26/08/2020
𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲- 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲?
John Madigan, DVM- Diplomate American College of Animal Welfare
Distinguished Professor – Emeriti
Advisor- UC Davis Veterinary Emergency Response Team
Given the events unfolding throughout California and the many horses residing within the state of California, the risk to horses from the extraordinary fire activity is significant. There has been a massive expansion in awareness of the need to evacuate early with animals including horses. This has lead to public service announcements and numerous web sites with resources providing specific guidance on how to prepare ahead of time and how to evacuate safely. Yet, as we all know now, fire behavior has changed significantly due to many factors and challenged our most experienced and professional fire response entities to rethink their approaches based on the new normal of rapidly spreading fire behavior.
In the thirty years I have been involved with disaster response with a focus on the equine I have personally seen examples of poor outcomes for horses because of evacuation failures. I have attended numerous after-action reviews and listened to first responders and horse owners relay personal experiences with the issue of horses confined in the face of impending fire.
We all have seen the videos of the racing training facility fire and the attempt to save horses' lives by opening stalls with the barn rooftops on fire by letting the horses loose. I am aware of an individual who suffered a severe brain injury during trailer loading while attempting evacuation of horses with impending fire visible. I have witnessed the remains of horses confined in pens or stalls and burned to death. I have observed one horse turned loose and hit by vehicles and I am aware of many horses injured during flight from a fire while loose. The following is an attempt to aid the awareness of those faced with the dilemma of no ability to catch, load or lead horses from fires immediately adjacent or completely on top of a barn or field containing the horses.
From the horse’s welfare point of view:
What are the three most effective methods for preventing injury to a horse during a wildland fire?
1. Evacuate early
2. Evacuate early
3. Evacuate early
What are the two main options for horses in wildland fires?
1. Shelter in Place
2. Evacuate
What circumstances impede the most desirable approach for the evacuation of horses?
1. Lack of ability to capture horses
2. Horses which are not trained to load
3. Lack of trailer space for horses on the premise
4. Lack of halters and ropes
5. Young horses, mares and foals, some stallions which complicate handling and loading
6. Impending convergence of flame, heat, smoke making physical presence unsafe for humans
7. Lack of enough people with skills to catch, halter, and lead the number or kinds of horses within the facility at risk in a time frame that prevents fire engulfing the facility.
8. Panic by those at the facility when the fire in not an immediate threat
Situation: When a horse facility is in immediate and imminent risk of consumption by fire with no defensible space or personnel, will opening field and pasture gates, stalls doors and other restraining obstacles allow the horse to run and potentially escape the flames? Yes, and be aware of the following: If the safe area the horse has exited is a barn or other facility familiar to the horse they may attempt to return into that facility even when there are flames present within the facility. It’s not a myth. So, if the decision is made to turn horses loose, take precautions to prevent reentry to the danger area by the horse. If horses are turned loose immediately notify via 911 of loose horses so first responders in the area can be alerted.
Attempt to create a secondary capture or confinement area and direct horses in that direction if possible. Put out a call for horse groups to converge at a distant location but close to where loose horses are and to bring halters, grain buckets to facilitate catching horses, and trailers. Most horses, even under stress, will key in on the sound of grain in a bucket. I have seen horses attempted to be caught with ropes and halters unsuccessfully and immediately approach a handler standing still with grain and a bucket.
How to prevent the need to turn horses loose under direct and immediate threat of injury by
fire?
– Know your county’s equine evacuation plan
– Become an active member of the local evacuation and disaster response team
– Train horses to load, practice evacuation prior to fire season, develop a phone tree for other horse people with trailers.
What other factors prevent getting resources to catch, load and haul horses from harm’s way
with impending fire?
1. Inability of volunteers with trailers to enter the area currently under evacuation orders even with the immediate risk being low. Roadblocks by government authorities with the orders to allow no one in can prevent the needed evacuation resources from getting
to the facilities at risk in a timely fashion.
2. Lack of an organized evacuation team with phone code to show roadblock personnel for safe entry into early evacuation authorized by the county office of emergency services working with animal control (not many looters are towing horse trailers and wearing cowboy hats)
3. There are not enough animal control officers to be present and assist all equine evacuations or es**rt haulers into the area under early evacuation orders.
