View Full Version : The Fourth of July...FIREWORKS!!!
lambchop
05-15-2007, 06:55 AM
should I be concerned?
My horse property is in a residential neighborhood (nine homes, we all have between 2.5 to 7 acres) and I have neighbors up the hill from me (non horsie) who put on a very large fireworks display each year. I am freaking out about the fireworks and having nightmares of my two crashing through the fence and heading to Texas. Any suggestions or advice on how to handle this? Should I ask the neighbors to cancel the show, should I put my guys on a trailer and take them somewhere else for the evening. Or, am I over-reacting...will they be fine at home?...I do have a barn and they are pretty sane horses, although horses will always be horses...
just wondering...
Weebonilass
05-15-2007, 07:35 AM
My guy doesn't have a real problem with them and they are put on by my BO's husband! I do stay with him and I find he often seeks me out if he does get a little worried.
What ticks me off is that it's over the small pond, which runs along side my guys paddock, so I'm also wanting to keep him for possibility being hit by a stray one and also I take my flashlight afterwards to search for anything that might have come down in his paddock.
I could lock him up in the lean-to, but I think that would worry him more.
I don't think your neighbors would take kindly to your request to cancel their display, so either just being out there and keeping an eye on them or taking them some place else for the night would be better choices.
Mulie
05-15-2007, 07:37 AM
We have neighbors that set off alot of fireworks, we've even found them in our pastures. We've never had a problem wth them freaking out, but it might depend on the horse. It does seem like they start setting a few off a couple weeks leading up to the fourth so maybe they get acclimated to it. We do usually keep ours in the corrals in the evening so can't really work up a head of steam if they started running.
Excess
05-15-2007, 08:43 AM
I have boarded at two places that either put off fireworks themselves or next door neighboors put off fireworks. At the first facility two horses freaked out - BUT the owners were freaking out. THEY were concerned to begin with about the horses with fireworks and at one point were sobbing in hysterics. Well this certainly didn't help the horses at all and they started freaking out.
We moved them to a new boarding facility and we had them out in the pasture. One of the horses that was at the previous facility was out there with mine. The fireworks came up and over the crest of the hill. Not one of the horses flinched. They were fine. And the fireworks were coming right up over their heads. The owner this time we kept away from the horse.
So I think the key with fireworks is not to be concerned. Act like it's no big deal. If you get nervous, your horse will get nervous.
lambchop
05-15-2007, 06:47 PM
thanks for the great responses!!!!! I have been torn between...would they be more freaked out by staying at home and the fireworks display, OR, taking them someplace unexpected (where they may be more freaked out!!) for the night...
right now I am thinking they will be more comfortable at home, with me! I will have my own party and RELAX on the fourth, with my horses and a glass (oh who am I kidding) bottle of wine...
Any other suggestions/responses are so much appreciated!!!!!
I used to live in a very Hispanic neighborhood in which the culture was fireworks from about 1 June to 15 August. The horses were totally used to them so the 4th didn't even count in their minds.
Then on New Years everyone would run out of their house at midnight and start firing guns in the air (totally crazy!!!) and that would really freak the horses out. Lots of horses in the area would get hurt.
If I was you, I would get some little fireworks, caps, etc. well before the fourth and just start playing with them around the yard. Just so they have no big surprises when it's for real.
Yrs,
JRW
lambchop
05-16-2007, 07:34 PM
this is a very good idea!, I am sure my husband will not be upset about setting off some early fireworks!!
We fired up the air compressor this weekend while we were working on the barn. I thought my hubby must be having a shoot-out with himself!!!!! No one flinched or gave it a second thought. We are ready for July!
Does anyone do mounted shooting? I think I would like to try it.
Yrs,
JRW