{"id":1731,"date":"2023-10-19T11:23:27","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T10:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/rbe\/?p=1731"},"modified":"2023-11-16T14:05:59","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T14:05:59","slug":"keeping-your-horse-safe-on-bonfire-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/rbe\/keeping-your-horse-safe-on-bonfire-night\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping your horse safe on Bonfire Night"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Fireworks, love them or hate them they aren\u2019t going anywhere anytime soon. It\u2019s often a worrying and anxious time for owners as well as their horses, ponies and other pets. Leaving out vs keeping in is often the main topic of conversation at many yards as we all want to do what\u2019s best for our much-loved friends. The answer to this question will depend greatly on the horse in question and the facilities of your yard.<\/p>

Personally, with my horses I\u2019m on team leaving out. My old boy Alfie is steady as a rock and not phased at all by the noise making whiz poppers surrounding the paddock. And my 2-year-old, Fleur, feels safe wherever she is with Alfie. I know if I put her in her stable where she could hear them but not see where the noises were coming from, she wouldn\u2019t be so calm.<\/p>

There are, however, things we all need to take into consideration during the fireworks season.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Leaving out<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Is my paddock safe and secure? If you have decided to keep your horse out, it\u2019s a good idea to check the fencing and that there are no foreign objects that could cause injury. If possible, you could also pop some extra hay out to keep your horse distracted, and unless your horse is extremely brave ensure they have the company of other horses to help them feel the safety from a herd environment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Keeping in <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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If you feel your horse would be much safer in a stable environment the same safety checks should be carried out beforehand. You could use stable toys, treat balls and plenty of hay to keep them occupied. Leaving lights on and a radio playing outside their box could help minimize the loud bangs and flashing lights. For some horses, ear plugs (like those used in competition) may be an option (but you\u2019ll need to test these out well in advance).<\/p>

And in all cases, if coming in at night is out of your horse\u2019s normal routine, starting to bring them in a week or so earlier may also help.\u00a0 Any sudden change in routine can make some horses nervous and have entirely the opposite effect than the one you were hoping for.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The next day<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The morning after the display try to keep to your horse\u2019s normal routine but check for any cuts\/ injuries. Thoroughly check the paddock and water troughs for any debris that may have come down overnight that could cause harm to your horses or other wildlife who share their field.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Further tips for fireworks<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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