Fireworks party - in or out??

[claire1976]

My field is near some houses and the stables are adjacent to the garden of a large house. The owners have just informed me they are having a fireworks party. Because the stables are near the garden where they are letting them off would it be safer to leave the horses out and rugged up rather than cooped up and stressed??
Thoughts please.....

 

[rema]

I personally think it's better to leave them out,that way if a bang scares them they can still get away from the noise,but do a field check in the morning for used fireworks.

 

[sallypops]

the owners of the yard i used to be at had party's with fire works 3 times a year, a couple in the winter and all the ponies were in, all the doors would be shut tho and they always seemed fine in the mornin. personally i think it is safer for them to be out tho, as rema says they hav space to run if they get a fright.

 

[kerilli]

i would keep them all in, without rugs on, with the radio turned up as loud as possible to drown out the noise of the fireworks, and you on hand all the time to calm them down.
this is much much much safer than having them out where they can panic, bolt, go through/over fences, etc.
i'd even consider shutting the top stable doors if pos. just keep the radio blaring at max volume... it really works.
my neighbours at my old place had a firework party without warning me. i had a mare and foal and 4 others out. it took me 10 mins to catch them all in the dark, and dangerous doesn't even begin to describe it. as soon as they were in with the radio drowning it out (classical radio is good) they all calmed down a lot, and none of them got stress colic or anything.
if you have any which are very stressy i'd probably give them a bit of sedalin an hour before it's due to start, tbh.

 

[claire1976]

My initial thought was to leave them out as they can get to the top end of the field behind the tree's away from the noise. If I leave them in I'm worried about the risk of fire or them getting panicky being in.
Last year on fireworks night I left them out and when I checked on them they were just standing there looking up at the sky!!

 

[rema]

My horse like yours just stands there looking up at the sky and i swear you can see him going 'Oohhhhhh Aaahhhhhhh!.

 

[pottamus]

My boy has got used to them over the years and does not bother...just stands staring at them whilst eating! I still put him in though and me and OH stand with him until the worst is over...he is not bothered, it is just us being soppy!!!!!

 

[zigzag]

My horses stay out, they like watching them and after what happened two years ago when a stray firework went in hay barn and set fire to place they are safer out

 

[Shilasdair]

Mine enjoy watching the fireworks as they eat their hay...they don't seem bothered at all.
S

 

[Donkeymad]

We always leave ours out and they don't take a blind bit of notice, and it's like WWIII at our field on Nov 5

 

[Selkie]

We leave ours out and they just ignore them

 

[conniegirl]

i leave all 5 of mine out including the tb. we have a big proffessional display not too far from our house on the 5th of nov. its so loud it makes us jump but ponies dont seem to mind it they seem to like standing and watching it. And to be honest the first year we had them up here i kept them in they seemed more stressed in then out. and we had one other who has since been sold and he climbed over the dividing wall in his fright (horses and large ponies ie 14hh, can see over the wall and talk to each other). did quite a bit of damage to himslelf. i would rather they were out

 

[claire1976]

Thanks everyone, you've confirmed my thoughts that keeping them out is best! I'll feel safer knowing they can get away from something they are not happy about.

 

[Chex]

I would leave them out. I know mine would feel safer running away with his pals than being confined. But mine would never run through fences or really panic.

 

[claire1976]

I know mine won't run into fences either and there are houses round most of the field so there's nowhere for them to get into huge danger.

 

[Gucci_b]

i kept my horse's in last year for fire works, and glad that i did.. i had the radio on and a cuppa and plenty of hay for the nags..

 

[SpruceRI]

I leave mine out now but they used to be in as we also used to be right next door to a huge professional display, where the rocket sticks used to come down in the field and would be embedded upto 3ft deep. Used to have to go round the field the next day dragging out huge semi-burnt sticks, bits of paper and plastic by the wheel-barrow load.

Not sure what baby horse will make of it, but will stay up at the yard for the evening to make sure she's OK. It's always freezing on bonfire night but at least all my tack gets a good clean as what else is there to do?

 

[merlinsquest]

Out for me.... he is a pain when in anyway and far more likely to do damage to himself, fireworks or not!!

He is in 10 acres of sloping well hedged field so will be able to get away if he needs too. Also got three other mates to tell him not to be such a prat!!

Yard owner also shoots in the woods so he is used to bangs etc

 

[Haniki]

I gained a horse one firework night! My four were in their stables as they are usually stabled at night by November and when I went to check them there was a strange horse standing outside the stables! It took several phone calls to find he had jumped out of his field (leaving his friend behind) about half a mile away because fireworks from a Scouts display had frightened him. We live in the country, 8 miles from the nearest town and someone connected with the Scouts had bought a field to use for fireworks among other things. Makes me mad - we live in the country with our animals to get away from the noisy town! I think fireworks should only be used at large licensed displays.

 

[Sooty]

If it is next door to the stables, then out so they can get away. Also, they'll be able to watch - ours quite enjoy them...