Sometimes no amount of protective gear or training can stop accidents from happening.   Especially when Mother Nature is involved.

On Wednesday April 27, 2016  a very accomplished equine professional and his horse were struck and killed by lightning in Mantachie, MS.  Tim Edge was a very well known and sought after horse trainer in the  community where our main warehouse is located.  He trained horses for our friends and for horse enthusiasts nation wide.  Tim was a very talented horseman and racked up numerous titles in both the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and the Extreme Cowboy Association. Our community loved and supported Tim in his equine endeavors especially when he was selected to compete in the Cowboy Up Challenge during the famous Calgary Stampede last July.  He made our community proud.

Unfortunately,  this tragic accident has been a very harsh reminder of how unpredictable nature can be.  The National Weather Service advises that if you can hear thunder, lightning is close enough to hit you and that no place is safe outside.  Should you and your horse get caught in potentially dangerous weather, the National Weather Service recommends:

If you are caught outside with no safe shelter anywhere nearby the following actions may reduce your risk:

• Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges or peaks
• Never lie flat on the ground
• Never shelter under an isolated tree
• Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter
• Immediately get out and away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water
• Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.)

For more lighting safety tips visit:
www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov
emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/lightning/safetytips.asp