Help! Severe storms today, best precautions?

[QHEventer]

We are bracing for 80mph winds, golfball sized hail, and tornados this afternoon. My pastures are filled with trees with a lot of limbs likely to come down, so I have brought the horses in the barn.

Barn is a pole barn with an overhead door in front, and a man door in back. Windows in each stall. Is it safer to keep everything closed up, or leave doors and windows open? I feel like they’re better off being in, especially with the hail and chance of being struck by debris if they’re out. I’m just unsure of what is the best way to protect them in the barn in the event of these high winds.

[skydy]

I used to shut them in with lots of hay. I had to leave my gelding’s stall open though, he would panic at the sound of the hail on the roof. There was an overhang and he would stand under that, and watch the mare eating. Have your horses been inside when its hailing?

I’d close it up. I think the danger of hail and flying debris is the greater danger as long as your barn is sturdy.

[QHEventer]

Thanks for the response! These storms stress me out!!

Oh yeah, the noise doesn’t bother them. Being a pole barn, my biggest concern is the roof blowing off or something but it’s a new-ish barn (less than 10 years) so hopefully structurally it’ll be ok. Would you close all windows too?

[skydy]

What sort of windows are they?

[QHEventer]

Double paned glass with bars over them

[skydy]

I’d close them.

[skydy]

Does your barn have good ventilation when it’s closed up?

Is the glass covered by something on the outside when you shut the windows or will you be risking flying glass in the stall if a window is broken by flying debris?

[QHEventer]

Great ventilation, there’s a ridge vent. The windows are on the outside, bars are on the inside so if they break they may fly into the stalls… I have them open for now.

[skydy]

Debris could come through but I think it would be better to take that chance then to have glass breaking.

Is it good, strong, safety glass that stays intact when broken, like a windshield? If so, I might close them. Wind gusts to 80 mph, unimpeded by windows, into the barn could create quite a mess of dust and bedding… Are the windows on the side of the barn that gets the most direct wind?

I remember how difficult it was to make those storm decisions. I understand the worry. I hope you don’t get the worst of the weather. Keep us posted. Will be thinking of you.

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

Definitely a good choice to bring the horses in, but watch the temperatures - it’s a HARD judgement call to make on how much to close up the barn, but personally I wouldn’t shut everything until the storm is on top of you. That way, the horses have plenty of breeze and stay cooler. Barn cats, too, if you have them - make sure they’re shut up in the tack room or at least in crates in a stall, if you can.

I’ve been through many severe thunderstorms with high winds, and the biggest danger is breaking limbs and lightweight debris that gets tossed. Limbs will stay where they fall, for the most part, but if you have trees near your house or barn, the limbs could damage the roof or windows. I had to take out one tree last year because of this, and its neighbor will be coming down soon for the same reason.

Large hail on a roof is LOUD, and on a metal pole barn, it’s unreal how deafening it is. A lot of large hail will shred your trees as well, and break windows, and the sound can/will cause horses to panic. If you have any of those ear puffs for horses, this might be the time to use them!

[Pico_Banana]

I’ve had about 50+ mph winds with windows completely closed and been fine. But if you are concerned, you could always open them an inch or so to take some of the wind pressure off, but still keep the majority of the weather outside.

Another option is to nail up some plywood over the windows.

Best of luck to you. I hope the storms pass through without any significant damage.

[QHEventer]

Thanks guys! Ear plugs are in, nets are filled. Horses seem content for now. It’s pouring with big flashes of lightening so it’s heading our way. DH, dogs, and I are hunkered down in the basement. Hopefully it passes with minimal damage Got to love this time of year!

[skydy]

How’s it going?

[walkinthewalk]

I leave the NE -facing window open. I close the SW-facing window so the rain doesn’t blow in.

Both of my ten foot doors face south-SW. I leave the one with run-in stall partially open and put a cement block against it. There is an overhang above this door, it offers some protection from wind and rain blowing in. Both of my current horses are claustrophobic - one is on MagRestore which helps a lot.

It is 81(F) at 5:30 PM and the wind is gusting pretty good. I will probably leave the other other ten foot door open “dog width” so the rain can’t blow in too severely. It will also get braced with a cement block,

We are under tornado watch until 10:00 PM but folks in WestTennessee are under tornado warning(s). I hate to say this but I THINK Mayfield, KY may have or did have a brush with a tornado again.

