|
|
Member
Posts: 24
Location: Nebraska | The family recently lost 3 head of horses to lightning. There are others that are showing strange signs that they may have also been hit but lived. Anyone had a horse who lived through a lightning strike?
If so, what treatment did you give them?
If so, did their noticeable signs/symptoms (stroke like) eventually subside?
Edited by triangle4 2015-04-22 12:13 PM
|
|
| |
|
 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
   
Location: Kansas | I saw an article on one....horse lived, had a pretty ugly scar and hole in it's head. I'll see if I can dig up the article |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 24
Location: Nebraska | Thanks, I would love to read it! |
|
| |
|
 "Hottie"
Posts: 1373
Location: Okemah,OK | We lost one about 3 years ago :( I'm adamant about my horses being inside in any stormy weather and we had a freak storm at 2 am that wasn't predicted. Looking back, I think the first strike that woke me up was the one that got him. Luckily it didn't kill any of the other 4 that he was with but it did injure my husband's head horse. He looked like he had a burn on his shoulder and was 3 legged lame that night. He basically developed a Sweeny shoulder from the nerve being damaged. It took 18 months but they won a buckle at the first roping they entered after the injury. None of the others had any residual mental or physical problems. I'm sorry for the 3 that were lost, it's a helpless and awful feeling. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 24
Location: Nebraska | Thank you for your story...it is encouraging that there may be hope for the ones that made it through alive! Scars we can deal with :) |
|
| |
|
Location: Texas | Oh my, that's horrible and very rare. We have lost 3 cows over 45 years to lightning but never a horse. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1035
Location: TN | My boyfriend lost three head with one lightning strike nine years ago. One of them was his favorite horse of all time. They were standing under a big tree when it happened. There was a junky broncy gelding that was in the field too and he of course lived. We assume it traveled through the roots. It traumatized my boyfriend. If it even looks like it might storm we get the horses in the barn even if it means waking up in the middle of the night because he heard thunder. We also check the weather radar frequently, especially in spring. I'm so sorry for the loss of your horses and hope the others get back to normal soon. |
|
| |
|
 Can You Hear Me Now?
Location: When you hit the middle of nowhere .. Keep driving | Not meaning to steal the thread but I often wondered if shoes or halters on the horses increased the risk. I am no help but hope your remaining horses are going to be ok. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 24
Location: Nebraska | In our experience, I don't think shoes or halters make any difference. We never turn our horses out with halters on so these did not have halters, as far as shoes...one had shoes who died, the other two did not. Pretty sure it was one strike that got all of them and injured the others. It is actually not uncommon around here for animals to get struck by lightning. Every year you hear of horses or cattle getting struck during the spring and summer storms....but most don't live. We have large hills and large pastures and getting the large # of animals in for every storm is not a reality. I appreciate all your replies.
Edited by triangle4 2015-04-21 4:42 PM
|
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | Most I know die. The few I have read about living are scarred or have some form of permanent damage. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 600
Location: Oklahoma & Texas | I always worry about the barn getting hit and the horses inside getting zapped in the process anyone ever had that happen? |
|
| |
|
"Hottie"
Posts: 1373
Location: Okemah,OK | ndiehl - 2015-04-21 4:19 PM
Not meaning to steal the thread but I often wondered if shoes or halters on the horses increased the risk. I am no help but hope your remaining horses are going to be ok.
Ours didn't have on halters or shoes. And of course, there was a sick, cancer ridden cow right across the fence that we had to put down ourselves a few days later. She survived the storm just fine though. I've ALWAYS had a fear of horses being out in storms, have 4 radar apps on my phone, always keep them up if even a slim chance of bad weather and my main horse knows to run to the barn night or day if thunder starts.....cause I'm headed to the barn to put them in. This one came with no warning, 2 am, no distant thunder, etc. Just relieved none of the others were killed. I've read a lot of stories about whole herd dying if they're huddled close. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1395
Location: Missouri | We knew someone one about ten years ago that we *believed* had been struck. This lady didn't ever take good care of her horses and didn't take the poor gal to a vet, despite my mom and I urging her to do so. Knowing my mom, she probably offered to cover some of the vet bill. Anyway.... The horse held its head sideways for the rest of its life and her tongue hung out of her mouth. She also couldn't see well out of one eye. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | BBrewster - 2015-04-21 9:23 PM
I always worry about the barn getting hit and the horses inside getting zapped in the process anyone ever had that happen?
I know of one story where this happened. Lost 6 head, all put up in the barn. Lightening hit the barn. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 286
Location: hillsboro mo. | My sons good barrel horse got hit and killed while standing under a tree during a storm. Killed the tree too. My son was only 10 at the time and he was the one who found her. It was an ugly sight for sure for him to see. He was going out to bring her up for a regular Vet check. When the Vet arrived he checked the two other horses that were with her but there were no signs of injury . He told me to watch for soreness and they did seem to move around quite a bit slower for a while but no long term effects. Except my son, he never rode again. :( |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1035
Location: TN | whiplashranch - 2015-04-21 9:56 PM ndiehl - 2015-04-21 4:19 PM Not meaning to steal the thread but I often wondered if shoes or halters on the horses increased the risk. I am no help but hope your remaining horses are going to be ok. Ours didn't have on halters or shoes. And of course, there was a sick, cancer ridden cow right across the fence that we had to put down ourselves a few days later. She survived the storm just fine though. I've ALWAYS had a fear of horses being out in storms, have 4 radar apps on my phone, always keep them up if even a slim chance of bad weather and my main horse knows to run to the barn night or day if thunder starts.....cause I'm headed to the barn to put them in. This one came with no warning, 2 am, no distant thunder, etc. Just relieved none of the others were killed. I've read a lot of stories about whole herd dying if they're huddled close.
Only two of our horses had shoes on, the other one did not. Definitely no halters on - that irritates me to see halters on turned out horses. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 24
Location: Nebraska | again, thanks for your replies. any other experiences on how to treat the survivors would be greatly apprecitated! |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | I have seen one horse in person that lived. It was a friend's horse. Little Palomino Filly.
The only reason she lived was because it wasn't a direct hit. It traveled through the ground from the tree she was standing under. She lost half her face and eye and her man never grew back right.... Her neck was burned badly and her back as well. The vet said it most likely traveled through the ground, through her body and out her eye.
She was treated in ICU as a burn victim. Sent home later and still treated as a burn victim. I'm not sure what creams and wraps my friend used as I have lost contact with her but I know the poor mare was always in bandages for at least a year. She was never the same. Couldn't hold a bit in her mouth, couldn't be ridden, and couldn't feel any of her face. She made a good Broodmare tho and was sweet as could be. |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 488
Location: NE Arkansas | I have a mare that was struck by lightning. It was something I wasn't told about when I bought her has she has no physical scars but some days she is just a little off. I found out by finding the girl that owned her ok facebook an pretty much looking at a bunch of post till I ran acrossed it. I have plans to try an breed her hopefully all will go good. I'm glad to see there was a comment about one being a broodmare that was struck. |
|
| |
|
Addicted to Baseball
Location: Where the stars at night are big and bright, TX | My husband, another cowboy and both their horses got hit. No one died but it threw them all quite a ways and rang their bells. The cowboys were thrown a distance from the horses. One mare went down, another had the electricity travel up her bridle rein and she just stood and spun for awhile. They all survived a few wounds but no major ongoing issues. |
|
| |
Folks on-line