That Electric Feeling

“After 15 minutes of walking, I take the cooler rug off at the arena fence and notice that it’s already slightly static. I don’t think much of it, pull it off over Rubina’s croup and – bang – I’m lying in an ambulance on the way to A&E. What happened? Rubina got a small electric shock and was so startled that she bolted and I couldn’t hold on. End of story: my horse is now afraid of rugs and of halting by the arena fence, and I have a traumatic brain injury and two broken ribs.”

Laura Kennedy-Schmitz, Berlin

Most of you probably know stories like the one above: especially in the cold season, there’s this “electric feeling” between horse and rider. Usually even the slightest touch is enough to give each other an electric shock. But how does it happen, what helps against static build-up and how can such situations be avoided?

Horses can be very sensitive, especially around the head. A small spark can trigger great mistrust in a horse.

Static at the yard

Cold air is considerably drier than warm air and is therefore a poor electrical conductor. In addition, warm winter clothing is often made of synthetic fibres which, unlike natural materials such as cotton, store considerably more electrons and therefore build up more charge. Wearing several layers on top of each other – the layered look – which all rub against one another, adds to the effect. Add winter boots with rubber soles and an electric shock is practically guaranteed, because rubber insulates very well, so the charge generated by friction when walking is conducted away less. Regular electric shocks, such as when touching a door handle, are usually unpleasant and sometimes painful. Between human and horse, however, flying sparks can become a real danger, because with a 600-kilogram flight animal, a completely unexpected shock out of nowhere often provokes violent reactions. These range from startling, pulling free and bolting in panic to lightning-fast kicking or biting. It shouldn’t be underestimated that regular electric shocks when handling a horse can put considerable strain on its relationship with its human. Very sensitive horses may then, for example, be reluctant to have their headcollar put on, be groomed or have a rug put on or taken off, because they’re afraid of getting zapped again.

Removing the rug particularly carefully (lifting it off rather than pulling it off) can help prevent static build-up from rubbing against the coat.

Our functional fibre is antistatic.

All’s well that ends well

We hope the explanations and tips above will help you. Whether materials such as cooler rugs or saddle pads are antistatic or statically charged usually depends less on the material itself and much more on the environment and how they are used. If you have any questions on this topic, don’t hesitate to contact us directly. We’ll be very happy to help.

Any more questions? Feel free to get in touch with us at any time!

Your EQM Team