Exmoor pony dies after fireworks set off on conservation grazing site.

TheresaW said:
This was Saturday night in our living room.

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It was like that for hours on end back up in Caterham in Surrey where I was born and lived until 6 years ago. My dogs were terrified to the point of ripping carpets up trying to dig a hole to hide in and I lost poultry due to shock. I am now in rural west wales where outside on Nov 5th I could hear a pin drop, no fireworks , IT'S HEAVEN.
I have and still sign all the petitions going and every year the government still spout the same rubbish about the laws are in place to stop it and they have no plans to change it when we pull our hair out trying to get across the fact that yes they may be there, the laws, but they are not enforceable so are useless and the scum that abuse the fireworks know this and carry on regardless. Some people don't care about anything other than themselves.
 
Fireworks seem to have got much louder through the years. Perhaps this is just my perception, but I can't remember the fireworks of when we were kids back in the 1960's and '70's being the ear-splitting affair they seem to be nowadays?

Don't think its "old fogey syndrome" either; think there is an especial pride in firework-makers of being able to produce the biggest bang which echoes for miles around - on Saturday night (which seemed to be worse around here than actual Guy Fawkes night) we could clearly hear fireworks from indoors which were being let off at a professional display over the valley (Exeter, Devon - we are to the east of it) over 10 miles away!! It sounded like they were next door!
 
I have said it before, but even the big organised displays aren't properly licences or controlled. Ours takes place right next door to the ponies. Everyone assumes they have to abide by common sense and courtesy, but they don't, and there is no enforcement by police or local authorities.

One complaint silences the local rooster or church bells, but you can't stop artillery next door to your herd. :(
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Fireworks seem to have got much louder through the years. Perhaps this is just my perception, but I can't remember the fireworks of when we were kids back in the 1960's and '70's being the ear-splitting affair they seem to be nowadays?

Don't think its "old fogey syndrome" either; think there is an especial pride in firework-makers of being able to produce the biggest bang which echoes for miles around - on Saturday night (which seemed to be worse around here than actual Guy Fawkes night) we could clearly hear fireworks from indoors which were being let off at a professional display over the valley (Exeter, Devon - we are to the east of it) over 10 miles away!! It sounded like they were next door!
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I think they're louder too. They were more hiss and puff when I was a kid but I stood in the horse's field on Saturday night and I could hear bangs from the display 5 miles away. Too far to spook the horses but I was surprised I could hear it.
 
TheresaW said:
I know. I’ve also had the “it’s only one night” thrown at me. If it were just one night, it would be ok. One of the dogs is terrified, and we will have random ones going off now right up to new year.
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A few years back we had them set off by the field on a random Dec night at about 5pm. No warning - horses bolted through fencing.

I wish it was just one night ?
 
The sense of entitlement around fireworks really makes me cross.

A local lady posted that the owners of a property next to her land told her they would be having a few fireworks, so she moved her ponies out of the field overnight.

When she returned the next day she found the neighbours had held a full on fireworks party IN HER FIELD!! As if that weren't bad enough, they'd left the spent fireworks and all their rubbish in the field. When she confronted them they played dumb and made out they hadn't realised they'd been on her land.

The lady who owns the horses was lambasted for posting it on the local FB group and given a hard time by the 'it's only one night/you're just a killjoy' types.
 
southerncomfort said:
The sense of entitlement around fireworks really makes me cross.

A local lady posted that the owners of a property next to her land told her they would be having a few fireworks, so she moved her ponies out of the field overnight.

When she returned the next day she found the neighbours had held a full on fireworks party IN HER FIELD!! As if that weren't bad enough, they'd left the spent fireworks and all their rubbish in the field. When she confronted them they played dumb and made out they hadn't realised they'd been on her land.

The lady who owns the horses was lambasted for posting it on the local FB group and given a hard time by the 'it's only one night/you're just a killjoy' types.
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this is the sort of thing that would end up with me going to prison.


I dont really get fireworks, I mean I hate them for the issues they cause but I dont get them. The only half decent firework display I saw in person was 4th July in the US, back yard ones are pretty dire-a few ooh and ahhs and they're done. If you are over the age of 5 then I dont see the attraction. Mostly I expect its about who can be the loudest, some sort of dumbass macho nonsense.

I am the worst person for spending money but there are two things I dont even understand throwing money at, gambling and fireworks.
 
Last year my ponies were out and thankfully I happened to just be in the field as the people whose garden backed onto the field started setting up fireworks. It was a barbed wire fence between them and my ponies I was fuming!
Managed to get them in but the stables were only about 100 yards away so it wasn’t much help other than being able to stuff the ponies full of food to distract them as much as I could.
It makes me ill to think of what might have happened had I not been there when I was.
I really feel for the one in the OP, that must have been terrifying.
I did feel this year as though there were more loud ‘bang’ ones that sounded like bombs rather than the whistles and pops of fireworks.
I love fireworks but I do think they should be sold/used in a controlled way
 
I am lucky (in many ways) to live where I do. Bonfire night isnt an issue but a few years ago, unbeknown to me a local family had a huge firework display to celebrate the daughter's 16. My horse at the time were less than a kilometre from their house but luckily, apart from being a bit spooked the next day, they were all fine. Two farmers each lost several cattle though, due to stampeding through a barn wall and the other a fence, cattle had broken legs and had to be destroyed. Another had a bull get into some cows that it shouldnt. All because this bloke, who had lived there for years, couldnt be bothered to at least tell the three local landowners, all of each reside within a mile or so of his house. He's not done it since, they werent happy! It was one of the few nights I was out so literally wondered why the ponies were so spooky the next day, it wasnt until one farmer rang me to check they were ok that I realised (luckily probably, see recent post about prison).
 
southerncomfort said:
The sense of entitlement around fireworks really makes me cross.

