I live along coastal South Carolina, so we have to plan for hurricanes. Those of you who live in these areas, what is your plan for your horses?

For my other animals, we just crate them and stick them in the car. But, with our horse, if we load them up and evacuate.. where do we go? Do we only evacuate for a major hurricane? What about a tropical storm?

Do horses get anxious with bad weather? If the barn is very sturdy, will they be OK there as long as it is a minimal storm?

We'll need to have a plan, but I am not sure what that plan needs to be. How long can a horse stay in a trailer? Evacuations can last 12+ hours sometimes. That seems like a very long time for a horse to be in a trailer.

From my experience, I have seen some horses react to storms rather frightened. It might depend upon the breed and environment though.

Horses can become very nervous during a storm but, of course, this is all dependant upon the individual. Some horses take such things in stride.

I would never advise leaving a horse unprotected during bad weather, despite peoples' claims that I've heard in the past about letting them loose into paddocks where it's safer during storms (I know someone who lost 3 horses due to lightning one year).

If it's a tropical storm and your barn is new and sturdy, it should be safe for them to weather the storm in the barn, preferably keeping them to an inside stall, rather than one to the edge.

For a hurricane, I would definately say load them up and move them out. If you have to drive clear into another state and take them out of the trailer and walk them around from time to time, it's worth it just to know they're safe and sound with you.

Basically, we have decided that if a tropical storm is even threatening, we will make our decision. If a big storm seems to be headed our way, we'll be safe rather than sorry. We'll try to get out before an evacuation is even ordered.

Now... our next hurdle is finding a place to go!

That is a very wise decision. It's so difficult, trying to figure out what to do with pets, especially large, exotic, or ill pets... I know I was heartbroken when we had to evacuate a few years ago for a hurricane. We had to go to a shelter and, while there were animal-friendly shelters, none of them would allow us to bring our baby, who was positive for feline leukemia (she had it when we took her in, as a stray). The vet clinic could not take her either, for risk of infecting the other cats that were brought in, so our only choice was to give her lots of food and water, make she was as protected as possible, and do a lot of praying. It was the most horrible feeling in the world.

It's wonderful that you have a plan for your horses. Here's praying that you never have to put it to use!

I have to thank God that I am lucky enough to live in a state that doesn't really have natural disaters. But I would recommend getting in contact with your local Emergancy service center and see if they have suggestions or places that they have lined up. Also, Check with boarding facilties, fairgrounds, humane societies and overnight boarding or Equine Vet facilties in other cities and states.

I would also recommend that you have a tote of some sort with emergancy supplies: including extra halters and lead ropes and a lounge line, bandage materials, polo's and quilts, bute and or banamine, betadine scrub, triple antibiotic ointment etc. I would also make sure that you have some feed for your horse also like 1 bag of whatever grain you might feed and a type of hay pellet (These are easier to store in the trailer or a tote than a bale of hay)if possible. You may also want to look in to a water tank for your trailer that you can fill just before you have to pull out, so your horses will have water that they are use to drinking. You could also teach your horse to drink a flavored water (using gatorade, or electrolyte powders).

As far as the trailer goes:
1) Make sure your trailer is up to date on maintence and any problems are fixed before your strom season.
2) One hour of the driving or the truck running (causing vibration on the trailer) is like 20 minutes of long trotting a horse, so it is quite a workout. Knowing that it is not always safe on the side of the road to let your horse out (especially in an evacuation) just stopping and shutting the truck off for a while will give the horse the needed break. Also, you could give your horse a little bute before putting them on the trailer for a rough or long haul just to help decrease any soreness the horse might develope.

Hope this info helped.
At least you are being pro-active, having everything lined up before makes it easier in the long run.

We actulally housed some horses a few years ago that had been evacuated do to a forest fire.


I would also recommend getting in contact with your local vet and discussing your plan with them and see if the have any other suggestions to add.

P8ntCrzy... I cannot thank you enough for your very thoughtful and informative post. What great information! I think we will first choose our best route to get out of town, and then start a search for where we would settle with our horses in the case of emergency. Often, you have to make your hurricane evacuation "reservations" days in advance. If I already have a plan, we could make one phone call and get the plan in place.

I don't want to be stuck in hours and hours of traffic. So, we'd rather leave early and find out all is well rather than get stuck and not be able to get out.

I will definitely talk with our vet as well. THANK YOU!

We get the hurricanes on the coast of course, but I live inland and what we deal with are tornaodes and there isn't a lot you can plan for those. I can say that if there is a threat of a hurricane, load them up and head inland. Go to the safest town that has either a stadium, rodeo or livestock aution in the town and usually they open them for large animals.

Go ahead now before you are caught unprepared and find out what towns in a safe area and drivable distance have livestock shows, rodeos and such and contact them to learn if you can bunk with them. We had lots and lots of all types of animals, including those blasted emues in Jackson at the fairgrounds for months!!

Good luck and be prepared!

That's a great idea, to drive ahead and check things out. That would definately be a much better alternative than having to park the trailer out behind a motel or something and, with a place like a fairground, you would be able to take your horse out and exercise him safely (they may even allow the uses of stalls for special needs horses, if you asked). That's incredible.

Just a reminder, Hurricane season starts today, June 1st, and runs until November 30th.

Since used to work with animal rescue, I learned a few tricks and ideas. You should also call the animal rescue group in your area or the area you are going to get away from the weather and find out if they have foster barns set up as well. If it might be long term such as more than a few days, they usualy set up with foster barnes and pastures for rescue and evacuated large animals.

At the time, I didn't have Temper or anything really large, but I always took in cats when there was a problem and once they could go home, they left with their people.

Hope this helps. Should have remembered earlier but I have a nerve in my TMJ hurting now.

Thanks for the reminder on the season starting today!! Everyone prepare!!