Fireworks - please consider before you sedate

[R2R]

I am really worried by the amount of people who use sedation etc to calm their horses over fireworks night. Whilst I know horses get upset, sedation can actually cause more trouble. Also, how many of these horse are left with hay etc unsupervised under sedation?

It makes me cringe. I have always found that turning horses out in a safe field helps, as they feel safter. That or sponges in ears.

I really hate how people use sedalin etc willy nilly - I see it time and time again.

Rant over!

 

[Suzie86]

i agree! but then again my horse seems to actually enjoy watching fireworks!lol!

 

[competitiondiva]

I totally agree, the likes of sedalin (ACP) dulls the use of the muscles making escape impossible for the horse (which I realise lowers the chance of injury) but it does not affect the brain! Whilst the muscles aren't working the way they should the horses brain does and by taking away its ability to react you make the horse even more scared!!! It is a vicious circle.

 

[zoeshiloh]

This is a big worry for is this year, as the people opposite are having a big firework display - it will be less than 100m away from our paddock! I am away on business that night, and can't get out of it, leaving my non-horsey OH to cope on his own. I am thinking of taking my horse to a livery yard for the night to get her out of the way. I wouldn't dream of sedating for fireworks though - horses can still panic but don't have the reactions to match their actions (if that makes sense)

 

[aregona]

I agree, it would be a good idea to move the horses. I dont have any problems with mine but then im lucky that most of them are very calm and it has a great affect on the others so they all seem to stay calm.
Is it possible that it is SOMETIMES caused by the owners getting worked up in the lead up to bonfire night?????

 

[ecrozier]

Makes me realise how lucky I am that none of ours have ever been bothered - I say this assuming our 3 year old won't be as this is the first year we ave had him but will check with old owner - he heard a gunshot the other week for the first time under saddle and didn't turn a hair while my arab did leap forwrds, but both my lad and my older mare have lived for many years in pheasant shoot country, so loud bangs etc are commonplace. Arab also loves to wtch fireworks, we are stabled up on a hill in quite a built up area and he cranes his neck around the corner of the stable building (he's on the end) to look out over the valley!
Fingers crossed 3 year old will be OK but totally agree about sedalin, and v good point about leaving them sedated with hay R2R - surely thats not a good idea?

 

[ester]

we get quite a lot as we are surrounded by houses. Cannot leave them out as blonde one runs herself ragged and ends up damaged, they come in, with lights on. sometimes shut top doors as they have a talk grill anyway. and they normally settle after a bit
Zoe if you have to be away I would be tempted to shift them for the night.

 

[HelsB]

Zoesiloh have you not got a horsey friend who could pop in & help your OH?

 

[Theresa_F]

Touch wood - all of mine have been happy to watch the fireworks - from my TBs to the hairy beasts.

If I had to sedate, I would stay with them and not leave them, just as I would if I were sedating for anything. To leave a horse sedated is not right.

If I did have a horse that was upset, I would spend the year getting them used to loud bangs etc slowly and carefully so they could then be able to cope with the noise rather than sedating them.

I do appreciate some horses are very difficult to do this with, but if a lot of time was spent and it done carefully then they should be able to cope if not stay relaxed at these times.

 

[zoeshiloh]

HelsB - Yes, but I think I would still worry if I were not there. None of mine have ever been worried about fireworks, but they have never been this close before. TBH they would probably be ok, and it is just me worrying more than them, but I'd rather be safe than sorry

 

[Seahorse]

last year at this time most of our horses were still living out. I went to check on axey and was pleasantly surprised to see them all standing looking at the firework display that the next door neighbours were having!
After a while they just started eating the grass again.

 

[horseriderdeb]

mine stand watching the fireworks.

 

[wench]

As long as in the field, firworks dont bother ours.

 

[Puppy]

I can't say I've ever known any of my horses be bothered by fireworks

 

[Alibear]

Previous horse didn't care less, new horse cares a lot and has just had surgery.
He will be sedated as necessary but he wont have hay whilst sedated and will be watched.
Last year we just kept an eye on him, but this year gallop laps of the box are not on. He also looses a lot of weight and becomes tucked up with the stress.
It's both the sight and the noise that set him off, but there again he is a spook monster.
We actually have forum members who have lost horses due to accidents caused by fireworks, I don't think it's something that any of us take lightly.

 

[ladyt25]

I wouldn't even drean of sedating any of ours but then i wouldn't sedate ours for any raeson anyway - seems these days too many people seem to resort to sedating horses and i can honestly say we have never had to sedate any of ours unless they are having an op (ie wound stitched/sarcoid removed etc)

Ours will be out in the field as usual and don't give a monkeys about the fireworks and we have one over-paranoid spooky pony but even he's never bothered.

 

[Parkranger]

I've never had a horse with a firework problem BUT, I wouldn't leave them alone, with food and sedated.....that's just asking for choke.

 

[Fransurrey]

[ QUOTE ]
HelsB - Yes, but I think I would still worry if I were not there. None of mine have ever been worried about fireworks, but they have never been this close before. TBH they would probably be ok, and it is just me worrying more than them, but I'd rather be safe than sorry

[/ QUOTE ]

Mine are about 100m away from a huge firework display, too. I did once have a horse in the field that cantered up and down the fence line, but other than that, no major panics. I am worried about my newcomer, as we don't know her history before Feb this year, so will be standing with them for the display (with plastic tumbler full of wine from the nearby pub!). Last year Henry and his now deceased companion just stood inside the field shelter and THEN galloped up the field to me (as if to say, "What the bloody hell are you doing out here?"). I can cope with a bit of cantering about, but with terrain like mine, I'm not even considering sedation. I'd rather she had her wits about her.

 

[Nailed]

I have yet to meet a horse who gives a crap about fireworks. Never sedated any of them and hopefully never will have too..

Lou x

 

[PeterNatt]

What has always worried me is that a stray rocket or firework may end up in one of their stables and set it alight.

 

[pookie]

My opinion, for what it's worth. I think it depends on the horse and any previous reactions that've been witnessed. I'm generally against sedating, but if a horse is known to react very badly to fireworks and for whatever reason all other avenues have been explored then I'd prefer a horse was sedated than injure itself.

 

[rascal]

We have to move yards this weekend and will be going closer to the houses, the horses dont mind fireworks in the distance, i just hope they cope up close to the houses.
There is a bird scarer in the field next door at the mo and they dont mind that, so it wont be the noise that botheres them but the flashing lights. We will stay with them as much as we can. Never had a problem but with it being a new yard as well, you never know.

 

[lilym]

mine like to stand and watch the fireworks!

 

[redlilly]

Had fireworks very close to a new livery yard i moved to last night, i decided to stay with my horse as he was in, although he did not worry to much and was very calm there were others in the same barn owned by other people who went completely stupid - including one youngster who tried to go over the door on several occasions - some of these horses were petrified and would have been better of with some sort of something to take the edge off - i don't disagree with using ACP if it helps as it would have done in this case had we have not been there all hell would have broke loose, and it wasn't even my horse that was causing the problems, i use ACP for clipping as both safer for me and better for my horse as he doesn't worry - sometimes using sedation isn't always an option and i would rather have a happier calmer horse who isn't going to injure himself or somebody else - but then each to their own!!