advantage of natural meadows and such) and then penning others up in safe areas. They did have people assigned to taking care of livestock and continuing to evacuate livestock from the fire areas and send the to evacuation centers (like the fairgrounds in Loveland).
This is one horse that was left behind in the High Park fire, his owners simply didn't have time to get him out. His owners were VERY happy to see that he was ok in this picture captioned: This horse walked up to one of the wild land fire engines from Boulder County that is working the High Park Fire. We're told this happens frequently in fires like this. Livestock are loose and approach the firefighters. "What we normally do is make sure the animal caretakers who are assigned to these fires are notified and we help them get the livestock out -- so this horse would have been transported to one of the large-animal centers designated for the High Park fire," says Kim Kobel, Boulder County spokesperson.
