HOLD YOUR HORSES LIVESTOCK EVACUATION ASSISTANCE

Following the 2013 Morgan Territory Fire a woman and her daughter realized just how vital livestock evacuation response can be. Hold Your Horses (HYH) founder Chantel Tieman and her daughter Naydeene Koster spent three days and nights alongside their family answering calls to help evacuate horses while the fire raged down Mount Diablo towards neighboring ranches. While waiting for the closed fire lines to reopen after a rogue hauler had blown through and almost hit several fire fighters, frantic calls were piling up and they knew there had to be a better way to help these animals, and from there HYH was born.

With only a handful of livestock evacuation teams in existence, Chantel and Naydeene set out to build a trained and organized team. Now, 10 years later, HYH is comprised of retired horse trainers, instructors, an equine hospital manager, retired firefighters and police officers, medical personnel, livestock owners, business owners, heavy haulers and more, and has received training from Cal Fire, PG&E and other agencies to ensure their safety and the animals safety during these dangerous rescues.

The Office of Emergency Services is one of the many agencies that deploy HYH’s strike team throughout Central and Northern California counties. Members are certified and trained to go behind fire lines, but they also spend much of the year aiding in calls from animal services, police agencies, fire departments and more, concerning rescues of abused, tortured and neglected or injured animals. Following disasters, HYH provides feed and medical services to animals and owners in need.

During the Paradise-Camp Fire, HYH members devoted seven months to not only working behind the fire lines transporting animals to safety, but also hauling feed, supplies, drinking water and food to Magalia, a small town HYH adopted and provided aid to. This group doesn’t stop at just evacuations. Their team will continue to aid until they are no longer needed.

Following the SCU Fires evacuations in the Livermore area, HYH found multiple ranchers that were going to sell their cattle due to losing grazing fields or barns. HYH provided stacks of hay and trailers full of grain, so these heartbreaking decisions did not have to be made.

Since the birth of HYH, their strike team has been to almost every major fire in Northern

California either evacuating, feeding those left behind closed lines or providing post disaster relief feed and supplies.

While everyone hopes a wildfire will never happen on their ranch or property, most ranchers believe it is a matter of when, not if a fire will take place. Even if you have a “Shelter in Place” plan or feel prepared, never think your plan is fool proof! Fire is no one’s friend, she follows no rules and does as she wants. It may be your ranch she decides to take vengeance on. What if you’re not home when she decides to strike? Who will evacuate your animals? Do you know where the county shelter site will be? Heavy rains this year means more growth, hot summers mean more dry fields to burn! Contact HYH for help building an evacuation plan or Shelter in Place Plan for your ranch or facility. Follow our Facebook page for tips, fire and disaster updates, rescues and more. Visit www.holdyourhorsesevac.com to learn more about how you can help us save one more and make a difference. You can also contact our hotline directly for assistance.