In case of tornadoes....

[barnbum]

I'm in the northern Finger Lakes of New York. We had a tornado watch last week, and it went to a warning, but not in this area--about an hour away. We don't get this kind of weather very often, but all I could think about are the horses. Mine were tucked into the barn by then--as was their routine--but I kept wondering if we ever had that kind of weather, would it be safer for them inside or outside? I can think of several problems outside--the run in shed could tip on them, trees could land on them, heck, the barn could hurt them if it went a certain way. Inside... well, it's a very big barn and they are on the ground floor.

I was going to attach a photo of the barn, but I guess it just doesn't matter what kind of structure it is with such a tornado as just roared through the south?

One of my students went to NC on our week off and said within 5 min of arriving at her aunt's house, they were in a closet because of the tornado. A tree hit the house and her mother's car. A neighbor, she said, lost three horses to the storm--they were lifted in the winds and were never seen again. The owner looked for a week--nothing.

Where would you keep your horses? Or have you if faced with this weather?

 

[muffntuf]

There really isn't a good place for them during a tornado or high winds. If they are stalled there is barn danger of stuff falling on them. If they are outside they are in debris path. I generally put them in for bad weather, but who knows.

 

[Jennywashere]

Don't get them very often here in MI but the one time we did have one near by I couldn't see my horses out the window they were laying out in the lowest part of the pasture. I guess that's what nature told them was the safest.

 

[jegray21]

We put them in, the lightning has killed several of horses in the area so the barn keeps them from being hit by debris and lightning. Also in a panic I would hate for them to run and hurt themselves. Honestly no one is safe anywhere when there are high winds and risk of tornado we just do the best we can...I was thinking new house with stalls in the basement after what happened a few miles from us!

 

[SNDFarms]

I live in Texas and we have tornadoes more than most, fortunately I live south Texas and most are not severe like the ones you see up north..

Several years ago we had one go down a fence line in the back of our pasture where we had three large horses, we had dug a pond 4 months earlier and had a large mount of dirt appx 40 yards long by 15 yards high and about 9 feet high, this storm hit unexpectedly and when I noticed the winds REALLY picking up I ran out and jumped in truck to put horses in barn, but before i could get through the gate we had seen the tornado and knew we didn't have time, we ran back inside the house and I watched the horses who all seemed to gather behind the dirt mound, as the tornado passed by they would just keep walking around this mound to stay out of wind...

This same tornado blew the roof off my barn and collapsed a rear wall section in which debris fell into two stall that I would have had horses in... Needless to say, I was planning on using this mound of dirt for another barn pad up closer to the house, but because it seemed to have saved their lives I left it there, they all play on it and seem to enjoy climbing up and down like mountain goats, and anytime a storm hits that seems to be their favorite hangout..

I never stall my horses unless it's a heavy rain event or hurricane, if it's bad storms I leave them outside just because of what I have been through, I don't really think there is a safe place in a severe storm but it seems like they have natural instincts to go to save area's of the farm during these times...

 

[~Dan]

Hi Karla. We too had two tornado warnings a few days ago, thankfully we got nothing more but some rain and wind but it was enought to scare me half to death and round the horses up anyways. But someone on Facebook had said whenever they get tornado warnings (she lives in Oklahoma far more than what we get here I would imagine) they turn all the horses out with halters. The horses will be much better able to survive if they can run as their instincts will take them to the safest place, and then you do not run the risk of the barn catching on fire or collapsing on top of them. If you have a large bank barn I think you could keep the horses on one side that is built into the earth so they are somewhat sheltered underground. I have entertained the idea of someday having rows of tie stalls in my basement which one could probably do if it were unfinished and had easy access from the outside. I think that microchipping horses is a good idea in situations like this so even if your horse gets loose during bad weather and ends up miles away, they can be traced back to you.

Dan.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

After years of observing what horses and cows do naturally in storms, I now turn them all out if possible. They seem to want to stay away from structures and trees when its really bad. I take the approach that nature knows more than I do.

I did have an entire run in totally flip over once and thankfully no horses where hurt. We noticed in the morning there were no fresh poops in the spot where it had been as if they hadn't been in there all night even though it was storming. They new more than we did!

 

[LindaL]

This topic is interesting to me, because this is the 1st year I am even experiencing this type of weather (the NW is not known for tornadoes altho they have had a few and definitely not hurricanes), so when we had the 1st tornado warning of the year recently I put the horses IN. Deb and I also decided that if a tornado were imminent, we would also go to the barn as it would be more structurally sound than our Manufactured Home. But, I think, that if we were in danger's way, we would be pretty much done for either way...

I just feel weird leaving the horses out in bad weather...

