A few weeks back I heard about a terrible vehicle accident involving a horse trailer in Ohio.  The truck’s front tire failed and caused the vehicle to strike a tree and overturn.  This sort of story is a nightmare for any traveling horse owner.  I used to be the primary driver of our rig for many years and the responsibility of those 11 lives (6 horses, 3 family members, and 2 dogs) is a huge weight to bear.  The fear of crashes like the one I mentioned is a great reminder to keep vehicles in good operating condition and stay on top of preventative maintenance.  We always kept our records in order, vehicle registration and insurance information in a handy spot.  However, one thing we DIDN’T ever do was create ICE (In Case of Emergency) information for any of our animals.  The article that I read about the accident mentioned this topic and it’s a great idea.  We often create ICE for ourselves and our family members – why NOT our horses?  If we are incapacitated or killed in a vehicular accident, what would happen to our animals?  The following are some great tips on creating ICE, taken from the article on TheHorse.com:

• Include each horse’s age, breed, and sex and a current photo of each
• Vaccination records, health information, health certificates, Coggins tests
• Descriptions of health conditions and list of medications used to treat them
• Contact information for horse owners, haulers, and an “at home” contact in case of emergencies
• Power of attorney – this is a big one I’d never thought of.  This legal document allows a third party to make decisions regarding the care of the horse, in the event that the owner is incapacitated in the accident. 

We always kept a zippered 3-ring binder in our horse trailer with a packet for each horse:  original registration papers, Coggins test, health certificate, transfer of ownership all enclosed in a clear plastic protector.   It would have been easy to add the ICE information to each packet.   Make sure the binder is clearly marked so that anyone looking for information could easily find it and it’s best to keep in an easily accessible location. 

No one wants to imagine a worst case scenario with their horses.  However, those of us that have hauled enough miles will usually experience or know of someone who has experienced a tragic accident.  Offhand, I can think of 4 separate incidents of horsemen I know being involved in horrible accidents on their way to or from shows.  It happens.  And it’s a great idea for horse owners to be prepared for that possibility.  Even if you don’t haul your horses, it’s likely that you drive with your dogs in your car and this great idea applies to them too!  You can put ICE in your cell phone – just tag the name ICE horse or dog.  There are forms and more information available to download at us rider.com.

Happy – and safe – travels!