Towing in Wind! How windy is too windy

[Exasperated]

depends on so much- would i go 15min down sheltered country lanes to park up in a nice sheltered yard....yes (and will be doing so on sunday if too wild to hack safely)

long motorway trip thus exposed roads-nope

??? You would even consider travelling your horse unnecessarily when there’s a red weather alert; police and motoring organisations advising against all inessential journeys; particular warning for high siders???
Really? A wind-up, perhaps?

 

[Roxylola]

??? You would even consider travelling your horse unnecessarily when there’s a red weather alert; police and motoring organisations advising against all inessential journeys; particular warning for high siders???
Really? A wind-up, perhaps?

Yellow warning in the north west though

 

[Exasperated]

Yellow warning in the north west though

Oh well, fun-filled fairground ride for the horse then, enjoy.

 

[Hallo2012]

Oh well, fun-filled fairground ride for the horse then, enjoy.

although windy here in the NW it NOT been anywhere near as bad as predicted except overnight fri.

i went out in the lorry on sunday to deliver some bulky bits and bobs to a friend and it was stable as normal i would have had NO issues putting a horse in the back.

so thanks for your (misplaced) concern but we are all ok here

 

[Tiddlypom]

although windy here in the NW it NOT been anywhere near as bad as predicted except overnight fri.

i went out in the lorry on sunday to deliver some bulky bits and bobs to a friend and it was stable as normal i would have had NO issues putting a horse in the back.

so thanks for your (misplaced) concern but we are all ok here

Ahem. Glad to hear that you are ok, but it was much wilder than forecast where you live all day Saturday and overnight into Sunday. Not as bad on Sunday, but still windy.

I am not far from you. There have have been trees down everywhere on both major and minor roads. The local supermarket had to evacuate all customers during opening hours on Sat afternoon due to wind caused roof damage.

It was less wild on Sunday.

This tree of ours blew down on the horse fence Saturday morning.

 

[IrishMilo]

Someone I know posted on FB that they 'braved the wind' to go to some dressage regional thing at the weekend. Was quite tempted to reply 'You didn't brave the wind. You selfishly chose to put your horse's life in danger for the sake of a rosette'.

What some people will do for a FB pic and a placing truly baffles me sometimes.

 

[Exasperated]

although windy here in the NW it NOT been anywhere near as bad as predicted except overnight fri.

i went out in the lorry on sunday to deliver some bulky bits and bobs to a friend and it was stable as normal i would have had NO issues putting a horse in the back.

so thanks for your (misplaced) concern but we are all ok here

Well that’s splendid, shame the horse didn’t get his outing, but so glad you successfully delivered vital bits and bobs, and that your high sider didn’t catch any x winds or gusts.
Otherwise, rescue and emergency services - already pulled out and stressed to breaking - would have had yet another non essential incident, and you wouldn’t want that, would you?

 

[Hallo2012]

Ahem. Glad to hear that you are ok, but it was much wilder than forecast where you live all day Saturday and overnight into Sunday. Not as bad on Sunday, but still windy.

I am not far from you. There have have been trees down everywhere on both major and minor roads. The local supermarket had to evacuate all customers during opening hours on Sat afternoon due to wind caused roof damage.

It was less wild on Sunday.

This tree of ours blew down on the horse fence Saturday morning.

View attachment 151495

the supermarket roof that had been damaged since summer???? it was already clinging on round by the loading bays and that was the bit that was looking iffy-so if it had been repaired when it was first damaged it wouldnt have been an issue.

yep loads of small/medium sized trees down on sat all efficiently cleared up by the local farming community by sun AM as was most of the local flood water (go Norman who gets out and sucks it all up!)

I weigh 8 stone and was absolutely fine pottering round outside sat and sun, it was cold and wet and horrible but risk to life is an absolute stretch. I didn't have a single issue with gates/doors and all we lost was one arena banner (that was years old and brittle) where as in previous storms i absolutely have struggled with opening/shutting stuff so can only really judge it by that!

sunday was absolutely not nearly as bad as fri/sat and i was at no more risk than usual by going out-so please knock it off. I am not stupid and have managed to never need emergency assistance in 20 years of driving. The farmers were out hedge cutting, locals going about business as normal, sunday was in no way dangerously windy where i live (and the 8 miles down the road i went).

 

[Hallo2012]

Well that’s splendid, shame the horse didn’t get his outing, but so glad you successfully delivered vital bits and bobs, and that your high sider didn’t catch any x winds or gusts.
Otherwise, rescue and emergency services - already pulled out and stressed to breaking - would have had yet another non essential incident, and you wouldn’t want that, would you?

the horse (backed 6 week and a 5yo stallion) went hacking on his own-thats how really not windy the weather was!!!!

everyone was business as normal on my lane on sunday,it was windy but very average/normal windy.