 

[Riverrose28]

There is not a set in stone answer to this question, it depends on where you live and what is around your farm, such as trees, major highways, etc. We have had several tornados come through here and I try to put most of the horses in the barn, only because we have a forest here with really old large hardwoods, also live on a major road with high speed traffic. I've had tornados pick up run in sheds and throw them like toothpicks. Trees crashing onto fences and then had to go out a catch very scared horses. Someone down by the store left their ponies out one year and a tree fell over the fence, both ponies in a panic ran into the road and both were hit by cars. If I had several hundred acres I would leave them outside, but I don't, so they are in the barns.

 

[Minimor]

An article I read after the one NC horse facility got hit by a tornado earlier this spring suggested that the best place for the horses was in a good sturdy barn--possibly because in that particular instance the worst injuries occurred in the horses that had been outside when the tornado hit--many had been injured by flying debris.

I suspect that it's luck of the draw, and may vary from storm to storm, and from facility to facility. If the horse is in the barn & the tornado picks up the barn & flips it over or carries it off, the horse may be left standing unharmed where his stall used to be. If the tornado simply collapses the barn where it stands, that horse may be crushed by the pile of debris that the barn becomes.

Here if there is a tornado warning our horses stay out--we don't have barn room for everyone, and our little barn isn't really what I'd call "sturdy"--it's just a simple little barn that sure wouldn't stand up to any tornado--the horses just as well take their chances outside.

I remember years ago here, a fellow had just come home with his saddled horse in the back of the 1/2 ton (stock racks on it) and he saw a tornado approaching. He left the horse in the truck in the yard and ran into the house. After the tornado was gone he went back out. The truck was still there, the horse was unsaddled and out grazing on the lawn. The horse wasn't injured but I'd think he would have been somewhat bruised in the girth area from having that saddle ripped off of him.

I'm not sure that stalls in an ordinary basement would be real safe either? You're supposed to shelter in the basement against whichever wall is on the side the tornado is coming from; horses in the middle of the basement or in stalls on the wrong side of the basement could very well be buried if the tornado wrecks the house & dumps the debris all into the basement. Sheltering next to the "upwind" wall hopefully gives one a better chance of not having everything dumped on top of you. A bank barn would be the thing to have I think.

 

[barnbum]

Interesting replies. Interesting stories. Thanks. I think I'll go with keeping them in the barn. Our barn is banked in the back behind the stalls, and there's a stone wall on one side. There are very big beams, which is a concern, but I think if a wind should ever get that strong, it'd whisk the beams away. Sigh... glad I live where this is not a concern very often. I'd be worried sick.

 

[Marty]

We just went through this tornado stuff a few days ago and there is 6 dead in my area.

I've also been through numerous hurricanes and two other tornados with my horses and every time they have all been inside the barn. I would never consider leaving them outside.

 

[Sandee]

I think that it's the "luck of the draw" as to whether in or out is the safest. Our friends in Florida went thru a couple of hurricanes a few years ago. The first one they had horses inside the shelters (Florida shelters, for those that don't know, are often open on the sides)with 3 sides open and others in an actual barn. After the storm they found the roof gone on one shelter and the barn collasped. Fortunately the horses managed to get in the corner of their pens and only one or two ended up with scratches even though beams came down. The second storm they left everyone out in the pasture next to their home. The gentlemen couldn't retell the story without a catch in his throat. He could see his mares running around in the winds and trees whipping and he was so worried but they again managed to come out ok. One tree and many limbs came down.

Trying to think ahead and plan I would probably vote to bring them inside but I also believe in going with the gut feeling of the moment.

 

[JaiteraMiniatures]

I live on the Gulf Coast and during the strong hurricanes most people in this area leave there horses out, even if they're usually stalled. I guess it depends on your barn and your horses though. If your barn is pretty quite in heavy storms and you think it will hold up to strongish winds I would leave them inside, but EXTREMELY bad storms (i.e. storms like Hurricane Katrina, you know for certain a tornado is heading your way, etc.) I would leave my horses out. I personally think you're kind of stuck in a rut in those kind of situations and the horses can atleast run when they're outside. When they're in a stall they have no place to go. Outside fences could fall, debrie could fly or they could be picked up in a tornado, but inside they're stuck where they're at and the building could be demolished with them in it. I guess you just have to make up your mind on which scenerio gives them the best chances of being unharmed. Those are just really tough situations and there really is not a right answer to them, just do what you think it right and hope for the best.

When Hurricane Katrina came (we were slightly east of the worst stuff) the woman who owned the barn we boarded at put every single horse out (they were stalled most of the day) and we put a name tag and our number on our horse (I'm not sure if anyone else did). Luckily, no horses were hurt and the flooding didn't hit the barn too bad. It's not the same as a tornado, obviously, but that's what we did in that situation. Best of luck!

