# When it's hailing



## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

Hail is normal around here so the sound of it on the metal roof doesn't frighten anyone. We don't have any shelter in the pasture so if hail hits we open the pasture to the barn, everyone RUNS in and we sort them into stalls (if they haven't already run into the correct stall looking for food).


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

If a hail storm starts all I have ever seen my horses do was turn tail to the wind and endure it. I have not seen golf ball or larger hail storms and their reaction to them. 
Horses evolved on the open plains. No barns stalls or sheds very few trees. Golf ball or larger sized hail may motivate them to seek some kind of shelter. A hail stone probably does not have the same power as a kick from another horse so Im pretty certain they dont feel that much discomfort. I would not worry too much about hail storms. Your horses have endured more of them than you know. Shalom


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

We get God Awful hail here too and I put my horses up in their metal barn with the metal roof. Most of them are old troopers, so even the new or young horses tend to calm down after the initial, "OMG WHAT IS THAT?" reaction. The first few times the older ones ever heard it, they got a little big eyed but especially after being in through the whole storm and the noise didn't kill 'em, and after getting caught out in it, they all come running for the barn now. It's pretty funny to see one teensy little hail stone hit one and then they all come flying with their tails in the air. I guess the noise hurts their ears less than the hail hurts their hides. 

If I have the time before the storm hits, I put a bunch of hay in their feeders so that they can much on hay and distract themselves from the noise. It really doesn't take them long to figure out Barn = GOOD and Hail = BAD. For one thing, at least here in OK, I've noticed most really heavy hail storms are almost as loud outside as they are inside, they just don't get pummeled inside.


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## acorn (Nov 27, 2012)

Heavy rain sounds really loud on these tin roofs, too. They are used to that and it doesn't bother them. I guess if we had the hail often they'd get used to that, too, but fortunately it's a rare occurance here.

Some years back just a few miles from here they had soft ball sized hail and the damage it did was ingredable. Sure glad this one yesterday wasn't like that!

Guess if/when it happens again I'll let them chose what to do unless it should be soft ball size then they are going in if I have to drag them by their tails!!


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Our mares have a shelter, but they prefer to be out, even in hail. Just like any bad storm, they huddle together, heads down, butts into the wind.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TurkishVan (Feb 11, 2013)

We get lots of hail around here. Tornadoes too. 
Our horses just go down into the timbered areas and hunker down there when it gets really bad. You'll always know if it's going to be a bad storm. If they're taking shelter in the shed, the storm will pass. If they take off to the timber, you'd better be watching the skies...
(Ironically, this goes for my cats as well. Kitties on the porch means it's okay. Kitties no where to be found during a storm means look out!)
Animals are pretty good at taking care of themselves if you give them the chance.


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

Acorn if you ever get soft ball sized hail remember YOUR safety comes first.
Chasing horses during such a storm places you in danger. Remember if your hurt who is going to treat any injuries your horses sustain?
thats the parent in me speaking. LOL Shalom


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

My horses have gotten caught in hail storms a few times. Thankfully nothing bigger than a quarter but that still has to hurt.

The sound of pelting rain on the metal barn roof doesn't bother them and they could get under the over hang and the open stall it leads to but, they don't.

They turn their butts to the storm, get side-by-side and ride it out, heads down.

I have tried to get them in when the storm is in progress. My alpha horse would only get P.O.'d, tell me he knows what he's doing, and start leading everyone away from me.

Something he never does unless a storm is already in progress, so I just hope for the best and leave them out:-|


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## acorn (Nov 27, 2012)

dbarabians said:


> Acorn if you ever get soft ball sized hail remember YOUR safety comes first.
> Chasing horses during such a storm places you in danger. Remember if your hurt who is going to treat any injuries your horses sustain?
> thats the parent in me speaking. LOL Shalom


  You are right of course.

I looked around yesterday and we are fortunate that the only damage i see is
it broke the bottom out of a plastic lawn chair and a hole is knocked in the bottom of a plastic tub that was turned up side down.

