It is human nature to assume that the bad thing (the wildfire, the flash flood, the tornado warning at 2 am) is going to happen somewhere else, to someone else, on a different day than today.
And then one day it isn't.
Summer is when emergency situations tend to escalate fastest for people with animals. Fire season is active across large parts of the country right now. Flash flooding can turn a dry creek bed into a raging torrent in under an hour. Severe storms can knock out fencing, flood pastures, and create dangerous situations with almost no warning at all.
If you have horses — or any animals that depend on you — the time to think about emergency preparedness is not when you can see the smoke on the horizon. It is right now, on a calm Tuesday, when you have the luxury of thinking clearly.
Here is what that preparation actually looks like:
KNOW YOUR EVACUATION ROUTES BEFORE YOU NEED THEM
Most people know one way in and one way out of their property. That is fine until the one road out is the one that is blocked, flooded, or on fire.
Spend some time now identifying at least two routes off your property and out of your area. Drive them if you can. Know which ones can accommodate a truck and trailer. Know which bridges might be impassable in a flood. Know which roads run parallel to fire-prone areas and might close first.
This sounds like a lot of effort for something that might never happen. It takes about an hour, and it could make all the difference.
KEEP YOUR TRAILER ROAD-READY AT ALL TIMES
A trailer that has not been hooked up since last October is not a trailer you want to be dealing with when you have thirty minutes to evacuate.
During fire and storm season especially, your trailer should be:
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Hooked up or, at minimum, positioned so it can be hooked up in minutes
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Fueled up — or your truck should be — so you are not stopping at a gas station during an evacuation
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Stocked with basic supplies: water, hay, a first aid kit, lead ropes and halters for every horse, and any medications your horses are currently on
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Checked for working lights, a functional hitch, and inflated tires at least once a month during active season
The goal is to be able to load your horses and leave in under thirty minutes. Practice it. Time yourself. You might be surprised how long it actually takes when you have not done it recently.
HAVE A DESTINATION IN MIND
Where are you going if you have to leave tonight?
A friend's property. A local fairground that accepts evacuating animals. An equine rescue facility. A boarding barn outside your evacuation zone. Know at least two options, have their phone numbers saved, and if possible call them now to confirm they would take you in an emergency situation. Most horse people will say yes without hesitation, but knowing in advance means one less phone call to make when things are chaotic.
THINK ABOUT ALL OF YOUR ANIMALS: NOT JUST THE HORSES
This is the one that tends to catch people off guard.
Horses are the obvious priority. They are the biggest, the most complicated to move, and the ones most people plan around. But what about the goats? The dogs? The barn cats? The chickens?
Recently I got a call from a customer who was watching a fire work its way down the mountain toward her homestead. She had already moved her horses and other livestock to safety. The only ones left were her twelve chickens, and she had no idea how she was going to manage them beyond a dog crate, which would not be enough space for any extended period.
She already owned twelve of our Econoline 2-Rail Electric Panels from a previous sale. So I told her: take your panels, get some Tenax Chicken Wire — it is a lightweight plastic wire that Tractor Supply carries — and zip tie it to as many panels as you need. Lay it on the ground and fold it up the sides to keep them in. Suddenly she had a portable chicken run that could be set up anywhere, broken down fast, and moved with her wherever she needed to go.
She did not have to leave her chickens behind. She did not have to cram twelve birds into a dog crate indefinitely. She had a solution that worked — and it came from a product she already owned, used in a way she had never thought of before.
That conversation has stayed with me because it is such a good reminder that preparedness is not always about having the perfect specialized tool for every situation. Sometimes it is about knowing what you have and being creative enough to use it well.
YOUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CHECKLIST
Here is a quick reference to keep somewhere accessible. Print it out, save it to your phone, or tape it inside your trailer door:
FOR YOUR HORSES:
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Halter and lead rope for every horse, stored where you can grab them fast
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Current Coggins and health certificates accessible — not buried in a filing cabinet
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Medications, supplements, and any special feed requirements noted and packed
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Photos of every horse on your phone in case you get separated
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Permanent marker to write your phone number on your horse's hoof if needed in a large-scale emergency
FOR YOUR TRAILER:
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Trailer hooked up or ready to hook up quickly
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Truck fuel above half a tank at all times during active season
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Water — at least 10 gallons minimum
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Hay or hay net for every horse
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Basic first aid kit
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Spare halters and lead ropes
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Portable containment that sets up fast — for horses and for any other animals that need a safe space when you arrive somewhere new
FOR YOUR PROPERTY:
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Two evacuation routes identified and driven
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Destination contacts saved in your phone with addresses
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A family or farm emergency plan that everyone on your property knows
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Neighbors who know your situation and can help if you are not home
FOR YOUR OTHER ANIMALS:
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Transport plan for every animal on your property, not just the horses
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Carriers, crates, or portable containment solutions ready to go
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Food and water for every species for at least 72 hours
THE BOTTOM LINE
Emergency preparedness is one of those things that feels optional until it is not. The horse owners who handle evacuations and emergency situations best are almost never the ones who thought of everything in the moment. They are the ones who spent an hour on a calm afternoon thinking through the what-ifs and then made sure they had what they needed before they needed it.
Your animals are counting on you to be ready. And the good news is that being ready is mostly just a matter of deciding to be.
Stay Safe Out There!
The Camp Corral Team
P.S. If you do not have a portable corral that sets up fast and travels with you, this is the email that tends to make people think about that. A setup that goes up in minutes and works in any environment, including ones you did not plan for, is one of the most practical things you can have on hand going into emergency season. Browse our corrals below or call or text us at (520) 732-1945.