Is anyone else sick of ******** fireworks!

I'm another in the camp that thinks the bl**dy things should be banned. I'm in an area which is not exactly rural, and even if you just take the organised displays into account it is a nightmare. Add in the morons who want to exercise their 'right' to back garden fireworks and it is a recipe for a fortnight from hell, especially given the 'affluence' of some of the areas near me, who all want a party and have plenty of money to send up in smoke.

I too have been spending my evenings comforting distressed horses, and my OH has been doing the same at home with our other pets.
I thought it was getting better the past couple of years, but on 1st Nov this year it was like a warzone with flashes and bangs all over the place. From our field I could see at least 4 organised displays, and one of them appeared to want to beat all the others in terms of sheer noise. It was taking place about 3 - 4 miles away but seriously the noise when they kicked off an ended drowned out all the others, including the one that was less than a mile from us! A friend who lives near it said that she'd not been able to hear her telly and all her ornaments had rattled with the force of some of them.
 
the dog is now freaking out because a gun has gone off, she has not had a problem with guns before-poor dog I cannot stay in the house sat on the sofa 24hrs per day just to take the edge off her anxiety, there is an adaptil plugin next to her crate, she has been having the tablets but i cant say they made any difference, the radio is on for her-what else can I do?
 
I've signed the petition for them to ban the sale of fireworks to the public. I believe it should be a licensed thing and that all planned events using fireworks should be displayed on the local councils .gov website for people to keep a check on.

I am lucky now in that we are surrounded by other farms, so we only had one local(ish) display on the 5th. Otto was in the field on his own that night and he wasn't remotely bothered by it. There were a couple of displays in Gloucester over the weekend, but it's far enough away that they are just distant bangs and despite regularly walking up to check on Mickey and Otto, they were both fine. It's actually helping one of the collies to deal with it as he's starting to engage in play when he hears them as they are not too loud.

When we lived in Melksham, it was endless. It would be for around 2 weeks at this time of year every night in people gardens right next to us and then would start again before Christmas and last until about a week after New Year. It was a nightmare and constant worry.
 
I have one dog who is terrified and one who couldn't care less.

However, I spent most of Saturday evening at the yard (so that was this Saturday, last Saturday, Wednesday and Thursday) with my terrified horse. He jumps every time there is a bang and then literally poos himself - I was skipping out every 20 minutes. He was sweated up to the eyeballs. At one point I wanted to go and drag the people from across the road over and say "do you realise what effect this is having?"

The only plus side was that mucking out took all of five minutes yesterday morning. However, they were going off again last night as I brought it, albeit only sporadically.

On a yard of five, we had two that were very bothered, two that were concerned and one that dozed all the way through.

I love fireworks. I think they are beautiful things. But I really would like them to be used only at organised displays. That way we could all know when and where and prepare for them.
 
_GG_ said:
... start again before Christmas and last until about a week after New Year. It was a nightmare and constant worry.
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Dear God, I had forgotten about New Year.

Mine would be better in a field. But, we have so little choice around here for places for livery and the good places don't have 24/7 turnout. My yard - I've been there 4 years now - does the best it can to give us daily turnout - although not on grass every day in winter we do get every other day if it hasn't been tipping it down. Those days they are not on grass they are out in sand corrals. Unfortunately, this is the Fens and our land has been kept fertile for farming before being turned into grazing land and although we have gravel for superb drainage in some areas, there is still a couple of feet of enriched soil on the top and this gets churned up very, very quickly. So, of course, we come in at night to save the grazing. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a problem.

So far, peoples fireworks celebrations (do half these people even know what they are celebrating and in our new age etiquette, is it even appropriate?) have cost me £300. And by the end of the week they will have cost another £90.

Happy Christmas indeed.
 
HeresHoping said:
Dear God, I had forgotten about New Year.