There are thousands and thousands of baby pine cones and needles on the ground but oddly our peach tree didn't loose it's blooms. It is slightly sheltered by my cane so maybe that saved it.

They are saying a f2 tornado went over, whatever that means. I'll take the hail we had over a tornado any day.

I'm very thankful that all who breath are okay and uninjured and we had no property damage that matters.


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

Another thing to remember Hail goes hand in hand with tornadoes.
Horses live by instinct and here in the south we have frequent severe weather. they deal with it all their lives. Shalom


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

acorn said:


> They are saying a f2 tornado went over, whatever that means. I'll take the hail we had over a tornado any day.


You need to watch the Weather Channel - lol lol

Tornado wind speed is gauged on what is called the Fujita scale, thus the "F" in front of the number.

"F-2" is nothing to say "oh well" about -- even though I have lived in tornadic areas most of my life, do say "oh well" and hope nobody was injured.

F-2 means it had wind velocity that could range from 113 MPH to 157 MPH:shock:


Here's the link, if you're interested in some Tornado 101

The Tornado Scale | Tornado Facts


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## acorn (Nov 27, 2012)

walkinthewalk said:


> You need to watch the Weather Channel - lol lol
> 
> Tornado wind speed is gauged on what is called the Fujita scale, thus the "F" in front of the number.
> 
> ...


Now THAT is hard down scarey!!
Winds like that I am pretty sure everything here would be gone, including us.

Three years ago a tornado hit one of our state parks where we ride.
It was so weird afterwards. You would be riding one trail and all looked perfectly normal. Then you would come to our lake trail and it looked as if 
atomic bombs had gone off for miles. Trees in huge piles so thick you couldn't even walk in the area.

We climbed the mt. to the overlook so we could get a good look and it appeared the tornado had set down and traveled and then would leave the ground and set down somewhere else.
So many really old wonderful trees killed. At seventy two I'm pretty sure I will never see it looking anywhere near as it did again.
Odd it only hit the lower ground trails. The mt was fine.

Thanks for the link. I'll read up but :lol: it'll probably scare me to death.


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## TurkishVan (Feb 11, 2013)

acorn said:


> Now THAT is hard down scarey!!
> Winds like that I am pretty sure everything here would be gone, including us.
> 
> Three years ago a tornado hit one of our state parks where we ride.
> ...


Tornadoes usually follow rivers and waterways. Hence why that tornado mainly stayed in low-lying areas. 
It doesn't matter what size the waterway is either. About 35 years ago, we had an F4 completely decimate an entire town, then make its way north. It traveled about 25 miles, following the river. Then it jumped over and followed a small gully for several miles. It was only about a half-mile from our house. All of the trees south of our house were literally ripped up by their roots, and slammed back into the ground, upside-down. 
The development of a tornado mainly depends on pressure differences. We live on a tall hill, but we've had about 20 hit around the house (within several hundred feet). 
The damage a tornado can cause is daunting, to say the least. Honestly, it's usually better to just let livestock out if there's a big tornado coming your way. Ours have 20 acres to roam, so we don't worry about them too much. Some people in the northern part of the state will just open the gate, and let their horses go. Not the greatest move since relocating the animal is going to be difficult, but what else are you going to do when one of those monsters is headed your way? 
My Mom always told me the story of a bull that hunkered down in a barn during a strong tornado. She said that the tornado took the nearby oat straw and impaled it into the wood of the barn, and the bull itself. They had to extract pieces of straw that were sticking completely through the bull's knees. Truly horrible. Thankfully he lived, but he was in a lot of pain that day.
Honestly, I'm scared to death of tornadoes! I'd be much more worried about them than just hail, but like another poster said, hail sometimes precedes a tornado.


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## Tarpan (May 6, 2012)

My horse has his shed for all "normal" weather extremes. In a severe weather emergency I would consider bringing him into the house. I have all concrete floors, no carpet, and an empty room that he could be kept in in an EXTREME situation. If we have to evacuate of course he comes with me.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

We tried tellin friends, whatching the horses will tell you how bad the weather will be. They didn't believe it. Now they do.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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