mirage
Well-Known Member
just read about your nephew dwteam.What an awful thing to happen.I wish him a speedy recovery,poor lad.
Fireworks
- Thread starter TJ&Ozzie
- Start date
mystiandsunny
Well-Known Member
dwteam hope your nephew heals well and quickly.
My lot don't mind fireworks at all UNTIL they come right into our field from the neighbouring houses. Found about 20 remnants on NY day and one of ours had gone through the fencing in her panic. Most of our neighbours are lovely and considerate, but this particular house had sent them off in all random directions - one landed actually ON another neighbour's dog, poor thing!
My lot don't mind fireworks at all UNTIL they come right into our field from the neighbouring houses. Found about 20 remnants on NY day and one of ours had gone through the fencing in her panic. Most of our neighbours are lovely and considerate, but this particular house had sent them off in all random directions - one landed actually ON another neighbour's dog, poor thing!
fatpiggy
Well-Known Member
I was totally dreading New Year's eve this year as my poor old horse who hates fireworks anyway had a very bad Nov 5th last year because of new tenants in the cottage one field away - she is so sensitive she is badly upset by those going off a mile away 
Fireworks were one of the reasons I moved to the current yard but it seems the damn things have followed us. Luckily this Jan 31st she seems to have had a reasonable night, no harm done, no obvious stress and no wrecked stable. Big sigh of relief for me. You people who have animals unaffected by them should seriously count your blessings. I can't sedate her because she cannot have sedatives except valium which would be a vets bill, they only last an hour at best and Bonfire Night should be renamed Bonfire Week and goes from 4pm to beyond the 11pm curfew and in reality who wants to be in a freezing stable at midnight? She can't be desensitized because not only is she frightened by the bangs and screams (I hate screamers) she panics seeing the lights flashing in the sky. Total total nightmare every year. And as for leaving her in the field - yeah, let her gallop through the fence in the dark (she is partially sighted and her night vision is so crap she walks into the back wall of the stable if the light isn't on) and wind up in the 8 foot flooded ditch behind it.
Fireworks were one of the reasons I moved to the current yard but it seems the damn things have followed us. Luckily this Jan 31st she seems to have had a reasonable night, no harm done, no obvious stress and no wrecked stable. Big sigh of relief for me. You people who have animals unaffected by them should seriously count your blessings. I can't sedate her because she cannot have sedatives except valium which would be a vets bill, they only last an hour at best and Bonfire Night should be renamed Bonfire Week and goes from 4pm to beyond the 11pm curfew and in reality who wants to be in a freezing stable at midnight? She can't be desensitized because not only is she frightened by the bangs and screams (I hate screamers) she panics seeing the lights flashing in the sky. Total total nightmare every year. And as for leaving her in the field - yeah, let her gallop through the fence in the dark (she is partially sighted and her night vision is so crap she walks into the back wall of the stable if the light isn't on) and wind up in the 8 foot flooded ditch behind it.tazzle
Well-Known Member
If she were my mare and if I suspected that this NY might not be usual and she might revert to previous fear then I would ...
... get the fireworks cd and do desensitiation, either straighforward just listening at low levels and gradually increasing the sound level over weeks / months OR countersonditioning where you actually change the association by doing something pleasant she enjoys or even feeding her treats while he cd is on ( same as above starting low level sound and increasing it as she becomes relaxed.)
regarding the lights.... I would get heavy blackout curtains to put over the stable door .... introduced beforehand so she could learn she can put her head out through them is she wants but they will keep out the bright lights if she is in the stable.
Its horrible when our animals are scared, horrible.