Many horse barns are located outside of town adjacent to woods and meadows, bordered by large trees that provide shade in summer for pastures and riding areas. But the large and strong trees can collapse like matchsticks in some storms, burying houses, stables, cars and animals underneath them. Severe storms can cause major damage when horses are trapped under branches, stables collapse or horses run away in panic due to a storm because the fences no longer hold or they simply jump over them.
During storms, horses cannot clearly localize the danger because the wind noise mixes with other sounds and becomes louder and louder. The louder the noise, the more panicked the horses become. Panicked horses often react unexpectedly violently and cannot be stopped. So it can happen that they jump over fences, run away and cause accidents in traffic. But it can also happen that the horse cannot free itself in a thunderstorm and is injured by falling building parts. The question arises as to who is liable for such accidents and damage to third parties and the horse that the storm brings with it.