The Dangers of Lightning
All of us have been on our horses when a thunderstorm suddenly appears. Sometimes it’s not even that sudden, but we’re having too much fun to notice it arriving. In a lecture given by Peter Kummerfeldt, the dangers of lightening were discussed. Kummerfeldt is the owner of Outdoor Safe, an organization that educates people on surviving weather related dangers while recreating or working in the outdoors.

If you are like most people, you probably always assumed the greatest danger being on a horse would be the fact that they are wearing those metal shoes. It turns out that is just one reason out why we want to get off right away. The real danger is that on top of a horse, you may be the tallest object around for lightning to strike. The other problem is that if the horse is struck, the electricity will travel up one set of legs that are touching the ground through the horse and down the other set of legs- making a perfect circuit for the electricity. It takes out the horse’s vital organs along the way, and you can be injured as well. So if you find yourself in a lightning storm, don't think twice, get off.

If you are planning a trail ride during the peak season for thunderstorms, June and July, take precautions. Listen to a weather report before you go out, and check for the possibility of thunderstorms developing. Unfortunately, they can pop up almost without warning. Kummerfeldt recommends having someone in your group be a spotter; that is, watching for possible storms and keeping an eye out for shelters along the way. He also suggest this person should decide when to retreat to a safer place.

When a storm does come your direction, Kummerfeldt recommends using the flash-to-bang method to determine the approximate distance from the lightning to your position and maybe which direction the storm is traveling. Of course, it’s not exactly a scientific measurement, but it helps. Count the seconds between the flash of the lightning and the bang of the thunder. Divide the number of seconds by five. The answer is approximately the number of miles from you to the storm. Determine whether the storm is approaching your position or moving away. Keep in mind, lightning can strike up to 6 miles away from the base of the thunderhead. That is 30 seconds of counting. If you are like most, you may have thought that each second between the flash and the bang equaled one mile, but that is not the case.

If you’ve ignored all these precautions, and you are caught in a thunderstorm, there are things Kummerfeldt says you can do to reduce your danger. First, get off your horse and tie him to a low tree separated from other horses. Many herd animals are killed when lightning arcs from one animal to another because they are in close proximity to each other. It is estimated that around 100,000 livestock are killed each year by lightning.

Become aware of your position in relation to your surroundings. Move away from the animals. Move away from any water. Move off the high peaks and other prominent places. Move down to the tree line. The safest place is to situate yourself under trees of an even height, equidistant from all the tree trunks in the area (assuming there are trees). The tallest trees in the area will naturally be the most likely lightning hazards. It’s better to be wet than struck. Get rid of any metal, because if you are struck, any metal in contact with your skin will burn you.

Crouch down on the balls of your feet with your head down, arms wrapped around your knees with you hands over your ears. Why do you put your hands over your ears? Lightning is Loud! If you can’t maintain this position, crouch in the safest place with your feet together. Tuck your head and cover your ears.

The best idea of all is, don’t let yourself get caught is this emergency. Think ahead for you and your horse.

Article submitted by Jennifer Bagley.
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