Fire Safety 30 Seconds Is All Your Horse Has
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) Today’s horse owner
Erovides adequate training for
orse and rider, proper equip
ment, balanced nutritional
needs of the horse, and stabling
facilities. Missing from books
and lectures is a chapter on fire
prevention and the course of ac
tion to take in case of fire.
Young people receive the best
available instruction in equita
tion, but few have any idea of
how to react in a disaster situa
tion such as fire.
Fire is the most terrible death
that can befall an animal, espe
cially the horse, because the
horse is penned securely within
its corral and stable. The horse
owner almost surely has com
mitted to memory the telephone
number of the veterinarian but
does not know the number to
dial in case of fire.
Fire prevention and safety
are the duty of every person in
volved with and around horses.
Many of the preventative mea
sures apply whether the facility
is at a track, a training bam,
summer camp stable or back
yard bam.
Fire safety involves common
sense and a trained response.
The responsibility of ownership
does not lie solely in the daily
care of the horse. The horse is
totally dependent upon the
owner’s awareness and consid
eration of his needs when an
emergency arises.
Be safety conscious at all
times. Fires give little warning.
Rehearse the necessary course
of action to be followed with
members of your family, your
boarders, youth in training, and
others directly involved with
the animals in the bam in the
event of fire.
Conspicuously post the num
ber of the local fire department
by all telephones. Fire preven-
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Farm
Hp Family
tion is easier to preach than
Eractice, but it is a vital part of
orse ownership and manage
ment.
The official records of the
National Fire Protection Asso
ciation show that the majority
of fires in stables (figures com
piled from reported fires at
racetracks, breeding farms and
fairgrounds) are caused mainly
by misuse of electrical appara
tus, heaters and careless smok
ing. Other causes of fires are
lightening, arson and sponta
neous combustion.
Because more and more
horse owners are moving out to
a small acreage of their own
and building their own stables
and horse bams, this article will
focus on the small scale horse
facility.
Almost all horse barns have
the following in common:
•Wood construction, either
totally or partially;
•Bedding straw, sawdust or
shavings in stalls;
•Storage of hay, bedding
straw or shavings in close prox
imity to the barns;
•Highly combustible materi
als within (leather, blankets,
ropes, oils and so forth); and
•People.
A horse standing in a bed of
straw might just as well be
standing m a pool of gasoline
should a fire occur. The burn
ing rate of loose straw is ap
proximately three times that of
the burning rate of gasoline.
The horse in a stall where the
fire originates has only 30 sec
onds to escape. The flame
spread and heat is so rapid that
a fire, once started, is out of
control in a matter of minutes.
These startling statistics dra
matically emphasize the fact
that a stable fire, once under
way, does not give much time
for evacuation of horses.
Stable Fires
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P Umbrella
Automatic sprinkler systems
are advocated for commercial
facilities such as racetracks and
large breeding establishments
and other commercial-type en
terprises. However, from a
monetary point of view, auto
matic sprinkler systems gener
ally are not included in the
smaller scale operations.
Water-type fire extinguishers
are effective if used within the
first minute. Since stable fires
develop rapidly due to the
abundance of combustible ma
terials, fire extinguishers are of
little or no use once the fire has
gained burning time (60 sec
onds).
Fire spreads rapidly, as does
panic. Quick action is necessary
to save the life of a horse. The
person who is knowledgeable in
the correct course of action will
be more effective than five peo
ple in a panic state.
Fire prevention and safety
should be taught along with
basic equitation by trainers, or
ganizations and parents. As
schools have fire drills for the
students, so should the barn
manager and trainer instruct
students in the course of action
to follow in case of fire. Some
one at your bam should be re
sponsible for posting fire rules.
The following procedures can
help.
Stable Construction
The majority of bams (train
ing, boarding, rental and back
yard) are constructed of com
bustible materials such as wood.
Brick, stone or cement-block
bams are thought to be fairly
fireproof, but exterior construc
tion does not slow the internal
spread of fire, which is fed by
the highly combustible materi
als within (wood, straw, shav
ings, leather, tack, ropes, oils
and so forth).
Fire retardant paints are
most effective and desirable in
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 10, 2003, Boarder &Tramer-El3
checking or retarding a fire, but
of course they have no effect
upon bedding materials used in
stalls or the ulterior contents of
the bam.
Building manufacturing
companies now feature a line of
prefabricated metal bams. In
addition, there are also a num
ber of companies that feature a
complete line of metal corrals
and fence panels. Overhead
shelter installations used with
these corrals also are of a light
weight metal. This type of in
stallation offers the most as far
as being “fireproof.”
Overhead sprinkler systems,
such as those developed exclu
sively for use in horse bams, are
highly effective in extinguishing
fires within bams. Unfortunate
ly, this type of installation is
very expensive and not in wide
spread use.
Thought should be given to
installing extra large water lines
with adequate outlets inside
and outside the bam, all
Recommendations For
Fire Prevention
1. Smoking in horse stalls, feed
rooms and under sheds is prohib
ited.
2. No sleeping will be allowed
in any of the feed rooms or stalls
at any time.
3. Stalls occupied by horses
will not be blocked at any time.
Tack rooms will not be locked
unless occupied.
4. No open fires will be allowed
anywhere in the stable area.
5. No oil or gas burning lan
terns or lamps will be allowed in
the stable area.
6. All electrical appliances
used in stable areas must be in a
safe working condition. When in
use, they must be kept at a safe
distance from walls, beds and
other furnishings. They should
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MiddleburG
LIVESTOCK AUCTION
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: CALL? For further information or to consign *
* 570*837»2222 *
$ Ml Weist • Manager / Earl Martin • Agent • 570*%6»6219 *
* EO. Box 185 Middleburg, PA *
li. JtMte %stofMddlebum, PA on Rt 522 *
Upcoming Horse Sales
• Saturday, May 31st •
MONTHLY HORSE SALE
Tack at 8:30 a.m. • Horses at 11:00 a.m.
Work Horses • Driving Horses • Riding Horses • Ponies
* Saturday, June 7th •
SPECIAL RIDING HORSE SALE
Tack at 10:00 a.m.
• Thursday, June 19th •
SPECIAL OUTDOOR DRIVING
HORSE SALE
Sale at 6:00 p.m. • Horses hitched at 3:00 p.m.
equipped with large water
hoses.
The type construction that
allows air to flow freely to ven
tilate a stabling facility unfortu-
nately aids in ventilating and
fanning a fire.
In the interest of safety, all
stalls should have outside doors
whether or not there are adjoin-
Eing paddocks. In the case of
addocks, they also should
ave outside gates.
Much can be done to dimin
ish the ever constant threat of
fire. The precautionary mea
sures previously stated are com
mon sense. Those who live and
work around horses must know
the proper actions to take in
case of tire so the lives of indi
viduals and horses and the loss
of property can be minimized.
Due to the materials involv
ed, it is doubtful there ever will
be a “fireproof’ bam, but cer
tainly these basic steps will help
reduce the threat of fire, if fol
lowed.
not be left unattended when in
use.
7. No flammable materials,
such as cleaning fluids or sol
vents, will be used in the stable
area.
8. No hay or straw may be
stored under the sheds or outside
feed rooms at any time.
9. The alleyway in front of
stalls must be kept free of debris
and open at all times to give easy
access to each stall door in case
of fire.
10. All pets, such as dogs, cats,
poultry, goats, and so forth, will
not be allowed to run at large in
the stable area but must be prop
erly and suitably confined at all
times.
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A
Announces
• Horses at 12:00 p.m.