Mine would be better in a field. But, we have so little choice around here for places for livery and the good places don't have 24/7 turnout. My yard - I've been there 4 years now - does the best it can to give us daily turnout - although not on grass every day in winter we do get every other day if it hasn't been tipping it down. Those days they are not on grass they are out in sand corrals. Unfortunately, this is the Fens and our land has been kept fertile for farming before being turned into grazing land and although we have gravel for superb drainage in some areas, there is still a couple of feet of enriched soil on the top and this gets churned up very, very quickly. So, of course, we come in at night to save the grazing. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a problem.

So far, peoples fireworks celebrations (do half these people even know what they are celebrating and in our new age etiquette, is it even appropriate?) have cost me £300. And by the end of the week they will have cost another £90.

Happy Christmas indeed.
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A friend of mine in Melksham brings her boys in during the day when there are fireworks as they just get too wound up in the stables at night. When they are out, they graze, but don't go mental.
Perhaps it would be worth seeing how your horse reacts to them when he is out in the field and if he's calm and not churning up the ground, it could be an idea for you??
 
HeresHoping said:
I'm with you on the organised only. I am more than a little effed off with private fireworks party. This is how my Saturday went...

Saturday night was spent mostly in Larry's stable as the poor boy has decided that stables and fireworks = the worst fear ever. At midnight the vet arrived and we sedated him for the rest of the night. I will live with his screams of sheer terror for a long time to come. It had obviously started over the first weekend of November when the fireworks parties began in earnest. By Saturday he simply couldn't cope. He was panicking before it was even dark and the bangs started. Outside the confined space of his stable he was fairly calm and unflinching, although still a bit worried, and was even watching the pretty lights. In the stable, unless I was in there with him and holding him very close, he was dripping with sweat, weaving like a maniac, panic rearing and kicking out, pacing and trembling. I could see his heart beating in his chest. I wish I'd videoed it just to show those who think it's fun to have a few fireworks at home in their back gardens just how terrifying it can be for animals. Hats off and a huge thank you to two of my livery friends who last night went next door to see the family having their own little party for the fourth time in a week and demanded they stop. Thankfully they did. I couldn't have faced a night like that again. Larry will have to spend this week doped up to the eyeballs on Domesedan until he feels safe in his stable again.
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You and Larry have my total sympathy.

My oldest used to be like this - we had an idiotic scout troup about 100 yards away behind houses that thought it was OK year after year to have a bonfire and fireworks party. I think my worst memory is standing with my coat over H's head to stop him seeing the flashing lights and with him dripping sweat with his shoes rattling the floor because he was shaking so much with the fear. And this was while sedated. It was sooo awful. Shortly after this I was escorted from the scouts premises for telling them exactly what they could do and where they could put their fireworks in future. OK, not a good way to behave in front of young kids, but it worked. That was the last party they had. Now we just have to put up with other displays, and backgarden (rich boys) fireworks as in my other thread. Still a problem, but not so bad as what went before.

Oh, and I now have a reputation of being a bit of a firework myself! Upset my boys at your peril.
 
HeresHoping said:
I'm with you on the organised only. I am more than a little effed off with private fireworks party. This is how my Saturday went...

