Petition to ban the sale of fireworks to general public

Two problems, 1, on line petitions are a waste of time and 2, why should thousands of people be denied buying and enjoying fireworks because your dog/cat is scared ? It's a few days of the year, you know it's coming up so deal with it !
 
It's not a few days here. The nearby hotel frequently has fireworks at weddings, many people have fireworks for children's birthdays and other celebrations throughout the year. Because we are above the town, we get just about everybody's fireworks, for Eid, Chinese New Year, Diwhali, Bonfire Night, New Year's Eve, etc, etc. Whilst we might still get fireworks on many of these occasions if they had to be organised properly and licensed, at least they would be safe.
 
bonny said:
Two problems, 1, on line petitions are a waste of time and 2, why should thousands of people be denied buying and enjoying fireworks because your dog/cat is scared ? It's a few days of the year, you know it's coming up so deal with it !
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Really, I dont know where you live but its not a few days a year, its every other weekend, on fb tonight someones just had their horse put down with a fractured pelvis after falling careering about due to fireworks in July with not even a warning from the people setting them off, people try there best to " deal with it" but its not easy, i wonder if you'd haves that attitude if it was your horse
 
I really don't think people who have a massive image problem and hang out in the road while sitting on half a ton of slow moving, ultimately unpredictable traffic hazard should be encouraging the current trend for banning things.

We're next.
 
Have to agree with the others - yes, you expect fireworks at certain times of the year anyway but there's nothing to say people can't do it any other time. I'm on the fence as to how effective petitions are (online ones at least) but I agree something neeeds to be done.
 
undergroundoli said:
I really don't think people who have a massive image problem and hang out in the road while sitting on half a ton of slow moving, ultimately unpredictable traffic hazard should be encouraging the current trend for banning things.

We're next.
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Rubbish the most unpredictable things on the road are humans, who if they passed horses as theyre meant to or follow signals from the rider are fine
 
Marydoll said:
Rubbish the most unpredictable things on the road are humans, who if they passed horses as there meant to or follow signals from the rider are fine
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The majority of people don't care about horses at all and assume riders are overly entitled, posh yobbos. They don't want to slow down and wait to pass, they just want to get from A to B without any minor inconveniences. We expect them to put up with us, just like they expect us to put up with fireworks.

Its about eroding tolerance.
 
Well, I've signed as I would like to see firework displays only. I don't feel we will get them banned, but it is a serious issue. Still, if we don't try we don't stand any chance. What harm can it do?
 
We had fire works near us last night (not sure why a Thursday night needs a fireworks display!) There are 5 horses here and not one batted an eyelid, I went out to check them to make sure. We also have a shoot through the farm over winter which doesn't bother them either. Maybe it a case of desensitising the horses not banning the sale of fireworks?
 
I won' sign for fireworks, I do wonder how much training people do to familiarise their horses with fireworks if they live in a firework-likely zone?

Generally I dislike the "ban everything I don't like" idea. To me,if it occurs outside my gates then it is up to me to sort my life out to cope. A bit like if a dog jumps at the fence when you ride by. I don't deny that either can startle/scare/injure your horse, but as long as the firework does not drop on your horse/set fire to your stables or the dog jump OUT and actively bite and chase at close range, then I believe it is up to us as responsible horse owners to prepare our horses to cope.

Not that I LIKE fireworks near my horse, or dogs jumping at us from inside a fence for that matter. But, I see that as people's individual right.

The things that I DO think should be banned are Chinese Lanterns. Not for horses in particular, but there is enough evidence that they cause fires, such as the tyre dump fore last year and some stables, that it can be proven that setting a fire going and floating it up to who knows where is negligent as to the safety of other people. That is something that comes inside your gates.
 
Much as appreciated that some animals get extremely distressed by fireworks I think it is unrealistic to expect a ban for a minority.

I have never owned a horse that was upset by fireworks - but then we let off our own fireworks, and most have been homebred so are brought up around a lot of loud noises - shooting and quad races for example.
 
Generally I'm against the trend to ban this and ban that.

I love watching a beautiful firework display.

But, even with those two opinions I am 100% in favour of stopping the sale of fire works to joe public.
Take animals out of the situation and I'm still in favour of organised displays only.
The amount of idiots getting hold of them is scary.
I simply don't understand the need to have the type of firework most people can afford fizzing banging and popping for best part of a fortnight, when for a fraction of the cost you can attend an organised event and see some absolutely spectacular displays.

Having said that, I agree, on line petitions rarely achieve anything and using the scared horses/pets argument is not the best option.
 
I won't be signing.

First, I want to be able to buy them. There is no experience like a small group of friends lighting their own.

