Give field-kept horses and cattle access to a low, sturdy shelter they can enter freely, placed on well-drained ground away from isolated tall trees, raised ground and the ends of wire fences, and large enough that animals are not crowded or trapped in a corner. Storm planning for grazing animals is a placement problem solved months ahead, not a handling problem solved on the day: by the time thunder is overhead, the shelter's position, the field's drainage, and the animals' freedom to move are already decided. Decide them well in calm weather, then stay out of the field while the storm does its worst.
Place Shelter Low, Sturdy, and Away From Lone Trees
A field shelter earns its place by being somewhere animals will actually go. Site it on lower, well-drained ground rather than on a rise, away from any isolated tall tree, since a lone tree is a natural strike point and animals sheltering beneath one stand in real danger. Keep the shelter clear of wire fence ends and away from metal troughs on raised ground, both of which feature in how charge travels through a field. Build or choose a shelter low and sturdy rather than tall and flimsy, anchor it against storm winds, open it on the side away from the prevailing weather, and size it generously, because a shelter that crowds animals or traps a lower-ranking one in a corner will be avoided by exactly the animals that need it.
Walk the Field Before Storm Season
Planning starts with a walk in dry weather. Note where water pools and which ground stays firm, since a shelter surrounded by a flooded dip will not be used; note which trees stand alone, which stretches of fencing run from them, and where troughs sit in relation to raised ground. Check that gates between fields open and close properly, because moving animals to a sheltered field ahead of a forecast storm only works if the gate works and the route avoids lone trees and exposed rises. Repair fencing, clear shelter entrances, secure anything loose that winds could lift, and write the plan down where anyone covering the field can find it: which field is the storm field, where the shelter stands, and what gets checked afterwards.
During the Storm, Stay Out of the Field
When lightning is active, the plan is simple: people stay out of the field. Handling animals during electrical activity puts the handler in the open at a dangerous moment, and horses and cattle with free access to a familiar shelter will generally use it, or bunch on ground they judge safe, without being led. Do not bring animals in through a gate beneath a lone tree mid-storm, and do not stand at a metal trough. Watch from a building or vehicle if you watch at all, and let the storm pass fully before going out, since strikes can arrive ahead of the rain and linger after it seems finished.
Check Animals, Water, Forage, and Fences Afterwards
The post-storm round has a set order. Check every animal first, looking for injuries from flying debris, fence contact, or panicked movement, and for any animal showing distress or lameness that warrants a call to your vet. Then check water: troughs can be contaminated by debris, fillers can fail, and a field without working water needs supplying before anything else. Check forage next, since hay left out may be sodden or scattered. Walk the fences before turning animals back into any uninspected field, looking for fallen branches, lifted posts, and damaged wire, and clear fallen trees from entrances and gateways. Note damage and repairs in the plan, so the next storm meets a field that has answered the previous one's lessons.
A plan held in one person's head fails on the weekend that person is away, so the checks need owners too. Drawn up in KinsLe, the Care Teams rota for storm season names who inspects shelter, fencing and water before the season and after each storm, with each inspection's finish time logged beside it.