# Severe weather- horses in or out?



## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Mine have free access to the barn so they make their own choice.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

3rdTimestheCharm said:


> Hi everyone, with severe weather season starting in my area, I was wondering what you guys do with your horses when there's a tornado warning?
> 
> I've heard some say that they let the horses in the pasture, or just let them go. But, I've heard others says that it's best to keep them in their stalls. My BO and instructor keep the horses in their stalls.
> 
> ...


I put mine in their stalls. Reasoning behind it, unless you take a direct hit on the barn, it will probably remain standing and it will protect the horses from all the flying debris if a tornado comes close. Odds of being hit by a tornado are really low, 1:100,000 or something like that. Or put another way, last year was the first time in 10 years that we've even gone down into the storm shelter. We also got hit, but NOT the horse barn that we use, but a small quarantine barn that we weren't using and don't really even miss.


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

My horses are outside, they don't mind and I was always told it was better for them, less chance of them getting trapped by debris or cornered.


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## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

JCnGrace said:


> Mine have free access to the barn so they make their own choice.


Same here...and after last night I was thinking..."survival of the fittest." We had some nasty storms last night. The storms woke me up and I looked out the window into the pasture and all three horses were LAYING DOWN in the middle of the thunder and lightning. It didn't phase them a bit until the hail started. Then they all made their way to the barn in a tight little group. I worry way more than I should about them when it storms. Last night gave me reassurance that sometimes they know how to take better care of themselves than I can.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

I don't change their routine. They always go out in the daytime and come in at night. 

Since my strong alpha horse passed, last Fall, the others have gotten to where they are headed for the barn at the first crack of lightening, during the day. I will put them in, if they get insistent; otherwise they stay outside as long as there is daylight.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I've fond that mine are way more settled in the barn and will choose to go inside the moment it gets really windy or stormy
My barn is sturdy and has stood up to the two small hurricanes we've had here so I worry less about that getting hit since every storm we have we get a few healthy big trees brought down on the field/fence and we're too close to some main highways for me to want to risk my horses getting mixed up with traffic
In a lightning storm they will always stand under a tree - and that's exactly where they tell you not to be unless you want to get struck of course


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## KRcowgirl (Aug 19, 2014)

My horses have free choice. I still worry about them, though.  

All I do for severe weather (When I say severe weather, I mean tornadoes and high winds. Up here in Minnesota, we don't get hurricanes, and earthquakes are very, very rare, lol.  is put a halter on each of the horses. Tied to the halter is a canvas rag that has mine and my parent's names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses attached. 

The only purpose of those is so if my fence goes out (I have electric tape), there's some form of ID on my herd. 

They typically hide in the barn all day anyway, no matter the weather. They're little babies like that.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

In my opinion, horses *OUTSIDE*. Without question. 

In 2004, a tornado took down our barn. If the horses had been inside, they would have been killed. 

We have large enough pastures that they can get far away from any debris or trees, which is what they did. They didn't have a scratch on them.


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## blueriver (Oct 10, 2009)

I don't keep them in ... they seem to know better than me how to handle nature.


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## cakemom (Jul 4, 2010)

Mine have free access to their high and dry stalls , 12 foot openings to get in, and get out if something goes down.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Regarding letting them loose I would not even consider that unless you KNOW a tornado is about to hit YOU and don't have any other options.

A warning means just that. Vs a watch where there is one and it's in your area. I wouldn't let them loose unless I knew it was about to hit me and it would probably be the last thing I would do before getting into shelter myself.

Thought- storm bunker barn?

Keep in mind this is coming from someone who has (happily) never been super close to a fully formed tornado (saw one forming once over Buffalo, pretty neat as I heard them talking about it on the radio as we were stuck in watching and my carmates did not believe me until the radio said it too/ot) so I don't know how realistic it is to "wait and see" but I would definitely do so as much as possible before doing something like that. Definitely not "oh there may be a tornado possible let me turn them out!".

Living in New England the plan would be to keep them in as it is heavily forested and debris would be a much bigger concern. IF I thought it would be about to hit us I may let them loose as our fields are relatively small in tornado terms and only electric mesh.

My biggest concern about leaving them out in their field would be for them to panic and go through the fencing and get hurt.

I think if there was a big tornado it's unlikely the horse would say "hm let me go in my stall now". We also have run ins and they are great but I wouldn't think of it as "oh they have shelter" in that sort of situation.


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## Katz1411 (Jul 31, 2014)

Yogiwick said:


> Regarding letting them loose I would not even consider that unless you KNOW a tornado is about to hit YOU and don't have any other options.
> 
> A warning means just that. Vs a watch where there is one and it's in your area. I wouldn't let them loose unless I knew it was about to hit me and it would probably be the last thing I would do before getting into shelter myself.
> 
> ...


You can't rely on having time to consider. I've been through 2 tornados;
a near miss in Louisville KY in 1974 and a hit in Northern Cincinnati in 1999. In the case of when we were hit, it was 5am when the sirens went off and I heard the roaring freight-train sound of the tornado (that really is what it sounded like); we barely made it downstairs, much less had time to move pets and or livestock.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Yogiwick said:


> Regarding letting them loose I would not even consider that unless you KNOW a tornado is about to hit YOU and don't have any other options.
> 
> A warning means just that. Vs a watch where there is one and it's in your area. I wouldn't let them loose unless I knew it was about to hit me and it would probably be the last thing I would do before getting into shelter myself.
> 
> ...


 That made me laugh because I've told hubby a hundred times he needs to dig a storm shelter big enough for us and all the critters. That would be 11 horse stalls + 4 more fully enclosed stalls for the different barn cat herds because they DO NOT mingle + space for us, the dog and water, hay, and other necessities storage. I get an eye roll.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Yogiwick said:


> Thought- storm bunker barn?