A local lady posted that the owners of a property next to her land told her they would be having a few fireworks, so she moved her ponies out of the field overnight.

When she returned the next day she found the neighbours had held a full on fireworks party IN HER FIELD!! As if that weren't bad enough, they'd left the spent fireworks and all their rubbish in the field. When she confronted them they played dumb and made out they hadn't realised they'd been on her land.

The lady who owns the horses was lambasted for posting it on the local FB group and given a hard time by the 'it's only one night/you're just a killjoy' types.
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I used to keep my ponies in the centre of a village and found fireworks in there every year - they were normally rockets. A couple of times I would find the massive parachute string from the nearby big display - the same people who lit that probably complain about helium balloons or sky lanterns:rolleyes:. I also had a footpath going through and the locals used it as a cut through to the bonfire. Only ever had one try to tell me that I should move the horses and they got an earful.
 
Thank goodness we are rural enough that just about everybody has stock so no inclination to do fireworks. I think an organised display on 5th November (or a date near that) and again on NYE would be ok for most people.

I am another one that cannot for the life of me see what fun there is in sending money into the sky in the form of ephemeral bangs and flashes either.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
this is the sort of thing that would end up with me going to prison.


I dont really get fireworks, I mean I hate them for the issues they cause but I dont get them. The only half decent firework display I saw in person was 4th July in the US, back yard ones are pretty dire-a few ooh and ahhs and they're done. If you are over the age of 5 then I dont see the attraction. Mostly I expect its about who can be the loudest, some sort of dumbass macho nonsense.

I am the worst person for spending money but there are two things I dont even understand throwing money at, gambling and fireworks.
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This is me as well, I don't get how an adult can be that amused by something that amounts to flashing lights and noise.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
this is the sort of thing that would end up with me going to prison.


I dont really get fireworks, I mean I hate them for the issues they cause but I dont get them. The only half decent firework display I saw in person was 4th July in the US, back yard ones are pretty dire-a few ooh and ahhs and they're done. If you are over the age of 5 then I dont see the attraction. Mostly I expect its about who can be the loudest, some sort of dumbass macho nonsense.

I am the worst person for spending money but there are two things I dont even understand throwing money at, gambling and fireworks.
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Me neither, even as a kid the most interesting bit for me was the sparklers and roast chestnuts
 
When we lived in town the house that backed on to ours let off one of the most horrendously noisy fireworks I have heard, one of these continuous screaming banging ones that go on and on and on. The dog we had then was absolutely terrified. I rushed out into the garden and started screaming at the neighbours. Amazingly they stopped. Didn't do it again either. My husband thought I was a bit over the top.
 
Velcrobum said:
My next door neighbours who have horses/ponies once had a large bonfire and fireworks 20m from my stables. My OH had to physically restrain me.................
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local DIY yard used to have a display every year. . .

We're surrounded by houses and plenty of picking up of spent rockets the next morning.
Hampshire fb said that all the ponies were going to be moved off the conservation grazing - though not sure if that was planned anyway or as a result of.
 
So glad that you posted this Dave's Mam!
It was a horrific experience for all those involved and what that poor pony must have gone through.
We should do everything we can to raise the profile of these incidents of needless suffering of people and animals by the thoughtless actions of a few and try to bring about legislation which will help in the future.
 
ester said:
local DIY yard used to have a display every year. . .

We're surrounded by houses and plenty of picking up of spent rockets the next morning.
Hampshire fb said that all the ponies were going to be moved off the conservation grazing - though not sure if that was planned anyway or as a result of.
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Yes they are now being moved, I understand as a result of events.
 
I was driving down our main Street in the town and someone set off fireworks along the road. Didn’t even set them upwards. Thank goodness there wasn’t many pedestrians around as someone could’ve really gotten hurt. I just stopped my car in disbelief as fireworks came towards me and waited for the smoke to clear.

so sad hearing of the death of animals because of something so avoidable
 
Just to make it a little more real. This is Knightoncombe Ghost Swift, the mare who lost her life.

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scruffyponies said:
I have said it before, but even the big organised displays aren't properly licences or controlled. Ours takes place right next door to the ponies. Everyone assumes they have to abide by common sense and courtesy, but they don't, and there is no enforcement by police or local authorities.

One complaint silences the local rooster or church bells, but you can't stop artillery next door to your herd. :(
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Yup next to mine too. They let the fireworks off on the fence line. I got knocked down and trampled by a terrified pony, and my lovely TB who has never had a single issue, has within 48hours completely changed and is showing signs of ulcers. I'm sure I won't be able to prove it, but the only thing that changed it the horses were so, so distressed on Saturday night. Hes never had ulcers or ulcer symptoms prior to this.

I also found one of my pet sheep down the next day, not so much the fireworks, but the panicking horses had obviously upset her. Shes an old girl now and it was awful to see. I thought I was going to lose her as well.

I HATE firework. They scare and upset me, never mind the animals. They were still going off near by my house at 1am friday and saturday nights. What justification is there for people being allowed to cause this level of misery and upset?!
 
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