Stormy Dilemma - To Stall or Not to Stall?

Horses love being outside, so those of us who have that option are happy to let them enjoy the pasture or paddock as much as possible.  But, when the weather turns nasty, we’re faced with the choice of leaving them out to weather the storm, or bring them into the barn.

The biggest objection I hear to the “bring them in” option is, “but they’ll surely be killed or seriously hurt if a tornado blows down the barn.”  That’s true, but they can also be impaled by flying debris if that tornado hits when they’re outside. 

If there isn’t a tornado bearing down directly on your barn, here are some other reasons to consider bringing your horse inside…

• rain can make for slick footing, and a slip can damage tendons & ligaments
• lightning strikes aren’t that uncommon, and they will kill a horse
• hail is very painful anywhere it hits a horse, and it can cause serious eye injuries
• in a violent storm, horses can panic and run into or through fencing, resulting in serious and even life-threatening injuries
• repeated drenching over several days is an opportunity for the “rain rot” fungus to infect your horse, causing hair loss and discomfort

At Cold River, we have permanent boarders as well as temporary equine residents for training and rehabilitation, and for owners traveling on vacation or business. We use a “bring them in” policy if we think any of these conditions might threaten their well-being.  Just one more reason you can trust Cold River with your horse!