 

[Exasperated]

Someone I know posted on FB that they 'braved the wind' to go to some dressage regional thing at the weekend. Was quite tempted to reply 'You didn't brave the wind. You selfishly chose to put your horse's life in danger for the sake of a rosette'.

What some people will do for a FB pic and a placing truly baffles me sometimes.

More significantly, what about the danger to OTHER people and property if there’s an incident?
Try speaking with emergency and rescue workers to understand how they feel about this sort of individual, then stand well back for the fury and expletives.

 

[Fieldlife]

It's not just the towing - it's the loading/unloading with trailer doors trying to take flight, car doors blowing around, tacking up with numnahs flapping and blowing away, all that

That is what puts me off. I think my compact 5.5 tonne lorry handles wind when loaded with big horse and me pretty well. I have been caught out by wind forecasts before, and coped.

But exposed car parks are grim for side doors and unloading / loading safely.

I would go out in gusting winds up to about 40mph in lorry if sheltered roads and sheltered end venue.

Not exposed roads with cross winds though.

Over 40mph, it just isnt safe at my yard going through gates and loading.

This weekend was gusting 55mph and I didnt bring in from fields when bad. Not safe IMO.

 

[nikkimariet]

Someone I know posted on FB that they 'braved the wind' to go to some dressage regional thing at the weekend. Was quite tempted to reply 'You didn't brave the wind. You selfishly chose to put your horse's life in danger for the sake of a rosette'.

What some people will do for a FB pic and a placing truly baffles me sometimes.

Hope your friend doesn’t see your post then?…

I competed on the Saturday. The wind was not bad near me and it was not a long distance. It did sound terrible in the indoor later in the day but only due to the metal roller door at one end. If that had been a solid wall you wouldn’t have been able to guess at the weather outside.

 

[IrishMilo]

Hope your friend doesn’t see your post then?…

I competed on the Saturday. The wind was not bad near me and it was not a long distance. It did sound terrible in the indoor later in the day but only due to the metal roller door at one end. If that had been a solid wall you wouldn’t have been able to guess at the weather outside.

I didn’t say friend, I said someone I know…

 

[Onlywayisup]

the horse (backed 6 week and a 5yo stallion) went hacking on his own-thats how really not windy the weather was!!!!

everyone was business as normal on my lane on sunday,it was windy but very average/normal windy.

By the sounds of it you know best but the poor horse has no say. What some people are prepared to do just to look right

 

[Fieldlife]

By the sounds of it you know best but the poor horse has no say. What some people are prepared to do just to look right

Think that’s offensive. It’s pretty clear Hallo2012 is experienced, cares for her horses & can undertake her own risk assessments.

I can only assess that weather I had in my area was unsuitable for travel this weekend. Can’t pass judgement on others who may have different local weather / exposure .

 

[Hallo2012]

By the sounds of it you know best but the poor horse has no say. What some people are prepared to do just to look right

bang on.I do in fact know what it best for my horse in my lorry in my area. Glad we agree on that.

(and FYI the "poor horse" never actually went in the lorry if you read the whole thing, he went for a hack instead!)

its nothing to do with looking right, if you knew me you'd know i couldn't give a fig about looking right in front of anyone certainly not an unknown on a forum its about carrying on doing what would normally be done when the weather is only at a very average level. if it truly was 50mph gusts on sat (which i am not sure it was in MY area, then sun was roughly half that so 25mph gusts only.....perfectly safe)

 

[Hallo2012]

Think that’s offensive. It’s pretty clear Hallo2012 is experienced, cares for her horses & can undertake her own risk assessments.

I can only assess that weather I had in my area was unsuitable for travel this weekend. Can’t pass judgement on others who may have different local weather / exposure .

thank you

not saying it was safe EVERYWHERE but it was certainly safe at mine and in a 10 mile ish radius.

 

[lannerch]

thank you

not saying it was safe EVERYWHERE but it was certainly safe at mine and in a 10 mile ish radius.

I must leave fairly near you too , as I live near Tiddlypom , we certainly had the weather she describes , the wind on Saturday was howling gusts around 60mph and rain and more rain , trees down everywhere and not just little ones .
Sunday a little better but was only able to ride in the indoor school as gust still over 40 . Flooding still bad , main roads still closed . A large part of the area still had power cuts from the day before .
The local farmers did an excellent job removing all the felled trees.

Your horse does sound a saint though as it sounds he coped admirably .