Keeping you and your horse safe on fireworks night

The whizz bang and explosion of colours are a delight to many on fireworks night, but to horse owners it is often a night that causes a lot of worry, however, with some preparation and planning you can make the occasion less stressful for you and your horse.

• Find out when and where any local displays are taking place. Talk to your neighbours, let them know you have horses and ask them to give you warning of any celebrations they are planning. If you plan far enough in advance you can suggest that they use silent fireworks instead, perhaps accompanied by music instead of bangs and whizzes.
• Horses are creatures of habit so do try to stick to their normal routine. If you want to change anything, make sure you do this in the week leading up to the fireworks event and not on the day itself. For example, if you want to stable your horse on fireworks night but they usually live out, start bringing them in throughout the week leading up to the event.
• Ensure their environment is safe and hazard free. Horses are flight creatures and their instinct when scared is to run. Make sure their stable or field is safe – no broken fences or protruding nails that could cause injury.
• Try to use distractions to take their attention from the noise. Lots of hay is good – avoid hard feed as this has the potential to energise them further. Offering licks can be helpful as it gives the horse something to focus on that also provides an enjoyable experience for them. Radios can also be very useful in blocking out some of the noise and providing comfort.
• If at all possible, stay with them, but do so in a relaxed manner. If you are stressed and worried, they will pick up on that and become worried too.
• If you know from prior experiences that your horse cannot tolerate fireworks, consider moving them to a location that won’t have any displays for the night. You could also talk to your veterinary surgeon about using an appropriate sedative or look into using a calming supplement but make any dietary changes gradually and begin feeding a supplement as early as possible in the run up to the event.
• It’s unlikely to happen but be prepared for stray fireworks and the possibility of a fire. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher and some sand or water to hand. Make sure you know what to do in the event of a fire.
• Remember human safety is paramount. Don’t get in the way of a panicked horse if there is the potential it could hurt you. Make sure you have the phone number of your veterinary surgeon to hand in the case of injury to your horse.

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