Vicki Schmidt
Troika Drafts
Hebron, Maine

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horses@troikadrafts.com 

Is Your Horse Rescue Ready?

by Vicki Schmidt

If you’re into horses, you’re well aware that horses are prey species.  The survival trait of “fight or flight” is their instinctive basis for survival.  And as hard as we try there are things we can’t protect them from; or prevent them from instinctively reacting to.  Trailering accidents, fires, ice, floods, mud, and deadly storms are just some of the dangers our horses could face no matter how much safeguard them.  With that in mind, is your equine companion ready to be rescued?  Will he trust you, another person, a firefighter, or someone else, in the event of an emergency?

Over the last few years, I’ve written large animal emergency rescue curriculum for firefighters, first responders and veterinarians.  We’ve sponsored trainings on what to expect from the unexpected incident involving a large animal, particularly horses.  Throughout these classes I’ve come to realize; the owner plays a big part, and it’s a two way street.  We teach responders “You can’t rescue a horse that doesn’t realize you’re there to rescue it.”  It’s a lesson from grass roots fire training as we rarely rescue people from burning buildings or flood waters who don’t know how to help themselves.  In this same way, unless a horse learns and trusts to submit to someone trying to help, the chances of rescuing or saving them from threats are limited.  With those thoughts in mind, the task begins: educating horse owners to get their horses “rescue ready.”  

If your horse is involved in an emergency incident in most of Canada or the US, there is an excellent chance the responders answering your call for help won’t have a clue what to do.  Furthermore, most responders aren’t aware they have standard equipment on their apparatus that can safely stabilize and help rescue large animals from serious situations.  Until large animal emergency rescue (LAER) programs become more popular, there are several golden rules that owners can help first responders adhere to.  First and foremost; think about the worst that can happen, and plan your actions.  You will probably be the only person on scene that your horse knows.  Staying calm no matter how traumatic the event is, and communicating calmness to your horse, will help your horse relax as much as possible and, in turn, help responders mitigate the situation. 

One critical element that enables a successful outcome involving an animal incident is the initial call for help.  Pre-program ICE (In Case of Emergency) numbers into your phones and have them posted in strategic places in your trucks, trailers, and near phones at your farm.  These can be coded onto your mobile phone as ICE-trailer, ICE-vet, and so on.  Information near phones at your farm should include written directions from an easily identified landmark, such as an intersection or commonly known store. Also post your E911 (in Maine) location numbers for your address at areas easily seen from the road.  If at all possible, make sure whoever places the emergency call informs the dispatcher, and in turn the responders, that large animals are involved.  A veterinarian may or may not be requested or available.  Not all dispatch centers have knowledge of veterinarians who will respond to large animal incidents.  And remember, if you request a veterinarian expect to pay the bill! While most responders work for free, most veterinarians do not.

Another point to remember: request that strobe lights and sirens be silenced en-route and certainly when in the area and on scene.  Apparatus should also be positioned so as not to disturb the animals further. Professional responders will accommodate this request and ensure that other responding -units keep these negative stimuli to a minimum.  If it can be safely accomplished, placing a large wad of gauze or cotton ball (carried by all ambulance crews) in the horse’s ears will deaden the effects of loud and unfamiliar noises. 

A fully trapped horse, as well as most other animals, will not struggle unless they sense freedom.  Unless safety dictates, do not open doors of a trailer that holds an animal.  Even in the worst of circumstances, many horses sense their trailer as security and safety.  If possible cover the windows with materials to darken them.  If removing the horses or animals is necessary, attaching a rope and halter to a trapped horse will enable a safer release of the animal. 

Ensure a containment area is set up before any animal is released from a trailer or entrapment.  This can be attempted with vehicles parked in a circle around the incident, by using ladders off fire apparatus, or from temporary fencing from a local construction site.  This is particularly important for horses extricated from trailers along highways, or for animals that have escaped from their enclosures and have become trapped in mud, trees, rocks, ravines, or other obstacles.  DO NOT enter, or allow anyone else to enter a trailer or an area with an animal that is trapped or struggling.  Wait for a veterinarian or owner to administer tranquilizers, or use tools to extend your reach to assist or medicate the animal.

Tips for getting your horse Rescue Ready:

Train your horse to accept things draped over its back and down between its hind legs and front legs. And never let anyone wrap a rope around a horse’s neck or hooves to rescue it.  Using the large bones and muscles provide the best support for pulling efficiency.  Standard lengths of attack line fire hose are 50 or 100 feet and both lengths make excellent material to wrap around a horse in the event one needs to be dragged.  The width will keep from cutting into the horse and provide better square inch to pound pulling ratio.  Dragging with hose or heavy webbing draped down over the horses back and then run between the front or hind legs gives the best pulling advantage.

