Tornado preparedness?

We just had a series of tornados pass through southern Ontario. Where I live we were on a tornado warning as well. I got information off the web on getting people and small pets to a safe place in the house, but what can I do for my horses? Are they safer inside the barn or out?

I understand one tornado passed right through show grounds, during the show! Despite a lot of damage, trees down, flipped trailers (even a pony airborn??)... no one was hurt! How lucky. But one article I read said they were encouraging owners to put their horses in their trailers. This seems surprising to me.
I'd be interested to hear what people would do to prepare, either at home or out on the trail.

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Permalink Reply by Eileen on August 22, 2009 at 10:02am

Good question Jen, I have wondered about that too. Personally I would rather see my horse out of the barn and trailer and on their own using their God given instincts of where to go to be safe. No that is no guarantee of his life, but neither is the barn or the trailer. Friends of mine have lost a horse during a tornado that was stalled in the barn that was destroyed and fell in on the horse. Others had to put down a horse who was out in the pasture during the storm and debris hit him and broke his leg. It is a gamble on our part as to where we think is a safe place. I don't think that there is a right or wrong answer here, more like a guessing game.

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Permalink Reply by Fiona Hill on August 22, 2009 at 7:40pm

That's truly terrifying. I wouldn't know what advice to give although my gut instinct would be like Eileen's - better to let them use their instincts than to trap them inside a barn that might fall on them, or a trailer that might be whisked in the air.