Insight Photography
DREAM REKINDLED Providence seems to be trying to appease for the heartache of 2009 on several fronts. Visually, Copperdome and Camelback Mountains are still beauty incarnate; the fire pattern were jumping diagonal lines, thus sparing us the view of a solid blackened wasteland. New Equimat products, the lightweight mobile stall sets for shows and human anti-fatigue Multimats for gyms, children play areas, etc. are selling like hotcakes. Grateful to still have our facility to work in, we trained harder than ever during the winter, yielding super results for the opening of the 2010 competition season. Stallion Dreammaster has come into his own, joining students and young stock debuting with winning performances; Lokomotion and Gary Brewster started the jumping season with sterling results. We seem to have made a detour from financial quicksand. Several of our young progeny have been sold to won-
follows as fresh news redirects interest. This is not a pity party—just the way it is. There was a large price to pay both in health and
wealth for our natural catastrophe. Three month old Lancelot ended up having minor surgery to correct the growth imbalances that had occurred from his hoof injury. My FEI mare Dreamcatcher had ongoing breathing issues that resulted in withdrawal mid- competition at the Western Canadian Championships, and our stallion Dreammaster broke out in nervous painful hives that took a long time to clear up. We lost tens of thousands of dollars in foregone income and extra expense. Holes in our insurance policies concluded none of this was covered. The claim for flood damage is still not resolved. We had not foreseen the scenario of having to pay for board for evacuated clients, and unfortunately not all of them chose to reimburse us or pay for costs associated.
LESSONS LEARNED 1. Draw up an emergency evacuation plan in writing. Discuss directly
with who would be willing to help, record contact numbers and leave copies of the plan with all parties concerned. Review annually. 2. Check how your property or business insurance policy treats loss
from Acts of God. If there is an intervening event such as fire from lightning striking a power transformer outside your property—there can be loopholes to refuse the claim. Discuss the various scenarios with your agent and document their comments. 3. Check the limitations on various types of property loss. For example,
books and computers may have a maximum cap that you may wish to extend. 4. Loss of income insurance is a great idea and can be less expensive if obtained through an agricultural-oriented provider.
16 July/August 2010
derful new homes—to amateurs as well as professionals. Most exciting is that all of the “Class of 2010” have arrived safe and sound. In fact we believe they are the best we have bred to date: Lordsley, Legendary, Litigator and Limoges, all conceived while our dream was threatened. And now they have shown us the dream is still alive and thriving! We have learned that omnipotent Mother Nature
gives—and She takes away; all we can do is manage the unexpected as best we can. Hopefully the publication of our story will ultimately help other horse friends cope better in a crisis by having contemplated various scenarios. The threats of the wildfires taught us to never be complacent, but most importantly, to value and be grateful for what we already have. By doing so we have truly found an unexpected serenity in learning that we have caught our dream; Dreamcatcher Meadows is not only where we live but it is who we are. We are grateful for having had this opportunity to share an unforgettable part of it with Warmbloods Today readers. (Visit us at
www.dreamcatchermeadows.com) WT
5. Barn managers, review your boarding or lease agreements to ensure
costs incurred in the event of an unexpected disaster pass on to the client. Make sure you have the authority to move or deal with the animal as you see fit if you cannot contact the owner. 6. If possible, discuss fees and costs with temporary accommodation or
service providers at the outset of use. Document. 7. Outfit your facility with comprehensive fire extinguishers, etc. 8. Handle young stock early and teach them to trailer load. 9. Keep all critical documentation together—your own passports,
horses’ passports and computer scans and back ups of leases and other contracts. 10. Have mobile computer facilities such as internet. Revise mobile phone bill program to reflect higher usage. Our bill was $500+!
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