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Bettesworth Construction
equine safety

How to Protect Horses During Santa Barbara Wildfire Season

Plan horse transport, handlers, routes and confirmed destinations before Santa Barbara wildfire season. Know the limits of county registry and Ag Pass programs.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 4 min read
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Protect horses from Santa Barbara County wildfires by preparing transport, handlers, routes and horse-ready destinations before fire season, then evacuating early when possible and following current official instructions. A trailer alone is not a plan: confirm where your horse can go, who can move it, and what you will do if the first option falls through.

What to arrange before wildfire season

Santa Barbara County advises owners to “Evacuate animals earlier, whenever possible.” The county’s Pet & Large Animal Preparedness guidance recommends planning transport, routes and destinations in advance. Build a plan around each horse and the people and facilities you can actually rely on.

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  • Identify every horse. Use an appropriate, durable form of identification and make sure owner contact details are current. Keep a recent photo and ownership and medical information accessible electronically and in a waterproof portable copy.
  • Confirm transport. Arrange a trailer suited to the horse, a ready tow vehicle, a capable driver and someone experienced in handling the animal. If feasible, practice loading before an emergency. Owners without their own trailer can investigate borrowing, boarding or shared transport well ahead of time.
  • Plan more than one route and destination. Ask each potential destination directly whether it can accept horses and has space, feed, water, veterinary support and handling equipment. Do not assume a public shelter accepts horses.
  • Make a backup-person plan. Ask a neighbor or barn contact to act if you are away or cannot reach the property. Agree in advance on who can access the horse, where records and equipment are kept, and how to contact you.
  • Pack a horse evacuation kit. Include feed, water and containers, regular medicines, handling equipment, and identification, registration and veterinary documents in a waterproof container. Ask your veterinarian what first-aid supplies are appropriate; use the veterinarian’s instructions for any horse-specific medicine or treatment.

How to make an evacuation plan that can work

Write down the people, equipment and locations you will use, including backups. Compare arrangements by how quickly they can be activated; whether a suitable trailer, vehicle, driver and handler are truly available; route redundancy and access constraints; the destination’s horse capacity and facilities; the number of horses and their handling needs; and what happens if a helper or destination is unavailable.

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  1. Match transport to the horse. Confirm that the horse can be loaded and moved with the equipment and people you have arranged. Keep essential handling gear accessible rather than buried in storage.
  2. Contact destinations in advance. Confirm acceptance, space and the practical arrangements for arrival. Identify a second horse-capable destination in case the first cannot take your horse.
  3. Share the plan. Give your designated helper the relevant contacts, horse information, access details and destination options. Keep a portable copy of key records with the kit.
  4. Check the plan periodically. Reconfirm that people, vehicles, destinations and contact details remain usable as circumstances change.

What the county large-animal registry does—and does not do

Santa Barbara County describes its Large Animal & Livestock Owner Registry as a voluntary program that helps emergency responders plan by knowing where animals are located and what support may be needed for safe evacuation or sheltering. Registration can provide responders with useful planning information; it does not itself arrange transport or guarantee evacuation or rescue.

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Ag Pass limits and possible assistance

The county’s Ag Pass program is limited to qualifying agricultural operations and may allow limited emergency access at the discretion of emergency personnel. The county states: “Possession of an Ag Pass card does not grant any rights or privileges and does not necessarily mean the cardholder will be able to pass through road closures to get to their farm or ranch.” Never approach an incident or attempt to pass a closure in violation of an evacuation order or safety direction.

The county page names Santa Barbara County Animal Services and the Santa Barbara Equine Assistance & Evac Team (SBEAT) as possible contacts for people who are not Ag Pass eligible but need large-animal transport or evacuation help. The page does not establish either resource’s current availability, service boundaries or guaranteed response. Verify contact instructions and capacity before relying on them, and keep your own backup plan.

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When a wildfire threatens

Monitor current official Santa Barbara County emergency communications for alerts, evacuation information and road closures. Conditions and instructions can change quickly; do not rely on old page text for incident status. If evacuation is possible, act early in line with official directions rather than waiting until transport or road access becomes uncertain.

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If you cannot evacuate, Santa Barbara County guidance says owners must decide whether to move large animals into a barn or turn them loose outside. This is contingency guidance, not a universal rule: the safer option depends on the property, horse, fire conditions and direction of officials. Follow current instructions and do not assume either choice is safe in every situation.

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