Riding under pylons - horse affected by electricity?

scatty_mare

scatty_mare

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 June 2010
Messages
514
Visit site
A bit of a random post but bear with me!

Have recently moved to a new yard, and the sandschool is situated directly under overhead power cables, and one end is only about 40m from the pylon. When there is moisture in the air the electricity buzzes and crackles quite loudly.

My mare is a fizzy little excitable type anyway, and has always had days when she wants to do everything at the speed of light with her head in my face (yay) but usually she will settle after about 20 mins and work properly. Since we have been at this yard there have been a few days where she just doesn't settle at all, and seems completely wired - different from ever before. She's been fine out hacking and at competitions - but then she is an inconsistent little minx.

Has anyone had experience of electricity affecting their horse? Could she be feeling it through the ground?

Thanks for reading!
 
Well, horses are more affected by electricity then we are, so it is possible. I would think that she will settle down after a while, 'tho. What are the other horses at the yard like?
 
I'm the only person who uses the school so I don't know.
It's funny though, it's just the odd day that something affects her. I will write down when it happens from now on and note whether it was a damp day - who knows!
 
I have a gelding on my yard that is worried by Electric pylons. He becomes spooky when it has been raining and we ride either along the line or under it.

Our lad is blind in one eye so his hearing is acute.
 
Frank hates the noise (and he isn't really a neurotic type).. on the basis that he also hates any white noise from speakers I put it down to the noise rather than the elec.
 
Stray or induced voltages would be small from a pylon (unless one of the lines was down!) and I doubt a horse could detect them. However, they may well be sensitized to the fizzing/crackling sounds that pylons can make in damp weather.
 
My OH has painted pylons for many years and apart from the crackle he's not aware of any other potential issue, they would sometimes get a static shock if the pylon was on and they were very close to the cables but nothing more, however I have heard of some horses being particularly sensitive to them even when the weather is dry.
 
We have pylon wires running over our field and generally they don't cause a problem but there have been times when the bit has tingled, almost a mild buzzing, generally when theres close atmospheric pressure. Strange and I mentioned it to the man from the National Grid and he couldn't explain why.
 
We have lived on our farm 18 years now and we are directly under over head electric cables and our school is bang next to a pylon, it's buzzes and crackles when it's going to rain and when it's raining and in damp weather. Yes it definitely fizzes some horses up, we have a livery yard and it affects all different horses differently but we are also on top of a hill and it's always windy too. One horse freaked out and bolted straight through a dry stone wall with its rider which was quite nasty and they can be sharp when bringing in from the field. I bought my boy a set of those MoJo things that are supposed to deflect outside energies, I find these help but it could all be in my mind lol. Also I haven't lived there now for about 5 years but I always had head aches there and I'm sure it affects your health living so close to a pylon, I'm much better now I don't live there, I would never buy a property with a pylon close to the house. Sometimes when it's windy the electric wires hit each other and make a loud bleeping noise and that can really upset them.
 
Last edited:
It is likely to make more of a noise when it is foggy. Your horse will need to get used to them. You could also measure the magnetic field emitted from the cables just to see if it is too high.
 
I wouldn't be concerned. My previous yard had pylons and cables overhead but none of the horses were adversely affected. My mare is very sensitive but she took no notice, even when they were buzzing and crackling.
 
There is a very good competing venue called Weston Lawns in Warks which has pylons over head. So many people from all over the place compete here and many have said it definately affects their horses. You can hear the crackling whenever its damp, drizzle, rain, sleet and snow. Some horses react as though they get little electric shocks from the ground through their shoes, (a bonus if your doing dressage!!) Other horses don't seem to be bothered by it, so i supose it depends on your horse. A bit like us when we get electric shocks from other people, some get them more than others. I think once your horse gets used to it they will settle down.
 
I used to keep my horse at a yard where there were several electrical pylons over the pastures. If you went under the wires with bare feet, you could feel very light zaps running on your skin, and horses avoided them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top