"Hooves are not handles" is another icon to remember.  In some circumstances, the lower legs are wrapped and the hooves hobbled to prevent further injury to the horse and possibly the responders, but they should never be used to drag an animal.  With this in mind, get your horse used to having its legs wrapped, and especially to the sound of Velcro and ripping duct tape.  Duct tape, is a standard on every fire squad truck.  Towels wrapped around a horse’s leg and secured with duct tape might be the only protection available from a rural rescue unit.

Familiarize your horse with the smell of roofing tar paper and the sound of its rustling.  Strange as it sounds this material can provide instant traction if your horse is down or trapped on a slippery surface such as shallow ice, polished cement, or large culverts and water ducts.  Once an animal is standing, make sure a path has been created with the tar paper to ensure the route of safety.

Teach your horses to not be afraid of the light from a flashlight at their feet or anywhere near them. Instinct tells horses that the moving light and shadows is a predator.  The fact that there is no scent or sound with the moving shadow further confuses and panics most animals.  Night rescues are often hampered by horses that interpret the light from a rescuers flashlight as something that is chasing or ready to attack them.  And trust me; few first responders will have a clue that this is terrifying to your horse until it’s too late.  Realize too, few responders, or owners for that matter, will try to catch a horse in total darkness! 

Another item: make sure your local fire department has a thermal imaging camera.  These cameras sense heat and can locate warmth in darkness and total fog with amazing accuracy.  Hoof prints hours old will display a “heat signature” on the ground, and there’s nothing like the warmth of fresh manure in the camera frame to tell you you’re on the right path!  If your horse is loose in unfamiliar territory ask the responding Department if they have a thermal imaging camera.  With luck, one of these $20,000 cameras will be available if your horse is lost in the dark.  

Teaching your horses to stand while tied, relax while blind folded, and to be led from either side, will also help in emergency and evacuation situations.  A long sleeved shirt draped over your horses eyes with the sleeves wound around the halter by the ears makes a perfect drape.  It protects the eyes from dust, sand, debris, and smoke.  Ideally it should be long enough to cover down over the nostrils to further help prevent damage from toxic smoke or fumes in the event of a hostile air environment.

Understanding being lead two at a time is another skill your horse should know to be the ultimate in rescue ready.  Two horses are generally more comfortable together than one horse by himself.  Realize too, responders are not going to know your horse only wants to be lead from the left.  Leading from both sides not only helps when leading two horses; it also develops a more balanced horse to ride or drive, which is an added benefit for the rescue ready equine.

As an additional effort, post in your trailers and barns a note “TO EMERGENCY RESPONDERS,” which is a signed document stating your wishes in the event a traumatic event occurs to your animals when you can not be reached.  Animals have suffered for hours from fires or beside the road after being hit by cars due to the unavailability of owners to authorize their care or humane euthanasia.  A very good sample of this note is available for trailering on line and at no charge from: http://www.usrider.org/images/emergency_responders.pdf .  If you secure this form, consider adding /farm after “this trailer,” and giving a copy to your local fire department or first responder agency.  Make sure the form gives complete contact information for someone who is authorized to make emergency treatment decisions for your animals in case your or your chosen veterinarian is not available.

As hard as it is to think about and something all horse owners should consider.  It is vitally important to make arrangements for your horses in the event you can’t be located or a veterinarian is unavailable.  To help in this manner, I have given written authority to a trusted first responder in my area that is good with a gun.  He knows animals and can recognize when their injuries are beyond the point of recovery.  He has my permission to humanely destroy any of my animals if they are involved in a life ending incident when I or my veterinarian is not readily available.  I hope to he never has to use this authority, but there is a part of me that is comforted that it exists.

As owners and caretakers of livestock, we have a responsibility to always prepare for their safety.  Owners that know a few basics will help responders provide for their horses and other animals during emergency events.  Sponsoring training and organizing with local fire departments to provide regional large animal emergency rescue equipment will help reduce response time.  And the best you can do to get your horse rescue ready, enables the chance of the successful rescue.

Vicki Schmidt is a firefighter with the Town of Buckfield and is also a State Fire Instructor with Maine Fire Training & Education.  She owns and operates Troika Drafts in Hebron.  For additional information on LAER programs for owners and responders contact Vicki at http://www.troikadrafts.com  or visit their training site at http://www.frandford.org .