Prayers to all who are in the line of fire of these massive storms​:pray:. Looks like I will not be sleeping in my jammies tonight​:exploding_head:

[QHEventer]

Fortunately the worst of it seemed to miss us! We have some limbs down and a little flooding (creek runs through our property) but all is well

Thank you all for the advice, and I hope everyone else in this storms path stayed safe!

[skydy]

[Jarpur]

When we have severe weather storm warnings or watches, we shut the horses up in our well-ventilated barn (no glass windows in the stalls). Also bring everything in the aisle (or around the barn) that might become airborne in 60mph winds into the tackroom.

We put fly masks on all the horses, and when it’s been really dicey, we’ve blanketed them, too. Have made it through tropical storms, remnants of hurricanes, straight line winds, and conditions ripe for tornado activity this way.

Good luck to everyone!

[beau159]

In severe weather here as well, but different from yours. I am in North Dakota. And the entire state is literally shut down for the second day in a row, going to be a 3rd day tomorrow. Historic blizzard. Last one of this magnitude was 1997.

I have 3 horses. We have a windbreak and some large hills. I do not have a run-in shelter or a barn for them. We are managing as best we can. This evening took the worst turn. News says we have 50 mph gusts; I would say at least that. Can’t really tell if its actively snowing or just blowing around. Sometimes can’t see more than 50 yards.

Snow knee-deep in the pasture. Hubby cleared a path with the Bobcat this morning and again this evening from the horse’s windbreak to the water fountain. Thankfully, they took advantage both times. I always worry about colic with nasty weather like this.

I keep going out and giving extra grain and forking hay from the round bale to them at the windbreak, even though the hay is only 30 feet away or so.

This photo was this morning when I thought it was bad. Way worse this evening. Usually could not see my house most of the time. I am “lucky” I only have 3 animals to take care of. I really worry for the ranchers in the height of calving season, taking care of 100’s of cattle, including my parents. This is bad, bad, bad.

[Bluey]

@beau159

In severe weather here as well, but different from yours. I am in North Dakota. And the entire state is literally shut down for the second day in a row, going to be a 3rd day tomorrow. Historic blizzard. Last one of this magnitude was 1997.

I have 3 horses. We have a windbreak and some large hills. I do not have a run-in shelter or a barn for them. We are managing as best we can. This evening took the worst turn. News says we have 50 mph gusts; I would say at least that. Can’t really tell if its actively snowing or just blowing around. Sometimes can’t see more than 50 yards.

Snow knee-deep in the pasture. Hubby cleared a path with the Bobcat this morning and again this evening from the horse’s windbreak to the water fountain. Thankfully, they took advantage both times. I always worry about colic with nasty weather like this.

I keep going out and giving extra grain and forking hay from the round bale to them at the windbreak, even though the hay is only 30 feet away or so.

This photo was this morning when I thought it was bad. Way worse this evening. Usually could not see my house most of the time. I am “lucky” I only have 3 animals to take care of. I really worry for the ranchers in the height of calving season, taking care of 100’s of cattle, including my parents. This is bad, bad, bad.

So sorry you are having all that snow.
So hard on little calves.
We used a bulldozer to get around and clear a feed ground, that in a few hours blew back full.
We had a 200’ long L shaped shed for them to get under, that was a life saver.

Our horses did fine, looks like yours are doing ok.
Don’t get lost trying to get back to the house, that is how people end up in trouble here.

Long ago, a few times when a blizzard would set in before they expected it and kids were still in school, they were kept there, some times for a few days, too bad for them to travel or anyone else to come get them.

[clanter]

regarding the storms in the south, because of what I saw after the tornado outbreak in the the spring of 1974 in Kentucky there were horse farms that took direct hits, the horses in the pastures did not fair well at all, those in their stalls were OK. The one farm were we helped clear the damage was the conventional style barn with hay stored above the stalls so all stalls were roofed over… the barn collapsed onto the stalls, we had to use chainsaws to get the horses out of the stalls, none were hurt

beau159… we have had three horses from North Dakota, all have expressed that winters here in north Texas are for sissy’s… none ever put on much if any winter coats