The Horse

DEC 2017

The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.

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8 TheHorse.com THE HORSE December 2017 It has been a year of extreme ca- tastrophes, and I know thousands of horse people are reeling as a result, figuring out their new normal after settling far from home and dealing with situations such as their homes taking on 40 inches of water—if their homes are still standing. If you're not in an affected region, perhaps you've experienced the strange dichotomy of reading har- rowing evacuation stories one mo- ment, then glancing outside at tree branches swaying lightly against a bright blue sky the next. It's unsettling, and it can be enough to make you want to avoid the news, stay off social media, and focus on things more uplifting. But buried among tales of may- hem and destruction are accounts of horse owners finding ways to evacu- ate safely in time or securely take shelter if prohibited from leaving their farms and ranches. Then there are the people who chartered a plane, filled it with feed and vet supplies, and sent it to Puerto Rico because horses were in crisis after Hurricane Maria. There are also vets seeing to the care of 500 evacu- ated horses in the California fires. And then there are the people many miles away who, wanting to help, donated to charities that are organizing support. Reflecting on the past nine weeks of disaster recovery, I've looked back at stories on preparation, planning, and response, in addition to listening to clips from our podcast on Surviv- ing a Natural Disaster With Your Horse (TheHorse.com/39641). Here are a few important take-homes: ■ Create a plan before disaster strikes. Call your county or ju- risdiction's emergency operation center, which is required to have animal response guidelines. ■ If at all possible, get out early— ahead of an evacuation order. ■ Do not self-deploy to help. Read situation reports and confirm need with officials first. ■ Share social media calls-for-help responsibly: Circulate posts from reliable sources using the "share" function, and post publicly so original post and updates can be easily seen and disseminated. ■ Finally, support with funds when- ever possible, rather than sending equipment and supplies. Too much of one thing can get pretty ugly if it's perishable or space-occupying. I know that horse people are compassionate, caring individuals who are poised to make an impact. If you identify with this statement, I encourage you to be extreme in your generosity this holiday season, giving to the AAEP Foundation's disaster re- covery fund at foundation.aaep.org. My team and I wish you and your families—both two- and four- legged—a happy holiday season. h Going to Extremes VIEWPOINT STEPHANIE L. CHURCH Editor-in-Chief @TH_StephLChurch F our unwelcome visitors disrupted the lives of horses and horse owners alike earlier this year. Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate made landfall, marking the first time since 2005 that four hur- ricanes had done so in the United States and its territories. Mean- while, fires raged in the Northwest; then new blazes devastated California practically overnight. Keep in touch! @TheHorse facebook.com/TheHorse @TheHorseMag Publisher: Marla Bickel Editor-in-Chief: Stephanie L. Church Managing Editor: Alexandra Beckstett News Editor: Erica Larson Digital Managing Editor: Michelle Anderson Art Director: Brian Turner Web Producer: Jennifer Whittle Brand Manager: Shawna White EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT 3101 Beaumont Centre Circle, Suite 100, Lexington, KY 40513 E-MAIL Editorial@TheHorse.com All letters must include the writer's name, address, and daytime phone number for verification. ■ Letters: Letters@TheHorse.com, or by mail. ■ Farm Call: FarmCall@TheHorse.com, or by mail. ■ Across the Fence and Behavior Columns: Editorial@TheHorse.com, or by mail. ■ New Products: Products@TheHorse.com, or by mail. EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Scott Anderson, DVM Jerry Black, DVM Anthony Blikslager, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS Tom Brokken, DVM Ann Dwyer, DVM Benjamin Espy, DVM, Dipl. ACT Jenifer R. Gold, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVECC Kyla Ortved, DVM, Dipl. ACVS Debra Taylor, DVM Educational Partnership Disclaimer: The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), one of The Horse's partners in equine health, has no involvement regarding editorial management or advertising content within this publication and thereby does not endorse any editorial or advertising content unless so acknowledged within the individual article or advertisement. ADVERTISING SALES AND SERVICES advertise@TheHorse.com Advertising Executive: Yvonne Long, 859/276-6701 ylong@TheHorse.com Sales Support: Nicol Hunt, 859/276-6740 nhunt@TheHorse.com PUBLISHED BY OWNED BY TOBA MEDIA PROPERTIES Board of Directors: Everett Dobson Dan Metzger Rosendo Parra Dr. J. David Richardson Peter Willmott For up-to-date news, in-depth horse health articles, and more, go to TheHorse.com

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