Over the stable door

Greetings Fellow Equines and Horse Owners!

It seems like such a long time between articles and I remember wishing you all a safe and uneventful summer break. Unfortunately that was not to be and many of us found ourselves in the midst of a frightening summer fire. As bad as these events are, hopefully there are some positives to be taken from them. From my perspective, my owners had a fire plan and had also planned to stay. The plan took around 20 minutes to be put into effect and we were calmly moved into a safe area on the property. The stables were secured and closed, surplus equipment was stored indoors, all outdoor baths were filled with water, leaving my owners free to use hoses around the property to protect us. According to my owners the CFS crews did a fantastic job, they couldn’t praise them enough, so on behalf of us equines, thank you also!

What my owners have taken out of this is yet another update of their fire plan. It did work, but improvements have been made. Hopefully next time around (and we have to expect that there may be a next time) preparation will be even better.

Not only were the CFS crews great, but it was both amazing, moving and humbling to be contacted by so many old friends offering their thoughts and offers of help. My owners seemed to spend as much time holding the hoses as answering the phone/computer.

The loss of animal life and material possessions affects all of us as we come out the other side, but hopefully again there positives to be taken from this -it could have been much worse.

What can be taken out of this is yet another update of your fire plan. Knowing what to do with your livestock, working in with neighbours and generally keeping your property clear of surplus materials will all go towards helping the firefighters do their job and help to keep them safe while they do it. Even if you have to leave, make sure that water points are clearly indicated and gateways accessible.

Now that the crisis has passed, this is a good time to check around your property for any areas which could benefit from extra clearing, removing surplus debris and so on. We haven’t had much of a summer yet and there is still time for another hot spell. Forearmed is forewarned so they say.

Keep safe everyone,

Hamish and pals