Mt Redoubt

Mt Redoubt is a volcano located nearly 100 miles southwest of Anchorage. It's just one of a number of volcanoes located along Cook Inlet, and it's one of the more active. We last had a serious series of eruptions from Mt Redoubt back in 1989, when there was widespread ashfall as a result.

Here is the web address of the Alaska Volcano Observatory-

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/

Here, you can follow the links to each volcano monitored, find webcams, and real time graphs of seismic activity. Also on the page, are links to information about how to cope with ash fall. They also provide critical information to the NWS and for all flight services on projected ash fall, which is crucial to aviation. Just click on the "Mt Redoubt" link to get started-fascinating reading there, if you are even slightly geeky (or worried about a possible eruption)

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information as what prepaarations you should take as a horse owner. Having experienced the 1989 eruption with ten horses in my care, here are some pointers:

1. Plan now for ash in your exposed stock tanks. We may be fortunate and ash will be heavy enough to sink rapidly but that is not always the case. Procure a transfer pump and keep your hoses in a warm location so they are ready to use when needed. You will likely need to pump out your stock tanks, rinse well, and then refill several times. Plan where you can safely pump that water, considering the below freezing temperatures. If you use water buckets inside a barn or stall, find extra buckets as you will be emptying these frequently to remove the sediment that settles to the bottom-transferred into the bucket by your horse. Yes, it gets very sludgy, buy a long handled toilet brush or similar for this.

2. Cover your exposed hay. Hay that is stacked well under eaves or stored enclosed, will probably be okay....but any hay, including round bales left outside, should be covered with something. That something can be anything-tarps, visqueen, old sheets, blankets, whatever you have. Ingesting a lot of ash can be harmful to your horse.

3. You may need to rig up a mask for your horses' nostrils. I can tell you that the only practical thing that is inexpensive and readily available is kitchen towels. Worn out cotton towels, or even cut up old T shirts will work. Take the towel and tie the short sides to the side rings with a loose knot. Leave it fall over the nose-you can cut them in half if it seems too long. You can also fold a wrap or two around the nose band to help it stay in place, but I can tell you that most horses are going to have a snit with this to start with. Be persistent and be prepared to retie them a lot the first couple of days. They will also end up a sodden mess, wet from drinking and heavy with ash. Have a bucket or muck tub at hand so these can be rinsed and put back on pretty frequently. Each horse is different so how often will be a judgement call. Keep a few clean rags handy because you will find that you need to wipe out nostrils (gently!!!) too.

4. Keep them quiet. If you can close them into a stall during the heaviest ashfall, that's great. I know this isn't possible for everyone, but do what you can. More hay, perhaps?

4a. Horses (and people!) with respiratory problems could have some serious trouble with ash. If your horse is having a hard time, or just breathing harder than normal at rest, call your vet! The ash is typically very abrasive (sharp) and you may need your vet to help manage any complications. Don't be surprised if your horse coughs...they all coughed at my place in 1989. This did not truly go away until we had several really good rains.

Now to the rest of the property. As soon as pratical, you will need to wash your vehicle and trailers, to keep the corrosive action at a minimum. Change the air filter in your vehicle, and if you drive a diesel, I would think twice about taking it anywhere-check with your dealer on that. Ash is going to get tracked in everywhere, and it's a real pain in the house-and the barn. At the barn, you can spritz water on aisleways, then sweep. If you can hose it down, great, but if not a spray bottle with water will work, just do little areas at a time and scoop up the damp ash and dispose of it in a trash bag. It goes without saying you should cover your good tack, and make sure that all feed products are protected also. For the house, I started a "all shoes off" policy and that helped a lot.....the pets were a different matter. A really hairy dog is going to transfer in a lot of ash, so give some thought to this. You will be dusting non stop too, as it works its way inside your house.

As far as electronics and whatnot goes-turn them off and cover them. I have some contractor trash bags that will work perfectly for me.....computors, printers, televisions, electronics of any sort are at risk. Can't tell you about cell phones though!

So there you go, a short primer on how to cope with ash fall from a volcanic eruption. I would certainly love to hear from others who have gone through this-because there is sure to be something I have forgotten or never thought about!