Saturday night was spent mostly in Larry's stable as the poor boy has decided that stables and fireworks = the worst fear ever. At midnight the vet arrived and we sedated him for the rest of the night. I will live with his screams of sheer terror for a long time to come. It had obviously started over the first weekend of November when the fireworks parties began in earnest. By Saturday he simply couldn't cope. He was panicking before it was even dark and the bangs started. Outside the confined space of his stable he was fairly calm and unflinching, although still a bit worried, and was even watching the pretty lights. In the stable, unless I was in there with him and holding him very close, he was dripping with sweat, weaving like a maniac, panic rearing and kicking out, pacing and trembling. I could see his heart beating in his chest. I wish I'd videoed it just to show those who think it's fun to have a few fireworks at home in their back gardens just how terrifying it can be for animals. Hats off and a huge thank you to two of my livery friends who last night went next door to see the family having their own little party for the fourth time in a week and demanded they stop. Thankfully they did. I couldn't have faced a night like that again. Larry will have to spend this week doped up to the eyeballs on Domesedan until he feels safe in his stable again.
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I'm really sorry to hear what a nightmare time you had - perhaps all the people with superior skills here will suggest ways of desensitizing horses to bangs, because according to them its really simple. My horse was so sensitive that she would react badly to fireworks she could see going off over a mile away. Unfortunately, after I'd moved her out to a farm I discovered they opened up the field next to the horses for free-for-all shooting parties. My horse would be going around in a blind panic trying to get over to the others (who weren't so bothered) to run away too. She was head honcho and felt it was her duty to get them to safety. I suppose she did have a point though as one day as I ran to move her to a different part of the yard, a whole load of shotgun pellets fell out of the sky and hit us both and I can tell you that they a. burn and b. HURT.
 
_GG_ said:
I've signed the petition for them to ban the sale of fireworks to the public. I believe it should be a licensed thing and that all planned events using fireworks should be displayed on the local councils .gov website for people to keep a check on.

I am lucky now in that we are surrounded by other farms, so we only had one local(ish) display on the 5th. Otto was in the field on his own that night and he wasn't remotely bothered by it. There were a couple of displays in Gloucester over the weekend, but it's far enough away that they are just distant bangs and despite regularly walking up to check on Mickey and Otto, they were both fine. It's actually helping one of the collies to deal with it as he's starting to engage in play when he hears them as they are not too loud.

When we lived in Melksham, it was endless. It would be for around 2 weeks at this time of year every night in people gardens right next to us and then would start again before Christmas and last until about a week after New Year. It was a nightmare and constant worry.
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Do You Have A Linky to the Petition GG?
 
Tonight I lost it....2 loud fireworks landed on the patio. The dog is shaking, trembling and panting for the 6TH night in a row..I went to the neighbour and started by politely asking how much longer they would be letting off fireworks..BUT then the red mist decended. Said neighbour has animals.. '..s**t for brains' was my final comment, not dignified or helpful I admit. Must go and try and stop the dog trying to climb in the washing machine.
 
Centauress said:
Do You Have A Linky to the Petition GG?
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Will go find it. I'll start a new thread so more people see it x

Summer pudding said:
Tonight I lost it....2 loud fireworks landed on the patio. The dog is shaking, trembling and panting for the 6TH night in a row..I went to the neighbour and started by politely asking how much longer they would be letting off fireworks..BUT then the red mist decended. Said neighbour has animals.. '..s**t for brains' was my final comment, not dignified or helpful I admit. Must go and try and stop the dog trying to climb in the washing machine.
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I can't say I blame you. I would also possibly advise a call to the police if they have landed on your patio...that's beyond dangerous!
 
I have no issues with them personally, my dogs and horses don't seem bothered but we are a little way out of town. I guess if ur horses are scared of them it's a recipe for disaster though
 
When I was on a small yard behind houses we had a policeman move in to a house very near the stables, one year he decided to let off a couple of fireworks a night for several days, my friend, after nearly being flattened once to often, climbed up his fence at the bottom of his garden and asked if he was determined to f@king kill us.
It worked he stopped.
 
Thanks all for your shared misery of the *********things. I really do feel for those of you who have to sedate etc, I've been "lucky" so far in comparison. I'm not a killjoy but do believe that they should be controlled and organised displays only. I'll certainly be adding my name to the petitions!
 
willhegofirst said:
When I was on a small yard behind houses we had a policeman move in to a house very near the stables, one year he decided to let off a couple of fireworks a night for several days, my friend, after nearly being flattened once to often, climbed up his fence at the bottom of his garden and asked if he was determined to f@king kill us.
It worked he stopped.
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Sometimes it's the only thing that will make a difference. I think it usually would with adults. It's kids that have no respect that concern me most...the type that go to fields and let them off :(
 
Normally there are one or two nights worth, but that's it round here. This year, there seems to have been loads going off every night since before Halloween. My dog is not panicking, but has been getting quite unsettled the past few nights. Took him out for a walk tonight and even more of the bloody things made us both jump!

