Calm Before the Storm can be Reality for You and your Horse
"A strained smile, a tentative way, and a worried look—that’s what I saw on the man in the rearview mirror as I pulled the horses down our drive, leaving my husband and dogs (blue heelers) behind. Up until that moment, I thought this evacuation was a load of crap, an aggravation and a waste of time. But seeing my rock of a husband’s face waiver as we left, I started to wonder: Would things ever be the same?
The photos that popped up in Google inspiring me to write this post? They capture my last hurricane evacuation, driving away from the farm to take refuge in Georgia, thanks to generous friends of a friend.
What can't be seen seen in the photos of that time is the calm before the storm (horses loading well, trailer ready to go just needing a few quick check lists reviewed—or the flooding devastation that left my husband stranded, rescuing every animal he could, including feeding the neighbor's cattle... with our expensive horse hay! (Yes, he and the bull became besties by the end of it. ) Oh and there was our neighborhood that literally was described as looking like Iraq after the hurricane (by veterans who’d done tours there.)
Hurricane Evacuation Reflections & Trailer Training Tips: there’s more to it than just Loading
The point: evacuations and emergencies aren’t always as smooth or picture-perfect as we might like to think no matter how much we plan. That five-hourish drive to GA? It turned into nine and a half hours of steaming stop/go traffic on I-95. Three weeks away from home, living in my tiny horse trailer, buying hay and feed in a strange area every which way I could, trying to teach virtual lessons from a Starbucks (spoiler: NOT a good idea), while praying everything back home would be okay.
The best part of this whole experience? My horse loaded onto the trailer and hauled like it was a fun adventure! Thanks to positive reinforcement training, he handled it all like a pro, bold and brave, while the other horse (a normally calm draft cross - the more level headed of the two horses by nature) didn’t handle it well at all—refusing to eat on the trailer, spooking easily, and needing vet care for GI and skin issues while we were gone to name a few.
Moral of the story: Prepare, prepare, prepare your horse with positive reinforcement and how to prep your trailer.
+ Learn to what to do when +R doesn’t work too!
You never know when an emergency will strike. Teach your horses to love:
Loading
Hauling
Being away from home
(Spoiler alert: These are three entirely different behaviors!) and NOW is the time to train them, BEFORE a Hurricane or other need to move your horse quickly.
Please
Remember, Horses need to Know how to Respond to Conventional Cues (which can be taught with R+) for Emergencies!
BTW, I’ve got a FREE webinar on these trailer-related topics coming up soon, (how to train for these Trailer related situations with R+ and what to do in the meantime or when it doesn’t work for you, followed by a Happy Horse Loading 4-Week Mini Clinic.
If you're interested, message or email me, and I’ll make sure you get an invite—no obligation, just a heads-up when it’s available!
Stay safe out there, and happy hurricane season!
