|
|
Red Hot Cardinal Fan
Posts: 4122
 
| So with spring here and severe weather season upon us, what do you do with your horses in bad weather? Do you leave them turned out or bring them in to be stalled? Up until last year when we finished our stalls, I didn't have an option before but now I'm not sure what the best choice would be. |
|
| |
|
 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
  
Location: Oklahoma | Since we rent and don't have a barn, ours are out. We just pray for the best. |
|
| |
|
Red Hot Cardinal Fan
Posts: 4122
| TwistedK - 2016-04-26 9:19 AM Since we rent and don't have a barn, ours are out. We just pray for the best.
If you had the option, would you bring them in to be stalled? |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1857
| Do not bring them in! I know people worry about hail and lightening but if a tornado touched down and you have them locked up it's a death sentence!
If your horses are near your home and if a tornado just so happens to touch down or even have the possibility to in your area, my best advice is to turn them out. They will have a better chance of surviving than having them locked up. You can go look for them after it's over.
We lost two horses to a tornado. Found one horse three miles from the house with a 2x4 threw his flanks(the whole board sticking out both sides) miracle he survived, no organs were touched! Another mare was at the house but had a piece of wire threw her leg and was banged up(broodmare sound only). Our mistake was that we left them locked up and they had no where to go to get away.
Some neighbors had there's locked in the barn and the whole barn was flattened, never found all the horses, none survived.
I've been through enough tornados that I would rather gamble with turning them out and finding them later. If you have the luxury of turning them out in a big pasture(lots of acres) that has draws and creek beds, turn them in it. if not, pray whatever decision you make is the right one! |
|
| |
|
 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Mine can go in and out as they wish. If my choices were out with no shelter or stalled, I would stall. |
|
| |
|
 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | I stall. Chances of heavy rains, winds, hail is higher than tornado. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 823
Location: East Texas | Mine always have the choice. Most animals don't seem to mind the bad weather. I have seen my horses out grazing in downpours to my dogs sleeping curled up in the snow instead of getting inside. I agree with the poster above that said turn them out. Nature seems to have a way of taking care of them. |
|
| |
|
 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | I will NEVER force my horse into a stall in bad weather (summer or winter).
In 2004, a tornado took down our giant hip-roof style barn and scattered debris all over the pasture. Had the horses been inside ..... they would not have survived. It was a miracle our house was (mostly) undamaged. Definately was the scariest thing I've ever lived through, and it took mere SECONDS for the damage to be done.
It wasn't our place, but in 2010 I had some friends have the entire roof of their barn collapse, due too heavy snow on the roof. The horses were inside but they did not have the stall doors closed. It was creepy because one of my friends happened to be looking out the window when it happend. She heard some very loud noises and looked outside just in time to see all the horses racing out of their stalls and the roof come crashing down.
Yes, it is nice to provide your horse with some sort of shelter from the wind, rain, hail, or whatever it may be, but I would NEVER lock my horse in a stall in bad weather. Yes, these accidents are few and far between, but they DO happen and I don't want it happening to my horses. IMO.
Ours get turned out into a very large pasture in the summer when bad weather is coming. They have natural windbreak (tree rows) as well as run-in shelters. I leave it up to them (and their natural instincts) during a storm.
Edited by r_beau 2016-04-26 10:07 AM
|
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1631
Location: Somewhere around here | What kind of bad weather do you have in your area? Rain and hail, or tornadoes? |
|
| |
|
Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | countrygirl2006 - 2016-04-26 9:20 AM
TwistedK - 2016-04-26 9:19 AM Since we rent and don't have a barn, ours are out. We just pray for the best.
If you had the option, would you bring them in to be stalled?
I really don't think I would. It's a catch 22.... they are trapped if inside. Mine are branded and I have photos and coggins. The only thing I'm really worried about is the fact both mares have 2 week old foals on their sides. |
|
| |
|
 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I would rather have them turned out, at least they have a fighting chance, in a stall they have no where to go. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1857
| I think until you've lost everything in a tornado or been through several, you'll never fully grasp the destruction they can do in mere seconds and how they can develop without notice.
If you live in tornado alley, always assume the worst is going to happen. That's how you and your animals stay alive. |
|
| |
|
 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | I try and put mine in the barn during thunderstorms, heavy rains and hail. Luckily we do not have tornandos here, but if we did I would keep them out. We have the occasional tornado threat, and when that happend then I just run around in a complete panic till it goes away.
