Had A Fire On The Ranch, What To Do About Your Horse?

This is a quick post because I'm hot and tired but it's very important.

We had a brush fire on the ranch just a little while ago. It didn't jump the dirt road to get to the pens where I keep my spotted butt mare but there was a LOT of smoke for a little while.

Someone had seen the smoke from across our valley and called in the Fire Suppression Team, not to mention a helicopter showed up!

We zipped over quickly after my hubby had noticed the smoke billowing up! He grabbed a pitchfork and went to work with it while I scrounged around for a shovel. About the time that he and the ranchhand got it sort of under control, the Fire guys showed up and then the heli.

But, while I'm concerned with saving the ranch (and all the hay!), my main concern was my mare! I've already lost one pregnant mare about 5 years ago in a trailer fire and so I had some flashbacks big-time. But other than the smoke being bad for a while, she wasn't in that much danger...however....(you knew that was coming, right?)...

I carried my halter around with me 'just' in case I had to grab her quickly and get her out. The thing that struck me was horses have to be able to be caught and lead away without panic. They may even need to be loaded into a trailer and hauled off. No 'discussing' here, just get their ass on the trailer and send them on their way!

Will they lead through smoke? Does the horse trust you to not get them hurt, even if they panic?? Would they stay tied if that's all you could do, get them out, down the road and tied up to keep them safe from running amok and maybe out onto a highway? If you have to put them in an unfamiliar pen, would they 'know' enough and sensible enough to stay safe and not do something stupid like try to jump the fence and hurt themselves??

Now, I have PLENTY of room to get my mare out and get her to safety relatively easy as my pens back up to about 1000 acres of pasture plus all the hay fields. She could get away but I could still find her if I had to turn her loose, but what if you're boarding at a small place with lots of traffic and other people?? Do you have your plan in place??

It is FIRE SEASON, people! Get your plans in place and fix what you notice to be wrong.

Now, take care and go ride your horse!!