Safer Equine Refuge for Bushfires and Emergencies

Horse SA is committed to supporting our South Australian equine community with options for finding refuge for your horses during bushfires and other emergencies.

The Horse SA Safer Equine Refuge aims to build community capacity for bushfire preparedness, recovery, and support connectedness and resilience in times of stress and emergency.

We are near the completion of a purpose-built 100 yard equine refuge site located at the Murray Bridge Racing Club. Click here for the refuge address. 

The refuge at Murray Bridge Racing Club is available for the 2023/24 bushfire season; the refuge will accept bookings when the Fire Danger Index is in the mid-70s in your area, and personnel will attend the refuge location to receive the first yard booking made via the horse owner web-app.

A mobile phone booking app has been created for the Horse SA Safer Equine Refuge, to secure a yard or yards for your horses before you leave and, if necessary as a late evacuation. A small donation of $20 per yard will be requested when booking. This helps to cover the basic running costs of the refuge and ensures the refuge can be a reliable resource for many years to come.

We ask that you register your details prior to booking and using a yard, you can do this at any time by following this link: Register on the Horse SA Safer Refuge app here.

Horse SA recommends being well prepared for bushfire days by creating a well-considered Bushfire Survival Plan that covers both:

1. Leaving early / early evacuation, AND 

2. Stay and defend (note: it's possible you could become 'stuck' and stay and defend is your only or best option). 

Follow this link to the CFS website to create your Bushfire Survival Plan. Follow CFS warnings (social media and 891 radio). Prepare to leave early on catastrophic days.

The Horse SA Safer Equine mobile booking app:

• Enables you to book a yard(s) for your horses pre-arriving. 

• You can register your details at any time. Pre-registration is recommended.

• Shows alternative refuge sites to the Murray Bridge refuge, what we are calling 'unaffiliated' refuge sites. You can independently contact any unaffiliated refuge sites through the map on the app and book.

• Stores your registration so when you want to book a yard your details are already safely secured.

• Offers a bushfire/ emergency evacuation checklist.

• Asks you to agree to our terms of use. 

After you register on our app, when you need to seek refuge, the booking process is quick and easy as the details of you and your horses details are already available. 

Do you have an equine refuge that you can offer to others in need? Across SA, any yards, stables or paddocks that are available for others to use as refuge can be added to our mobile booking app. Once you have registered your property as an 'unaffiliated' refuge site, Horse SA will review, approve or ask further questions, then add your location and contact details to our map app. People in need can then contact you and book your refuge under your own set of conditions. 

To register as an unaffiliated refuge click here.

We are currently seeking volunteers to help run the refuge on Open Days. Training is provided and basic provisions on the days volunteering. To register your interest please contact Cathy on 0435 086 308.

For any further enquiries please contact us via our contact page.