The above tornado stories are just horrific.... So sorry and sad....
|
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 2135
Location: Somewhere else | I've always left my barn open, stalls are left open. If they want to come in out of the weather they can or stand out in the middle of it. Having made it through 2 tornados, I'd definitely let them run loose. They stand a better chance of being able to get away from it then being a sitting duck....... |
|
| |
|
 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| I stall mine, not many tornadoes where I live. |
|
| |
|
| I leave mine turned out if a slight chance of tornadoes. In 2012 we lost our barns to a tornado, thank the Lord all horses survived just banged up good. Now we leave the barn open and they usually come inside during bad weather but can run if needed! |
|
| |
|
  Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | Yea, we are in for another round tonight. Although we are to the South edge of it looks like.
Our barn is just a glorified run in, with panels to make stalls, and I make sure that they have a stall open in each pasture so they can come in when they want, or just hang out in the rain.
The pastures are not that big, about an acre each, but at least they can move about and see what is coming.
|
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | We live up in the Ouachitas and for us by far the main threat comes from intense lightening. Therefore our guys get stalled. |
|
| |
|
 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | My horses are branded, and I'll be putting their leather halters on them tonight and tying a tag in the mane & tail with my name/phone/city just in case. |
|
| |
|
Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| cranky B4 10am - 2016-04-26 1:36 PM Yea, we are in for another round tonight. Although we are to the South edge of it looks like.
Our barn is just a glorified run in, with panels to make stalls, and I make sure that they have a stall open in each pasture so they can come in when they want, or just hang out in the rain.
The pastures are not that big, about an acre each, but at least they can move about and see what is coming.
And again Friday, Saturday and Monday. Another 4-6 inches in some areas. Hope it misses us so we can dry out. Where do you live? |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 312
Location: KS | We've had hail the last two nights, North Central KS. Funny I was just thinking about this this morning when checking on all mine. We're in a new place (due to losing our home in a fire 2 years ago) and horses are out in the open with no much shelter for now. I have always opted for leaving them out before they had a lean to they could shelter in if needed, but we've been surrounded with tornadoes over the years, so always prepared for the worse. They have everyone worried today, even called off some schools, nothing happening yet..... |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 683
Location: Ohio | It is very rare to have tornados in our area but a few years ago one touched down very close to my barn. I was doing evening chores at the time, had a few horses tied in the alley while I picked stalls out and it suddenly got really calm outside and you could feel the pressure change. As soon as it happened the more dominant/ higher herd members wanted OUT of that barn and it put the other horses on alert. We kicked everyone out in the largest pasture as fast as we could and booked it to the house. Horses all went to the lowest point of the pasture and away from the trees and fence lines even when the hail hit. Thankfully it missed us but after hearing horror stories I don't think I would ever choose to lock them up.
|
|
| |
|
 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| I don't have a barn, yet... mine are out in the pasture. They've been thru days of heavy rain and wind... they just turn their big ol butts towards the wind and put their heads down. That being said, when I get my barn built, they will not be locked in, other than when it's feeding time.. they will be able to decide to come in if they want, or stay out in it. I wouldn't lock them in, in the case of bad weather. |
|
| |
|
Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | rodeomom3 - 2016-04-26 2:46 PM cranky B4 10am - 2016-04-26 1:36 PM Yea, we are in for another round tonight. Although we are to the South edge of it looks like.
Our barn is just a glorified run in, with panels to make stalls, and I make sure that they have a stall open in each pasture so they can come in when they want, or just hang out in the rain.
The pastures are not that big, about an acre each, but at least they can move about and see what is coming.
And again Friday, Saturday and Monday. Another 4-6 inches in some areas. Hope it misses us so we can dry out. Where do you live?
I know.... We just dried up... Just another Tx spring, right!
I am just outside Temple. |
|
| |
|
Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| cranky B4 10am - 2016-04-26 6:41 PM
rodeomom3 - 2016-04-26 2:46 PM cranky B4 10am - 2016-04-26 1:36 PM Yea, we are in for another round tonight. Although we are to the South edge of it looks like.
Our barn is just a glorified run in, with panels to make stalls, and I make sure that they have a stall open in each pasture so they can come in when they want, or just hang out in the rain.
The pastures are not that big, about an acre each, but at least they can move about and see what is coming.
And again Friday, Saturday and Monday. Another 4-6 inches in some areas. Hope it misses us so we can dry out. Where do you live?
I am just outside Temple.
Me too.... |
|
| |
|
 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | We use to live in tornado alley and we know of more horses being killed by being hit by debris that were out in pasture then were killed in a barn.
Now we live where lightning is very deadly so I stall now also.
|
|
| |
|
 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | We have 5 on about 25 acres, and they have access to the barn/alleyway at all times. The only time they are stalled is for feeding. We are in lightning and tornado country, and like someone said, I trust their instincts and the good Lord!! |
|
| |
Horses and bad weather