Down here we have evacuation plans and Hurricane Emergency kits for our pets, horses, and family.  You don’t have to live in Florida to be prepared for other emergencies.  There are many other types of emergencies.  Floods, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, snow and ice storms…. each comes with its own set of problems.  What does a horse owner do in any of these situations?

I was just reading an article about being prepared for an Equine Health Emergency and I thought I’d pass it on.  These are guidelines from the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

1. Keep your veterinarian’s number by each phone, including how the practitioner can be reached after hours.
2. Consult with your regular veterinarian regarding a back-up or referring veterinarian’s number in case you cannot reach your regular veterinarian quickly enough.
3. Know in advance the most direct route to an equine surgery center in case you need to transport the horse.
4. Post the names and phone numbers of nearby friends and neighbors who can assist you in an emergency while you wait for the veterinarian.
5. Prepare a first aid kit and store it in a clean, dry, readily accessible place.  Make sure that family members and other barn users know where the kit is.  Also keep a first aid kit in your horse trailer or towing vehicle, and a pared-down version to carry on the trail.
6. I would like to add, that if you don’t have a trailer, leave a number of someone who can transport your horse for you.

First aid kits can be simple or elaborate.  Here is a short list of essential items.

Cotton roll, Cling wrap, Gauze pads in various sizes, Sharp scissors, Cup or Container, Rectal Thermometer with string and clip attached, Surgical Scrub and Antiseptic Solution. Latex Gloves, Saline Solution, Stethoscope, Clippers.

I like to add Disposable Diapers and either Masking Tape or Duct Tape to the list.  These are great for a quick pressure bandage where a lot of blood is involved.  The Masking Tape can also be used to bind the tail to keep it away from an injury and swatting you in the face while you are trying to work.

The AAEP does have a brochure titled “Emergency Care.”  This was created by them in partnership with Bayer Corporation Animal Health.  You can request one either from your vet or contact them direct.  (End of article)

In case of evacuation situations, it’s not always easy to get your horses out in time.  To be reunited you should have proof of ownership.  They now microchip horses.  In your evacuation planning kit, keep a copy of your Coggins (most have pictures now) or pictures of your horses so that you can show them, when necessary, to help find your animals.  Breakaway halters are a good idea instead of nylon.  If a horse gets caught with a nylon one it will either break it’s neck trying to get away or not be able to escape.  In Florida a lot of people take spray paint and put their phone numbers on the horse’s side.  Some people put tags on the halters with the horses name, your name, and a phone number, but also put one braided high in the tail hairs in case the halter does break.  Putting numbers on the hoofs can wear off in excessive water or tough ground conditions.

We have horses.  They are born suicidal.  Emergencies will happen.  No more said.

As you are sipping something cold or iced this summer, don’t forget your horses.

Make sure they have plenty of fresh clean water to drink.  If you won’t drink it, don’t expect them to.

If you are working them hard, keep some paste electrolytes on hand.  Yes we can buy powdered and put it in their water or feed, but will they eat it or drink it?  It doesn’t do any good if they won’t.  It’s easier to just syringe it into their mouths.  This way you know exactly how much they are getting, and that they are getting it.  But by no means give it to them if they don’t need it.  You can overdose them and throw their whole system off.

Keep a salt brick or block out there for them so that they can lick it whenever their bodies tell them they need it.  No Margaritas please, just salt.

Watch their pulse and respiration.  If they are blowing just standing around, make sure they are sweating.  It’s common here in the south that a horse will shut down.  What ever you do, do not assume they are just not that hot.  As you would take a quick dip in a pool, hose them down with cold water.

AND don’t forget that if the humidity is higher than the air temperature, they can’t cool themselves.

Just my normal Summer Public Service reminders.  Have fun in the sun, but be safe.

Please, I’ve been to Walmart and seen more than I ever needed to see.

But I remember, as a kid, the Coppertone ads with the little girl and the puppy who was pulling her panties down.  Wow, that was some burn.  I think they still use that picture to this day.  She’s got to be well into her 60’s by now.  That thought just flashed thru my mind, not a pretty sight.  Gravity and all.  Let’s move on.

I don’t ever remember using suntan lotion when I was a kid.  As a matter of fact I’ve never used suntan lotion in my life.  My husband and I used to have a contest to see who could be the darkest by Labor Day.  We usually tied.  Now in Florida we are a bit more careful.  We wear hats.  They told us the Florida sun was different.  It sure is.  We’re closer to the equator and the sun is amazing.  Leave a plastic bucket out in the sun and when you come back to get it after a couple of months, it totally disintegrates.  The life span on a lot of things is a lot shorter down here.  Car tires, batteries, anything plastic, and of course wood (it warps from the sun, dampness, and heat.  And of course termites).

Okay, what’s my point you may ask.  Well we’re back to sunburn.  If you live in Florida you get skin cancer, age spots, wrinkles, but you get that up north too, just a lot slower.  But what about our horses?  They get sunburn too.  Especially the ones with pink skin.

Many people worry about their horses bleaching out from the summer sun.  Many put them in the barn or put fly sheets on them.  There are some horses on my street who look like they’re a walking moth in a cocoon.  That’s all well and good, but sunburn is something you really need to watch out for.

They now have suntan lotion for horses, or I guess really just a protection of some sorts.  One of my boarders had some.  I’m sure it’s pricey.  I sat there thinking about it as she was spraying it on.  Lifeguards popped into my mind.  They always had white stuff on their noses.  Zinc Oxide!  I yelled.  Desitin.  That’s Zinc Oxide.  Why not use that.  So she went out and bought a big jar of Desitin.  However, she rarely comes up and puts it on.  So I just put on her nose covering fly mask.  It’s seen better days and the horse now has sunburn on the end of her nose.  So we apply Aloe to the sunburn, cover what we can, and go from there.

You really don’t want your horse’s nose, or their pink skin body parts to look like a tomato that was grilled, so cover them up, one way or the other.  It’s easier to prevent the burn as opposed to trying to heal it.  Think how uncomfortable you’d feel if you looked like that.

So have an “Itsy-Bitsy, Tiny, Weeny, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” Summer.  Please don’t forget your four legged friends and a cover-up or Coppertone for horses.  Sun hats and sun glasses are optional.  The drink with the little umbrella is for you.

Enjoy!