Just over three months ago, 75 horses lost their lives in some of Southern California’s biggest wildfires. Forty-six were killed when the Lilac Fire burned through the San Luis Rey Downs training center in San Diego County on December 7. Just two days earlier, 29 horses were killed by the Creek Fire at Rancho Padilla in Sylmar, according to LA County’s Department of Animal Care and Control. Although officers arriving at Sylmar were able to rescue some horses by breaking padlocks on 10 stalls in order to get them out and transport them to Pierce College nearby, one was euthanized because its injuries were so severe.
In order to try to prevent these types of tragedies and loss of life in the future, more than 40 Malibu area horse owners attended a free class last week on “Emergency Horse Evacuation Planning” at Malibu Creek State Park. It was sponsored by the nonprofit Equestrian Trails Inc. Corral 36 chapter, which includes horse owners in Agoura, Calabasas, Malibu and Monte Nido.
The speaker, Vicky Beelik, serves as Ventura County’s emergency volunteer rescue team coordinator for the evacuation of horses and other livestock, working directly with the Department of Animal Services during emergencies. Her own three horses had to be evacuated from Santa Paula to the county fairgrounds during the Thomas Fire.
“In Santa Paula, we had 45 minutes to evacuate. It happened that fast,” Beelik told the class. “It shows how rapidly things can change and how important it is to plan for emergencies.”
She pointed out that horses are evacuated using horse trailers, and that horse owners who board their horses, don’t have trailers or don’t have enough trailers can find themselves in a helpless situation in an emergency. These people have to depend on the help of others to get their horses out during a fire.
“My goal is for people to meet each other,” she said. “I call it the ‘Find a Friend’ program. Once a quarter or biannually, meet with your horse-owning neighbors for social events. Find out who has extra room in their trailers and can help others.”
The other part of the planning process is to have records on each horse or large animal. Identify each animal, any medical condition it has, and list them in order of priority for evacuation.
“Who will you take first?” Beelik asked. “You can’t wait until the last minute to decide—especially if your trailer only holds four animals, and you have 22.”
“You also need a list of contacts familiar with your property in case you aren’t home when the emergency happens,” Beelik emphasized. “People you have told which animals to take first, etc. Keep their contact information and photos of forms on your phone, so you always have it.”
Horse trailers need to be inspected annually with a checklist reviewed by a mechanic. Aluminum trailers can get stress cracks. Rubber tires will break down even if the trailer is unused, needing replacement every five to seven years. Hay, shavings, blankets and other flammable items should not be stored in a trailer.
“Trailer gear,” which should always be ready, includes a grab bag, medical kits, clothes bag and owners portfolios—and Beelik has checklists for what to keep in each. All halters and lead lines, et cetera should be kept well-organized and hanging up on the wall.
“Planning doesn’t help if the horse isn’t prepared,” Beelik stated. “And evacuation isn’t a standard horse training procedure. Is your horse used to seeing a panicked you or a panicked neighbor? How does your horse react to strangers? They can freeze or back up instead of getting on the trailer. You need to plan ‘trailer training days’ at each other’s’ properties and practice getting your horses on and off different trailers.”
During an actual wildfire, the advice is “Get out early”—the minute they call for voluntary evacuations, get the horse ready and hook the trailer to the truck. Do not sedate the horse. Put identification on the horse, with dog tags on the halter and mane—or better yet, have each animal microchipped in advance. Load the “alpha” horse(s) onto the trailer first so the rest will follow.
An LA County sheriff’s deputy in the class with experience in local fire evacuations cautioned, “If the road has been closed, then you’re already too late. You’re going to block a fire truck. As soon as you see smoke, pack up and leave.”