By KATH GANNAWAY
AS WITH any aspect of bushfire preparation, Wandin CFA’s Chloe Gawronski says developing a plan for horses in the event of a bushfire is something the whole family needs to be involved in.
In her role as community education officer with the brigade, Chloe is working with Glenbrae Equestrian Centre to present a forum in December for horse owners around how to put together a bushfire plan for horses.
“There is a lot to think about,” Chloe said. “A horse is a lot bigger and more complex than dealing with a dog or a cat and it’s about finding ways of dealing with the situation which is not so stressful for either the owner or the animal.”
She said not everyone had a float and that was just one thing that really needed to be planned for ahead of time.
Other aspects of a horse bushfire plan would include when to stay, when to go, when to wait, organising an alternative safe place and the importance of keeping family members and neighbours in the loop.
Brigade captain Peter Polovinka says Yarra Ranges has a sizeable horse population and the brigade is hoping that horse owners will take advantage of the night to get the information they need and that they will come away feeling more confident that they will know exactly what to do in the event of a fire.
He said one of the issues brigades had faced in the past was people leaving their properties with floats that block CFA units responding to the fire.
“We have a lot of narrow roads in the shire and we’ve been caught before in Wandin with horse floats blocking fire trucks,” he said.
Some of the information provided on the CFA’s website includes moving horses to a designated safer paddock or area on severe, extreme or code red fire danger days.
It advises against letting horses out on the roads where they will be in more danger from traffic and fire and ensuring your property has a Property identification Code (PIC) registered with the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) that indicates horses are there.
There is detailed information on the website www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/horses-and-bushfires/ but the meeting will provide an opportunity to hear from CFA speakers with experience and knowledge, and to network with other horse owners.
No need to book for this meeting … but, in keeping with the theme, planning ahead is the way to go.
If you are a horse-owner, make a diary date now … Thursday, 11 December, 7pm at Glenbrae Equestrian Centre, 205 Victoria Road, Wandin North.
