HorseAlert was founded by the team at Colorado Horse Rescue (CHR) in Longmont, CO after experiencing the impact of natural disasters on our equine community. In 2020, the CHR team was forced to evacuate their 60+ horse herd when the CalWood fire raged toward the rescue. Thankfully, the team was met with unimaginable support from community members who lined the rescue’s long driveway with trucks and trailers ready to help get the horses to safety. Many of these good Samaritans offered their information to the team in case they heard of anyone else in need of evacuation support.
Throughout the following years, the Boulder County equine community would be faced with more wildfires, and the CHR team continued to work with local Animal Control to support and arrange evacuation support for horses and owners in need. While social media callouts from local barns and owners attracted help, they also spurred panic and crowded roads with large trucks and trailers – often to be turned away upon arrival as horses were already safely evacuated. The team knew there had to be a better way and began speaking with emergency response agencies to brainstorm ways to improve communication and organization during an emergency. Through these experiences and conversations, HorseAlert emerged.
HorseAlert is a safe and streamlined emergency response strategy for horse owners and members of the equine community in Colorado who are impacted by fires and other natural disasters. The app matches people who need help evacuating horses with people with the skills and equipment necessary to help during an emergency.