Re: wet herding aborted by lightning
Posted by LeviLovR on July 07, 2023 at 02:18:51
In Reply to: wet herding aborted by lightning posted by Zonie on July 06, 2023 at 18:45:01:
Hey, Zonie!
When most horses and cattle are killed by lightning it is usually a group of them and not just a single animal. They are instinctively herd animals and prefer to flock together for safety purposes than to be alone. So in a storm they will often gather together under a tree for protection, lightning strikes the tree and the electricity is conducted down the tree into the wet ground below killing the animals standing there. It is rare for lightning to strike a single animal out on the range or out to pasture, but it does happen. They are large animals so they do make bigger targets and especially so when there is no natural protection where they can seek shelter.
The hooves of all domesticated animals such as horses, cows, sheep goats, pigs and all wild animals such as deer and moose are actually made of carotin just like our fingernails. So not really either an insulator or a conductor. Of course many horses are shod with metal shoes to protect their feet when working or being ridden and those shoes can become conductors.
I can't recall ever riding a horse in a thundershower, although I have ridden plenty of times in rain. If it started lightning I would immediately get off and head back to the barn. The higher up you are the more likely you are to get struck. That's why they tell golfers to lay flat on the ground if caught in lightning storms as that is supposed to be safer. Pretty hard to do that with a horse though.
Hope that answers some of your questions.