Equine Disaster and Planning Course

Ask yourself – are you ready?

Ask yourself why is this course important to you?

Ask yourself will your equine veterinarian be there for you?

What will you do?

Most emergency personnel and first responders know how to work with humans and often small animals, but usually they know little or nothing about horses or other large animals such as cows, goats, llamas etc. These animals are your pets and you may be the only one on-scene who can work with your animal safely. There are things you can do in case you are absent from your pet when a disaster strikes.

In all disasters, you the horse owner are ultimately responsible; you the horse owner have the final authority on all decisions made. You should not rely on anyone (police, sheriff, fire, or animal control) to assist you. They may not be prepared, and they may not be available to assist you. It is your responsibility to have a plan in place in case a disaster strikes. You need to be ready to save your own horse! You need to have a complete understanding of horse characteristics and their behavior. Also be aware of their enormous strength and unpredictability. Safety of all personnel involved in any rescue should be the number one priority.

This course is designed for horse awareness and safety. It will provide you with the tools and knowledge on what you need to know and have on hand in case a disaster strikes in your area and your horse is involved. A disaster can be a rescue, the removal of the horse from natural elements. An extrication, the removal of the horse from man made machinery or equipment, and finally evacuation, the withdrawal from an existing unsafe place to a place of protection. Disaster planning starts with you. Be prepared!

All horse and livestock owners, barn owners, as well as emergency personnel and first responders should take this course so you know what to expect in the event of a disaster and how to plan accordingly and be safe doing so. The best part of disaster planning is having a unified command and know the responsibility of each others roles and their limitations.

Instructor, Debi DeNardi, a lifelong horse lover and owner, and former Captain of Animal Control in San Mateo County has numerous years of hands on experience and knows the “Been there and done that” requirements of being prepared in the event of a horse disaster. Debi has participated in numerous rescues involving both horses and cattle being a first responder herself. Debi is aware of the pitfalls in equine rescue and will provide you with helpful knowledge and share tips to get both you and your horse through it - safely.

Debi has training certificates in both Large Animal Rescue and Advanced Large Animal Rescue, A training certificate in Equine Humane Investigations including Basic Horse First Aid. Debi attended the 2008 Humane Society of the United States National Conference on Animals in Disaster and took the HSUS Pet First Aid Course. Debi has completed all the necessary FEMA Animals in Disaster Courses. Debi is Certified Instructor for Pet Tech Inc., providing classes on domestic Animal First Aid and CPR. To hold a class in your area, please contact trac@SherwoodGoldens.com for more details. Resources: www.largeanimalrescue.com/index.html http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp

In Memory of Ruler... owned and loved by Debi DeNardi