Suggestions and additional comment:
• Have a buddy system and a plan for evacuation and practice that plan before an incident occurs
• Identify your horses before being evacuated or turning loose
– Tags, collars, paint, sharpie pen phone number written on hoofs –
– Take a smart phone picture of the horse(s)
• Evacuate early, even if you do not know where you will take them. Get them out of harm’s way. The roads may close and you will NOT be allowed access if you wait too long. Walking (leading horses on lead rope and halter) may be your only method.
• Try not to separate horses if moving them as a group leading by rope and halter
• Are horses scared of the smoke alone? - No
• Horses are afraid of the noise and wind created by nearby fires
• Horses become stressed if the people evacuating them are stressed and panicked.
When can you shelter in place?
– If only option- no way out
– Clear at least 100 feet in all directions
– If you would not be safe sheltering in place, your horse wont either
– Attempt to obtain fire suppression team to defend the space or make
assessment if defensible – if not, begin evacuation
– Do not leave horses in the barn
– Remove horses from all nearby structures
– Provide food and water if you have time
– Turn on generator for power and run sprinklers in fields where horses may be sheltered if possible
– I.D. them:
• Paint, tag, collar, sharpie marker pen writing on hoofs, cattle ear tags with info placed in mane, etc. (have something in the barn for this)
– Remove blankets
– If possible, hose off horses prior to placing in large field
What can go wrong when you turn horses loose?
- Impede first responder entry because of loose horses on driveways, or roadways
- Horse hit by responding vehicle and suffer broken leg or permanent injury
- A first responder or civilian collides with a loose horse and horse rolls into windshield and injuries or kills individuals
- First responders or citizens on the ground are run over by loose horses stampeding
- Horses travel further and enter major roadways with traffic
- Horses suffer musculoskeletal trauma including broken limbs, head trauma falling trauma from running on slippery road footing, or kick other loose horses, run through fences, barbed wire etc., and obtain flight related injury
- Horses with halters (especially nylon) may get facial injury from excessive heat but they are easier to catch if wearing a halter.
- Horse can hook their halters on fences, posts, and other objects
- Horses with no halters may flee those attempting to catch them with ropes and injury others or themselves. Ideally leather breakable halters or a neck broodmare ID type collar is preferable.
A few Do’s and Don’ts from a Guidelines on Loose Livestock in Public Places which I authored and can be found in complete form here:
https://iawti.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/…/loose_livestock_guidelin…
𝗗𝗼 restrict the area where the loose animals can travel by immediately closing perimeter gates as soon as possible. The first objective is to contain the animal within some zone or area.
𝗗𝗼 direct the loose animal to a confined fenced area (pre-identified) and then wait for the animal to calm down. When personnel are prepared and have obtained the necessary equipment, move the animal to a smaller area to load into a transport vehicle.
𝗗𝗼 use the fewest number of people to quietly and slowly move the animals. Animals will become agitated if approached by a large group of people.
𝗗𝗼 allow time for the animals to settle down and then move them when all conditions are suitable.
𝗗𝗼 attempt to keep loose animals in a group, it is a natural behavior for most livestock to stay in a group.
𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 allow too many people to get involved or interfere with capture operations as it may subject people to risks and injuries.
𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 be in a hurry. Stay calm, move slowly, and do not encourage the animal to flee by chasing them like a predator.
Don’t turn on sirens or lights if approaching loose horses or livestock.
𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 chase cattle or horses or try to move them with cars or vehicles.
𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 yell or attempt to act too quickly, which can further scare the loose animal
Conclusion
In my personal opinion, I do believe there are humane grounds for opening confinement areas when intense fire is present and is about to engulf a facility. In those circumstances If horses are trapped and will surely die if not allowed freedom of movement, releasing them is appropriate. Realize the risk. Make your own decision considering all the factors described above and accept that nearly everything about a wildland fire carries some degree of risk, even loading horses during early evacuation, which is the method of choice.
IAWTI.VETMED.UCDAVIS.EDU
