Fire! Devastating, ferocious, unstoppable fire. That is what people in California are facing. The photos and news coverage are heartrending and distressing. For everyone in the horse community it is a nightmare none of us ever want to live through. But I have been wondering…..what if I was faced with it? What would I do?
What would I do for my horse?
I would not hesitate to evacuate. My horse does not live on our home property and I do not have a horse trailer but I think that the people where I stable my horse would all be prepared to evacuate sooner rather than later. I would do what ever I could to help to load feed, prepare my horse and be ready at any time of day or night to get him onto transport to get him out of the area. If I could get livestock paint I would paint my phone number on his sides in case for some reason he were to get loose. Many people have evacuated horses to the beach in California for immediate safety until they can be moved elsewhere. Bless all those who are there helping and looking after these horses.
Firefighters and others have helped horses and donkeys who are fleeing the fire along the roads.
I would hope that if a fire of this devastating strength came to my area we would be able to get our horses out before the conflagration engulfed the forests that surround the farm.
What would I do? What would I take from my home?
First and foremost would be our little dog Tia. Then I would take my passport, other identification and credit cards. If I had time I would take the albums of photos that I cannot replace; photos of my grandparents, my parents and my children. Those are the most valuable things to me and everything else I could leave behind.
This photo is one of the most striking images of the California fires for me. The horse, the flames, the fire engines. It is particularly heartrending for me as this chestnut horse has a dark dot on his nose…..exactly like my chestnut horse Biasini. This could be my horse. This is someone’s much loved horse.I can see that there are other horses and there is fencing so I pray that this horse is, at least, safe where he is.
Sitting here in my home this evening all I can do is hope and pray that those fleeing the fires in California will survive and that those with horses, and other animals, will be able to save them.
Photos in this post from Pam Perry Conway on Facebook. I have no other photo credit information. The photo of the single horse is from John Poleno on Facebook.
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