Leaving pony out in thunder

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Carrots&Mints

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who leaves their horses out in the thunder and lightening? Over here in North West England it was pretty bad at night for about an hour - people from my yard posting photos on how they had rushed up in their pjs and 'rescued' their horses from being zapped by lightening.

I was insulted on the good old facebook by some of the owners saying that 'why would you leave your pride and joy outside in this weather'? Im sure the likelyhood of them ever getting zapped is pretty minimal.

Our YO was out at 11pm last night right in the middle of the storm after a horse was being dropped off by a transporter, and she reported no zapped animals or distressed animals, so didnt think i would bother getting out of bed to rescue my ned!

Do you leave your horses in or out?
 
I leave mine out. They're out 24/7 365 days a year. If I'm at work when it happens there's not a lot I can do about it and if I'm not working because I don't have them at home it's not really practical to keep jumping in the car to bring in and turn out. I can't leave them in for hours as H's arthritis stiffens him up really badly.

The only thing I will do if thunder storms are forecast is disconnect the electric fence energiser. With my boys advancing years I only have it really to keep dogs and people away from them, not to keep the boys in!
 
I like to bring mine in if it's going to be bad. A yard 1/4 a mile up the road from mine had a horse killed by lightening. It was in a field near tall buildings, other horses, huge trees and hills; so not a likely place to get hit. I've also know a few farmers to have their cattle killed too.
 
I was wondering this last night, as I am near to you and that thunderstorm really was something else. I got scared my self at one point! Never seen anything like it

We have the mare in a herd which lives out 24/7 and then the colt stays in the barn with the stallion overnight. I have to say I was a lot more worried about the colt which was being kept in!

The only thing I thought of was if the ones out stood under tree's to keep out of the rain, but then told my self to stop being daft. The chances of them being struck by lightening is very slim. There's more chance of the storm upsetting horses and then them breaking a leg by running round like mad things, but the group of horses she is out with is very sensible and shes always been fine in other storms.
 
One of mine happened to be in last night because he's on box rest, the other was out, both normally live out 24/7/365.

Up my way I woke up to the thunder at about 2am, I don't think my YO would have appreciated me coming up at that time. Your stables getting hit, I'd imagine, is as probable as your horse being hit out in the field. And to be totally frank, I'd rather they were hit in the field and killed instantly than got trapped in stables which collapsed or went on fire as a result of a lightening strike.
 
I remember once legging it to the yard in a panic to bring horses in during a thunderstorm. My husband was furious as I got soaked to the bone and as he pointed out if the horses could have been hit so could I, doh! Since then I've always left them out or if I've known in advance the weather would be bad brought them in beforehand. They don't seem fussed and I never had them running around mad because of it, in fact I used to ride them in thunderstorms (not intentionally but lived in an area where they were fairly frequent) and they never batted an eyelid. They weren't fussed by fireworks either so I think it is a good desensitising tool :)
 
Mine stays out. Same as he does fireworks night. If he's in a stable he'll box walk/kick the brick walls/get himself in a tizz (he's usually fine in his stable!). If he's out he shoves his head down and eats... Our stables are on higher ground than our turnout anyhow so he's probably safer out. He does get a rain sheet on if it's chucking it down though
 
We leave them out. There's a pylon in the next field so hopefully if anything is going to be hit it will be that, or the trees over the road. Still remember a friend losing a lovely 2yo Fell filly when she was struck by lightning many years ago. :(
 
If the storm is going to be bad then I bring mine in. They have a huge field shelter which they all like to hide in but unfortunately it is made of metal so I always worry about it being hit!
 
Mine would be furious if they were bought in! I prefer to let them have space to spook. I have watched them out there in the worst of the weather, heads down or just standing bums to the wind. I think when horses get struck by lightning it is just a tragic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, statistically, when you think of the number of horses there are, the chances are minimal. Same with fireworks, it was Canada day yesterday, my horses were standing at the top of the hill watching the displays quite unconcerned by it all.

However, my philosophy is "your horse, your business" and unless it is a welfare case I stick to that.
 
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Mine stays out. She cares not about rain, thunder or lightning. In fact, she has planted when I tried to bring her in and she knew the weather was on the turn.
 
mine are in at night anyway but if it storms during the day they come in. i know of enough horses, and my vet knows of yet more, that HAVE been hit, to make it worthwhile getting them in IMO. but the horses are at home with someone always around to have them in within 5mins so that makes it easier.

if they were 30mins away at livery the storm would likely have passed by the time they were in.
 
I do what is suitable for my horse.

He doesn't mind being in his stable during thunder and lightening storms, in fact he prefers to be in; as do the other liveries. They're happy to be munching away on their hay instead of stood getting soaked in their field.

However, if they were panicking in their stables, I would prefer to have them out. It's up to the owner where they want their horse during lightening storms.
 
We had the same storm pass over us in the NE, where my parents live a few cars were written off by the size of the hail. However, I live a 40 minute drive from my livery yard so no point rushing down to bring in, as it would have passed. Incidently I wanted mine left out anyway, his field is on a hill and the highest part is surrounded by trees and there is plenty of cover. The barn, which is of a rattly metal construction is on top of the same hill, is higher than the tree line. I felt he was safer out as the barn was most likely to be hit by lightening. He is also of the spooky nature, so would rather he was out than potentially hurting himself in the barn.
What really annoys me is certain members of the livery yard seem to think it is ok to tell me that I am a neglectful owner and should have brought in (and infact told me she was going to bring my horse in) because they obviously aren't safe in the field. Safe to say she got told where to go!
 
I may be one of the very few that has had horses struck and killed by lightening - and I still leave my horses out. I had 7 horses killed over 20 years ago, in America. They were all huddled together under a big tree in a horrendous thunderstorm, all shod, and you could see where the lightening hit the first one on the ear, travelled all through the group that were touching and grounded through the hind foot of the last one. There were 12 horses in the herd; the 5 that survived were slightly apart from the others. It was a freak happening, and I wouldn't bring horses in just for a squall.
 
I do with them whatever is their routine at the time. I think they are better off out as others have said, they have room to manoeuvre so tend not to get spooked or paniced (because they can't escape usually). Saying 'I know someone who's horse got struck by lightning' is like saying 'I know someone who's horse died' - yes it is tragic but it is inevitable and often unavoidable and sometimes just a horrendous case of wrong place at the wrong time... you can't go through life living in fear of something that might or might not happen....
 
mine have always lived out, ive never had a zapped pony yet although tbh we do have alot of wooded areas that they occasionally use as shelter when the actual shelter has run out of hay and it does worry me a little that the dopey sods wouldnt move quick enough if a tree was to be hit/blown over and fall on them but i am a stable short anyway so out they all stay regardless
 
We had a massive storm last year and there were five top racing fillies killed at a local stud. Falling trees snapped the electric wire which hit the ground killing the fillies, one of them had cost over €400,000. Freak accident but it's the electric cable coming down that I would be more afraid of than lightening.
 
Mine has been out in thunder, but it depends on the state of the fields and if the other liveries are bringing theres in as being out by himself stresses him more than thunder and lightning seem too.

We get a lot of rain, so if we've had a week of nearly non-stop rain and a storm/especially heavy rain is predicted overnight he comes in for a day or two to give the field a bit of a break so it won't end up churned up and to let it have a day to dry out.
 
He out again tonight, I just realised we have a massive mobile phone mass next door to his feild so hoping if anything happens it'll hit that first lol!
 
I mist admit that while I'm pro turnout, a very close friends horse was hit and found dead the next day so on that basis mine comes in. Maybe superstitious but I'd rather them be in
 
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