Advice on

Horses and Fireworks

Introduction Fireworks are a complex matter. Although they can cause great distress tohorses and other animals, there is currently no legislation preventing a personfrom setting off fireworks on their own property as long as it is for privateentertainment. Commercial displays have to hold appropriate licenses (checkwith your local council for details) and comply with regulations. You can seethese at www.berr.gov.uk/fireworks.

Why do horses react badly to fireworks?Horses are flight animals and anything unexpected will startle them. Theresponse will vary greatly according to the individual horse, but reactions canbe extremely dramatic and potentially dangerous for the horse or anyone closeby. It is well documented that horses will become desensitised to stimuli to whichthey are regularly exposed. Part of the problem of fireworks is that they do notusually occur frequently and they produce loud bangs, crackles, suddenstrange lights and a burning smell. It is not easy for owners to reproduce thiscombination of things to enable complete desensitisation of the horse.Horses are big, powerful animals and when they are in a state of blind panicthey present real danger not only to people close by, but also to themselves.The British Horse Society has had reports of stabled horses attempting to jumpover or crash through stable doors and field-kept horses jumping out of theirfield onto the public highway – neither of which result in a favourable outcome.

The laws concerning fireworks (in brief)• It is illegal for anyone below the age of

18 to possess a firework in a publicplace

• Fireworks cannot be set off by a privateindividual between 11pm and 7amexcept on certain nights of the year

• It is an offence to cause unnecessarysuffering to any captive or domesticanimal

• Unless retailers possess a speciallicence they may only sell fireworksfrom 15 October to 10 November and26 to 31 December

Detailed legislation on fireworks and theiruse can be found at www.berr.gov.uk/fireworks

Advice on Horses and Fireworks

What can you do to limit the effect on your horse?Prior to firework season

• Find out if there are anycommercial displays plannednear to where your horse is kept

• Contact the organisers to explainyour concerns and see if thereare any measures they can take– for example, moving to the farend of a site and ask abouttimings so you can manage yourhorse appropriately to keep thesituation as safe and calm aspossible

• Check with your local council thatthe organisers have applied forand been granted theappropriate licence for acommercial display

• Display the BHS FireworksAwareness poster (available todownload at our specialisedhorse accidents website,www.horseaccidents.org.uk/Advice_and_Prevention/Fireworks.aspx in local shops,schools and village noticeboards to try to explain to non-horse owners why horses arefrightened by fireworks

• Display a notice alongside theposter asking private individualswho are planning to usefireworks in your vicinity to informyou so you can manage yourhorse appropriately

• It may be beneficial to try todesensitise your horse to loudbangs and there are various CDsavailable that can be played toyour horse at low level, slowlyincreasing the volume as theybecome comfortable with thenoise

• Discuss and try to agree astrategy for dealing withfireworks with the yard ownerand fellow liveries – that way,everyone has support

• Ensure you have contact detailsto hand for all horse owners andvets should problems arise

• Make preparations to secureyour yard in case a horse doesmanage to break out of a stableor field that ensures they cannotget onto a public highway whichcould cause serious problems

Extreme measuresIf you know that whatever you do, your horse will react badly, possibly injuringthemself, you could discuss the possibility of sedating your horse with your vet,or consider moving your horse while fireworks are likely to be exploding.

Advice on Horses and Fireworks

During firework season

If you are unfortunate enough to have a problem caused by fireworks, pleasereport it to The British Horse Society on its dedicated fireworks accident onlineform at www.horseaccidents.org.uk

• If your horse is kept in a barn orenclosed stable area it might bepossible to limit the effect offireworks by keeping barn doorsclosed

• Playing music within the barn orstable area may dull the sound ofthe bangs depending on thedistance – NB: This should beintroduced before the event so themusic is itself not something forthe horse to worry about

• Leave stable or barn lights on asthis may help lessen the effect ofthe bright lights and flashes in thenight sky

• Unfortunately we can do nothingabout the burning smell thataccompanies fireworks excepthope the prevailing wind directiontakes it away from the horses

• Try as far as possible to keep yourhorse in its normal routine so itfeels secure

• Ensure an experienced personwho will remain calm, stays withthe horse until the fireworks haveended

• Take care when the horse isstartled, an injured owner is nogood to anyone!

The British Horse SocietyAbbey ParkStaretonKenilworthWarwickshire CV8 2XZ

Call: 02476 840516Fax: 02476 840501

www.bhs.org.ukEmail: enquiry@bhs.org.uk

Advice on Horses and Fireworks

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Fireworks must not be set off near livestock or horses in fields or in stables

I t is best to keep your horse in its normal routine

Risk assess your stable yard and plan to limit disturbance

Ensure you find out if there are any planned displays nearby

Warn local organisers, councils, schools, that there are horses in the area

Organise your plans in advance

Remain calm and positive yourself as horses will sense unease in a person

Keep your horse in a familiar environment

Safety for everyone is the key – do not put yourself in danger

Fulfilling your passion for horses

Firework Safety