I keep saying that if we ever sell this place, I want a hill at the next one so I can just dig the barn and house into the side of the hill and we'll just be in the storm cellar permanently and won't have to worry about a tornado taking down the hill. :lol: I get a big sigh and a matching eye roll for that too.


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## Textan49 (Feb 13, 2015)

It would depend on the situation. If the horses are used to being stalled they might feel more secure inside. It would also depend on how secure the barn is too. Things like doors banging in the wind, windows, or a metal roof rattling could be more upsetting than being out. Generally I would prefer out and never had a problem with that except for once when a tree came down on the fence. Of course my two year old climbed over both tree and downed fence and did a bit of exploring.


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## Soccergoalie322 (May 20, 2014)

Yogiwick, you have it backwards. A watch is when the conditions make it possible for a tornado and a arning is when there is an actual tornado is your area.


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## greenhaven (Jun 7, 2014)

It seems to me there is no right or wrong answer, everything is "a wing and a prayer" and strategically-placed owner info for the just in case. I moved to Michigan last year from the area of Illinois that just got slammed with FOUR tornadoes at once this past week. At least one was so big that a direct hit on a barn OR pasture is practically a guarantee of fatalities. As a matter of fact it happened.

If a tornado is going to hit there is nothing you can do, which is why I advocate like so many others to allow the horses to choose in or out at will. And if you live in tornado country and are not set up this way I advise you to rethink your game plan.


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## NBEventer (Sep 15, 2012)

I can't speak about Tornadoes but I live in Hurricane zone. When we have hurricane weather mine stay out. Every inch of me wants to bring them in thinking it is better for them, but so many barns are destroyed during hurricanes from the strong winds. If my girls were inside the barn and it collapsed I know they would be killed. So I leave them out with leather halters on that have identification tags on them. I have shelter in the pasture so they have places to go for safety. I just check on them every half hour to make sure they are okay.

During Hurricane Arthur I had 4 horses here and they were all outside just chilling under the trees in the full force of the storm. I went out to check on them and they were like "yea? 'Sup? We just chillin" lol. So I know they are okay.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

soccergoalie32 said:


> Yogiwick, you have it backwards. A watch is when the conditions make it possible for a tornado and a arning is when there is an actual tornado is your area.


Yes that is what I meant... (goes back to check what I wrote!)

Ooh you are right, thank you for catching that.


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## dreamincolor (Feb 14, 2015)

Unfortunately, I think in case of a tornado it is either hit or miss. Several years ago there was a tornado that hit West Liberty and a video was posted of some of the damage. There were horses on that property in the barn and out in the field, and almost all of them were lost. It was devastating. I personally keep mine in the barn if there is severe weather, but I think it's more hoping to keep them out of debris, and I don't know if it would truly save it. Not much scares me more than a tornado.

I did see a storm bunker that had stalls and was set into the ground, I would love to do that! If you had enough time to get the horses down there, you could stay with them and keep safe.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

dreamincolor said:


> Unfortunately, I think in case of a tornado it is either hit or miss.


Sadly, in the case of a tornado, this is the case. They typically have a relatively narrow path and short lived, but you have little warning and they are extremely destructive. It usually comes down to having good or back luck. In our area, tornadoes are rare (but tornado watches are not) and luckily the closest one that we've had in 20+ years passed about 15 miles away.
Hurricanes are the bigger concern in NC, but we're 100+ miles from the coast and have only had one (Fran) that turned inland and passed within 25 miles of us. Because of all the rain and wind, they tend to topple a great number of our very tall pine trees, but otherwise it is like being in a very strong off/on rain storm and the horses stay away from the trees. The biggest problem is long (3-5 day) power outages from the fallen trees.

Our horses are out 24x7 with trees and shelter, and we just leave them out to use their instincts during both hurricanes and tornado warnings.


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## 3rdTimestheCharm (Jan 18, 2015)

Thank you for the opinions everybody! You all have very good points. 

A bunker barn would be so cool! I also like having horses choose whether they should stay in or out.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Just have to say if anyone has the inclination (and money!) to build a giant storm bunker barn do train the horses before hand.

I can completely see a horse refusing to go into a little tunnel in the ground as a tornado comes barreling towards you.

Sort of an lol but I'm sure a very real issue too!


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Yogiwick said:


> Just have to say if anyone has the inclination (and money!) to build a giant storm bunker barn do train the horses before hand.
> 
> I can completely see a horse refusing to go into a little tunnel in the ground as a tornado comes barreling towards you.
> 
> Sort of an lol but I'm sure a very real issue too!


We actually have fairgrounds that have tunnels from the show barns to the arenas, so I know it wouldn't be a problem for my horses. I'm talking about building the barn into the side of a hill, so there wouldn't necessarily be a tunnel, more along these lines: Secret Underground Passage Connects Barn to Hidden Home | Designs & Ideas on Dornob

casas enterradas. urbanarbolismo picture on VisualizeUs


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## Luv equins (Oct 10, 2014)

I would put them out. Have hay or grass so they will hopefully stay around. I would let them have a choice in and out.


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## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

I'm for letting them make the choice. Their instincts being better than ours.

Just open all barn doors and windows; the same with our house. Houses can explode (as I was told) when the doors and windows are closed from the building pressure. What a ***** that would be; having the tornado miss your house but it explodes because of closed windows!


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

That would be a myth. Opening doors and windows allows more debris to enter and perhaps funnel air through creating more damage. There is no way to equalize the pressure in that situation. Explosions are more from sparks near damaged gas lines or electrical damage. At least that is my observation being in both a hurricane and tornado prone area. To answer the original post - we leave ours out for either. Hurricanes we use grease paint and id on halters to mark them but for tornado situations there really is no time. You just pray and keep yourself safe.


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