08/24/2026
This past Friday was a little too close for comfort and taught us a lesson that will change how we handle thunderstorms at the barn from here on out.
Our show team kids were getting their horses ready, braiding manes, brushing, gathering tack and filling hay bags before loading everything into the trailer. Like we normally do, we had the truck and trailer parked about 2–3 feet off the barn aisle so the kids could easily carry everything back and forth.
It started raining, so we told everyone to come into the barn and stall their horses while they finished getting ready. We started hearing thunder and reminded the kids to stay under the barn. Up to that point we hadn’t seen any lightning, and the thunder seemed to still be several minutes apart.
Then, without warning, there was an extremely loud crack and pop and simultaneously a clap of thunder that sounded and felt like it was right on top of us.
Immediately, water lines in the stalls blew apart and started spraying water everywhere. The horses panicked, spinning and trying to figure out where to go, and naturally the kids were scared too. We told all the kids to get into the tack room while we grabbed the horses and moved them into the closest pasture.
Once the horses were out, we told the kids and parents to get into their vehicles. With the broken water lines flooding the barn, Cole ran out and shut the water off to the property, and then we got into the vehicles ourselves while the storm passed.
At that point we knew lightning had hit something close, but we didn’t know what.
The power was out, so we checked the barn and the power poles but couldn’t find any obvious sign of a strike. Eventually Cole mentioned the possibility that it could have hit the truck or trailer sitting beside the barn.
Once the weather cleared, we checked the trailer and didn’t see anything. At first glance, we didn’t see anything on the truck either.
Then we opened the truck door and immediately noticed a strong metallic and burnt electrical smell. Looking over the truck more closely, we found the strike point on the roof.
Lightning had struck the truck sitting just a few feet from the barn.
What really puts it into perspective is that only moments before, some of our lesson kids had been inside the trailer filling their hay bags. The strike itself was only about four feet from where all of us were standing inside the barn.
The truck is fried/total loss and while that’s certainly not something we wanted to happen, we’ll gladly take a totaled truck considering what could have happened instead.
The horses are safe, although they were understandably shaken. We are safe. Most importantly, every one of those kids is safe.
That’s the part that matters.
When parents leave their children with us, they’re trusting us not only to teach them and help them with their horses, but to look after them. When something happens, those kids look to us for direction, and their parents trust us to make the safest decision we can.
Friday showed us that simply being under the barn isn’t enough protection from a thunderstorm, and that a storm doesn’t necessarily have to look severe or be producing visible lightning for danger to be extremely close.
So we’re changing our policy.
From now on, if we hear thunder, horses will be turned out of the barn and lessons and organized activities will be canceled until conditions are safe.
We had a close call Friday. There’s no reason to take the chance of having another one.
Trucks, trailers and equipment can all be replaced. People can’t.
We’re very thankful that Friday ended with nothing more serious than some property damage, some scared horses and a group of pretty shaken-up people.
Safety has to come first. Every time.
📷 Photo reference of how close the truck and trailer were ( it was hooked at the time it was struck)