 

[SNDFarms]

I live on the Gulf Coast and during the strong hurricanes most people in this area leave there horses out, even if they're usually stalled. I guess it depends on your barn and your horses though. If your barn is pretty quite in heavy storms and you think it will hold up to strongish winds I would leave them inside, but EXTREMELY bad storms (i.e. storms like Hurricane Katrina, you know for certain a tornado is heading your way, etc.) I would leave my horses out. I personally think you're kind of stuck in a rut in those kind of situations and the horses can atleast run when they're outside. When they're in a stall they have no place to go. Outside fences could fall, debrie could fly or they could be picked up in a tornado, but inside they're stuck where they're at and the building could be demolished with them in it. I guess you just have to make up your mind on which scenerio gives them the best chances of being unharmed. Those are just really tough situations and there really is not a right answer to them, just do what you think it right and hope for the best.

When Hurricane Katrina came (we were slightly east of the worst stuff) the woman who owned the barn we boarded at put every single horse out (they were stalled most of the day) and we put a name tag and our number on our horse (I'm not sure if anyone else did). Luckily, no horses were hurt and the flooding didn't hit the barn too bad. It's not the same as a tornado, obviously, but that's what we did in that situation. Best of luck!

I live in the Texas Coastal Area about 20 minutes off the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, I have connections with several Farms up North of me, anytime a Hurricane evacuation is given for our area, our horses go with us, i simply take them to safer pastures up north until the hurricane blows through, most the farms I have contact with have separate paddocks that they will let me use for a few days, until we can verify our farm is ok, this also gives us time to mend any fences and pick up any hazards before bringing them back home..

I would suggest contacting and getting to know other breeders that are stationed anywhere away from Hurricane hazard area's, most farms have VERY good hearts and are more than willing to help a fellow farm out....

It might take you two loads for some of the larger breeders, but two 3 or 4 hour trips to save just one horse is well worth it, IMO..

Tornadoes are different because you can't really plan for those, a severe storm warning can hit with only enough time to do something locally, most of our barns down here are 4 sided metal structures and do not hold up well in tornadoes, and with me being through one before I think the better chance is the horses ability to use their instincts and run and hide, now every farm is different such as major roadways, Banked structures would be safer, and size of farm, I'm surrounded by 1000 + acres of cattle, so I don't worry about my horses getting out as much as some would..

Hope this helps!

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

The "correct" method is to turn them out in a safe pasture with a name collar or halter on. They are better able to avoid injury than if they were in a barn. Or so I read.... we've gotten 100+ tornado within 50 miles of us in the past two weeks, that's our protocol.

 

[susanne]

Sort of OT...

Linda -- don't forget the Columbus Day Storm, which, according to historians, was a hurricane, or more precisely a tropical cyclone that made it's way intact from South America.

(The same storm is a hurricane on either coast of North America, a typhoon on the west side of the North Pacific, and a cycone in the southern hemisphere.)

Of course, none of this matters when your kids are in danger! I so hope this terrifying weather ends and everyone can relax a bit.

 

[rimmerpaints]

I wish we had a underground stom shelter big enough for all my horses. I bring mine in barn also but really cant say what or where is more safe

 

[Katiean]

We have what I have been told are Micro bursts. In a heavy wind storm you will hear a loud boom. Not like thunder. More like an explosion. You go out and things that were at one end of the yard are at the other. One night during these micro bursts our neighbors porch roof was thrown over his house and it hit the back fence. This was in a north south direction. Our wind is always west/east or east/west (when the front circles around on us). We also had a storage shed that was in a foundation. In the morning it was on it's roof in front of the foundation. Unfortunately, one of my favorite ostriches would sit in front of this shed in the wind and the shed landed on her. She was not killed but was injured. The only thing we could do for her was send her to be processed. I hate the wind.

 

[Lori W]

There is not a set in stone answer to this question, it depends on where you live and what is around your farm, such as trees, major highways, etc. We have had several tornados come through here and I try to put most of the horses in the barn, only because we have a forest here with really old large hardwoods, also live on a major road with high speed traffic. I've had tornados pick up run in sheds and throw them like toothpicks. If I had several hundred acres I would leave them outside, but I don't, so they are in the barns.

I agree with this approach as well.

Here in Michigan, we don't get many tornados - but we do get lots of tornado watches. What we tend to get more of is downbursts and straightline winds - these can be 80 to 100 mph. Most of our land is divided into paddocks and small pastures - not a lot of room for the horses to escape the weather.

You migjht want to check with other horse owners in your area, too, for their best practices.