Thankfully the yard where the horses are is very remote so nothing goes off close enough to scare them and none of them have been getting stressed.
 
Liz H said:
Thanks all for your shared misery of the *********things. I really do feel for those of you who have to sedate etc, I've been "lucky" so far in comparison. I'm not a killjoy but do believe that they should be controlled and organised displays only. I'll certainly be adding my name to the petitions!
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Here, here..one day only...organised displays and none of the VERY loud bangs...just pretty, whooshy sprays of colour and light..in my dreams!!!
 
I don't support a ban. I really don't understand why people set them off at home though. They cost a fortune and won't be anywhere near as impressive as those at public displays.

You shouldn't be able to set them off so close to someone's house that they land on a patio though. There should be restrictions like for shooting, where you have to be x far from a road etc., etc. Lord knows how it would be enforced though....
 
I agree. I hate them. Our poor terrier is peeing all around the house in fright - pants and shakes non-stop. I thought they were over but last night, same story all over again. Why can't they be restricted to 5th November plus the Saturday evening ? Bah Humbug..
 
Inthemud said:
There should be restrictions like for shooting, where you have to be x far from a road etc., etc. Lord knows how it would be enforced though....
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There are restrictions at present over times that fireworks can be let off - curfews on all but a few dates and when they may be sold, and I think the Animal Welfare Act should cover causing knowingly causing distress, if you were to point out to someone that they're actions were doing so (I used that one on the Scouts near me (see an earlier post from me) but as you point out - Lord knows how these are enforced, which is why I am in support of a ban - it's the only rule that can be enforced!
 
I am so, so lucky - our yard is between villages so we can see and hear them but none too close - however the dogs seem to quite enjoy them and the horses if they can see the bangs are quite happy, my other half and I were quite merrily cantering round the school watching them in the moonlight the other night which was lovely. However I really feel for all those that are too close for comfort to the displays, the livery yard I used to be at was in a village and we were surrounded - again luckily my horses were quite happy to stand and watch them but I don't know many horses who do that. Hope everyones horses/dogs etc are ok
 
Inthemud said:
I don't support a ban. I really don't understand why people set them off at home though. They cost a fortune and won't be anywhere near as impressive as those at public displays.

You shouldn't be able to set them off so close to someone's house that they land on a patio though. There should be restrictions like for shooting, where you have to be x far from a road etc., etc. Lord knows how it would be enforced though....
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I had a suspicion my new cat was going to find it all too much and I was right. On November 5th I came home early, made a den for her, put the TV on nice and loud, closed the curtains, didn't respond to her nervous behaviour- all the right things but she still bolted upstairs and hid somewhere. It was the 20banger box 18 feet from my window that was the straw that broke the camels back. Can't do all that much about the length of my garden and the fact that my neighbour up the round and round the corner's garden is at right angles to mine along the party fence!
 
Sadly I do think that some people just 'don't think' and have no idea about the affect they can have on animals. My lovely neighbors who are about 400m away held their own display, my horses looked very pretty running round the paddock being lit up in red. They are nice polite people who I see out walking and I don't think for 1 minute they would do anything to cause distress to my horses so I came to the conclusion that it didn't even cross they're minds. But such is life nothing will change and with no stables I have no choice but for them to stay out and watch!
 
So glad I live in the middle of nowhere. I heard 2 bangs one night which I might have imagined... otherwise no fireworks at all. Might have been able to see some in the distance if I'd really looked but very glad my horses and animals haven't been bothered by them. It would drive me insane having them going night after night. I think fireworks are ok as part of organised events but dont like the little personal ones people, so many folk dont seem to have any common sense.
 
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