Second, my horses are firework proof, because I live in shooting territory.

There used to be a recording available to train horses. Buy that, or make your own.

I'm sorry about the horse with the broken pelvis, but my horses woke us up last night thundering into and out of a barn. Horses don't need fireworks as an excuse to hurt themselves, they can do it quite happily without. In answer to the question how I would feel - sick, but I wouldn't be blaming the people who were celebrating something happy in their lives.
 
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Marydoll said:
Rubbish the most unpredictable things on the road are humans, who if they passed horses as theyre meant to or follow signals from the rider are fine
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You evidently haven't hacked around me - the most dangerous people on the road appear to be middle aged women on horses they haven't trained properly - liability would be an understatement.

I will not be signing the petition - as someone who makes a conscious effort to desensitise horses, I would want to p*ss on anyone's parade where fireworks concerned.

Like CPT - my horses are used to shooting as we shoot, they are used to gas guns and they are used to fireworks - its just management TBH.
 
bonny said:
Two problems, 1, on line petitions are a waste of time and 2, why should thousands of people be denied buying and enjoying fireworks because your dog/cat is scared ? It's a few days of the year, you know it's coming up so deal with it !
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Do you think it sensible to give idiots gunpowder?
They prove they can be trusted by the idiotic things they do and the selfish use of them.
We hardly get any where we live, it's too rural and apart the the collie the other animals cope fine.
But I'm thinking if all the other animals it scares.

Petitions do work, they and they are a start is action being taken.
 
smellsofhorse said:
Do you think it sensible to give idiots gunpowder?
They prove they can be trusted by the idiotic things they do and the selfish use of them.
We hardly get any where we live, it's too rural and apart the the collie the other animals cope fine.
But I'm thinking if all the other animals it scares.

Petitions do work, they and they are a start is action being taken.
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1) there are plenty of people who buy fireworks who are not idiots. What a "ban" would create is a black market of poorly constructed illegal fireworks. That would mean that sensible people who use them responsibly (like me, and many others on here) would not be able to buy them, and "idiots" would still have access to them illegally.

2) it is entirely possible to introduce a horse, dog or cat to loud noises frequently enough that they do not become alarmed by it - a lot of us do it, and if you are in an area where fireworks are common place, it would seem like a sensible thing to do.
 
No, sorry, I like being able to buy fireworks. We have our own huge bonfire party every year complete with fireworks. Our horses and other animals are fine with them and we don't have any immediate neighbours. We have a wedding hotel up the road that regularly does fireworks, so they are all used to them.

I can't think of anything worse than standing in a huge crowd behind a rope at an organised display. And I think idiots would still get hold of them if they were banned, it would just be the likes of us, that use them sensibly, that missed out.
 
Mine watch a major public display not 100yards from their field. They find it interesting.

People wanting to ban / regulate / licence / tax things just makes me sad.
 
I've signed.

Several reasons:

1) I have witnessed several horses, including my own*, freaking out completely thanks to idiots letting fireworks off too close to the stables;
2) We have local shops who continue to sell, and I don't know where they get them, probably illegal imports for a certain portion of the community, screamers and whistlers;
3) One of my friends was injured by a firework;
4) They are a nightmare for many pets in the urban environment in which most people now live. Even with sales restricted to 2 weeks before bonfire night and New Year - 2 weeks is a long time to be nursing upset pets - not only that you can't sedate for a fortnight or more; and
5) With so many excellent organised displays that pet and horse owners can plan for, there is no need for every tom, dick or harriet to have they're own potentially lethal party in their back garden.

*Box walking for hours after the event and whilst they were going off - standing shaking so hard that his shoes rattled on the concrete, dripping sweat and rolling eyes - all whilst under sedation.

I think it worth noting too, that this petition is to ban the sale of fireworks to the general public, not to ban organised displays.

Let's face it - the organised ones may be louder and flashier (and more fun) but they can be planned for if you know your animal has a problem. Like another poster - one of mine actually likes watching them! But I do have a scaredy cat (horse) and we can sedate if need be for organised displays, the back garden loonies are the trouble.
 
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Thunderstorms are just as scary & we can't ban them.......
Just as an addition & to give you all a laugh..... I grew up in Belfast in the 70s & 80s. I moved to Glasgow in 1998 & the first time I heard a banger let off in the street, I hit the deck, thinking someone had discharged a gun! They are banned in Belfast, what a tw** I looked. LOL
 
I live a stones throw from London, there are displays going off all the time, which ones cause the most noise.. Displays, the ones that you can buy from the shops go *Poof* its the large illegal display ones that cause the hassle, you are not going to stop that.
 
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