I’ve just spent two very scary days evacuating horses from the Mountain Fire in Somis, CA. The fire started Wednesday morning, during the Santa Ana winds right behind my barn. I got to the barn just as the police were closing the roads and there was already heavy smoke.  I pulled up the trailer and started loading horses.  By the time I had loaded the first horses, flames were on both sides of the road and I literally dove my truck and trailer through a tunnel of flames and into smoke so thick that I could not see the lines on the road.  It was one of the most terrifying days of my life.

I made several trips back and forth through the fire and luckily got most all the horses out and the ones that stayed behind are also safe. The fire continued to spread, so once my horses were safe, I continued on to help others in need. I wanted to share some of the lessons I learned from this experience with you.  It is so important to be prepared in case of an emergency, and that you are able to load your horse into the trailer, even in the worst of conditions.

1. Practice loading your horse in the trailer BEFORE there is in emergency.  Practice loading at a time when you are not in a hurry. Rushing and forcing will only make your horse not want to go in.
2. Wear boots, a helmet, and gloves.  The first thing I did when I got to the barn, was I put on my tall boots (because they were the only ones I had) and my helmet.  I got stepped on by several horses and hit in the head by a swinging trailer door.
3. A rope halter and a flag is a lifesaver if you have a horse that won’t load.  With the rope halter, you can be much more effective and the flag can be used to drive your horse into the trailer.
4. Don’t tie your horse until the divider or butt bar are up.  Otherwise your horse may panic and pull back.  I always have someone at the front holding the horse until I can get the divider locked.
5. Use a leather halter when hauling so that if your horse gets caught or pulls back the leather halter will break.
6. Timing is everything when loading your horse in the trailer.  Remember to release the pressure and reward them by pausing for a moment any time they look at or sniff the trailer. Most people put MORE pressure on the horse when the horse nears or steps on the trailer.  This makes the trailer a “bad” place in the horse’s mind.
7. Put shavings on the ramp. If the trailer ramp is black and rubber, it may look like a big hole to your horse.  I was helping load 2 year olds yesterday into a brand new trailer.  I covered the ramp in dirt so the horse could see it was safe and this really helped give him confidence to load.
8. Help one another.  We have an incredible community of horse lovers here in Somis.  Everyone reaches out and helps one another.  It is so special and I am grateful for everyone who came and helped me get horses out or offered up a place to stay.

I hope these tips help you to stay safe with your horse.  We love these animals so much and I can’t imagine a life without them. Losing an animal in a fire is my worst nightmare. As horse owners, it is our responsibility that our horses will load into the trailer so that we can take them to safety if needed, or drive them to a vet clinic if they are sick.  In an emergency situation, when you don’t have time, the horses that won’t load in the trailer get left behind. Ironically, my Groundwork Essentials course is open for enrollment through this Sunday.  In the program, you will learn exactly, step-by-step, how to teach your horse to load in the trailer so that you are ready before there is an emergency (and a lot of other cool things too).

The fire burned all around the barn – including the back fence.  We still have a lot of horses evacuated to different locations, but for now everyone is ok.