Fireworks..

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MochaDun

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Am I wrong in thinking that fireworks shouldn't be let off until 2 weeks before Bonfire Night itself or can they be let off at any time, it's only that they are only allowed to go on sale a couple of weeks before Bonfire Night? Just had an incident trying to catch my horse at 6.30pm, yes I was pushing the light but someone let a vast star burst one off about 2 gardens away from the field as I had just got to my horse and putting the headcollar on...needless to say my horse is not catchable at the moment after that! And also as I have a road to cross to the yard even if I could have got near him again I wouldn't have chanced there being more. Hopefully by tomorrow morning I'll be able to get close to him again :)... I think I was spotted and it was deliberate as a possible prank as it seemed too coincidental...no other fireworks went up and no-one else was bringing horses in and out. Will put up a note on the yard though as others put horses back out after riding much later when it's well and truly dark and it could lead to a very nasty accident.
 
Nope, they are on sale now. As far as I was aware, there's not a restriction on when they can be used other than after 11pm (breech of the peace)..
 
According to this government website you can only let them off after 11pm on Fireworks night (and some other celebrations)

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/InYourHome/Escapingandrecoveringfromafire/DG_064665

But I do remember hearing what you said about a time-window around then when I was younger. You might find that it is/was a local council rule in built up areas or something?

If it is in a private garden you probs can't do much more than have a friendly word but anywhere public they certainly shouldn't be using them.
 
Tickles said:
According to this government website you can only let them off after 11pm on Fireworks night (and some other celebrations)

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/InYourHome/Escapingandrecoveringfromafire/DG_064665

But I do remember hearing what you said about a time-window around then when I was younger. You might find that it is/was a local council rule in built up areas or something?

If it is in a private garden you probs can't do much more than have a friendly word but anywhere public they certainly shouldn't be using them.
Click to expand...

That's not what it says tickles :)

(copied from the link to direct.gov) Using fireworks legally

It is against the law to:

* set off or throw fireworks in the street or other public place
* set off fireworks between 11.00 pm and 7.00 am – except during certain celebrations

If found guilty by the courts, you could be fined up to £5,000 and can be imprisoned for up to three months. You may be liable for an on-the-spot fine of £80.
When you can use fireworks during celebrations

You can let off fireworks :

* until midnight on Bonfire Night
* until 1.00 am on New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year


On the subject of when you can buy ... (again copied from link to direct.gov)

When fireworks are available to buy

Fireworks for private use, and from a registered seller, can only be sold:

* between 15 October and 10 November – around Bonfire Night
* between 26 December and 31 December – for New Year’s Eve
* three days before Diwali and Chinese New Year

For the rest of the year, you will only be able to buy fireworks from shops that are licensed to supply them.

If you think a shop is unregistered, or selling fireworks when they shouldn’t, contact your council’s Trading Standards Officer. Your council will also have a list of registered sellers.
 
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Thanks for that detailed response Crunchie from the gov link..guess it's OK in private gardens then once they're on sale at the moment, will just aim to get my horse in well ahead of the light going now over next couple of weeks. (From 1st Nov they're brought in earlier anyway by yard). Think my heart rate has come down to normal now :)
 
Bloody fireworks. I really dread this time of year. We had them all over the summer months as well, nearly every other weekend some numpty had a party and decided to let them off at about 10.30 with no warning to anybody. I am truly sick of the things and think the general public shouldn't be allowed to buy them. Unfortunately they are available on the internet and they are display standard which means they are very, very loud. I have tried to get the council's help on this but they don't want to know. WE had a very stupid neighbour who let off display fireworks directly next door to our paddock even though we told him it would really upset our horses, and my poor mare went down with laminitis from the shock of being catapulted out of her box when they exploded overhead. All the council did was write him a letter telling him not to do it again. They are antisocial and much too loud for the public to just let of willy nilly these days. The old fireworks were very tame and didn't usually cause many problems.
 
fireworks are a pain ino around my area the local authority has rules in place that fireworks should only be let off 2weeks prior to bonfire night but they cant really police it. I was riding last year around this time and someone set off fireworks in the daylight obviously horse went balistic just from the sound, but i did manage to get back to yard in one piece on a frotthy horse who was shaking and jogging like he was on the racecourse!! luckily he is pretty sane would have been diff story on the arab. Mine tend to be fine however when in field/stable i was on one yard where all horses were out bonfire night as could run if were scared but now they are out/in depending on weather/preference mine are in but only as they come in from mid- end oct
 
Fireworks are a real worry aren't they when you own animals. There's a school very close to our yard, and they hold a big bonfire night display every year, but I don't mind that. We know exactly when it's going to happen, and all the horses are in, and we have the lights on, radios on, and lots of activity round the yard and the horses are fine. The most stressy horses might have a couple of units of sedalin and we've never had any problems.

The times when accidents happen, seem to be when we are caught out by random private displays, which seem to happen over the period of a month or more. Our yard is in a village and we are surrounded by houses. Sometimes someone will be letting off fireworks before it's dusk and there are likely to be people bringing horses in, and often the fireworks are let off late at night, and the only evidence in the morning are trashed stables, uneaten hay, and dried sweat underneath rugs. It's not possible stay on the yard until midnight every night for 6 weeks is it?

I sometimes wonder what would happen (I hate blame culture, but I'm just curious) if the letting off of a firework in someone’s private garden caused an accident due to, for example a horse rearing and coming down on its owner, or the horse bolting and injuring itself or someone else’s property? Would the person who let off the fireworks be responsible?
 
Well currently, unless the new Government does what the old one planned to but never did and amends the Animals Act, if your horse causes damage or injury you are liable full stop, no escape due to what precautions you take, whether out of character etc, it's strict liability (which is why good 3rd party insurance like BHS gold is vital!)

This is the detail of the legal precedent that stuffed all us horse owners - makes chilling reading!
http://www.ridingsafely.net/mirvahedy_v_henley.html

If you or your horse were injured then it all gets a bit unfair as the strict liability applies to the animals but not to people, so you would probably have to prove theyd been negligent Since many horses cope with fireworks ok that might be tricky as they might say they thought it would be OK, no prob in past, usual at this time of year etc etc etc.

We once had a traveller kid firing fireworks INTO our stable yard, thankfully we were there.....that would be worse!
 
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