Horses on Bonfire Night (November the 5th)

All across the UK pet owners are dreading tomorrow night. The night when stress is very high among the animal kingdom with even the most "bombproof" of horses being affected.  Many horses have died through injury sustained on November 5th or died of stress directly as a result of it so please take these guidelines to try and prevent as much damage as possible and always contact your local vet if you think your horse may be particularly susceptible to injury and/or stress and get medication to help.

 
 Sorry for the posts being so last minute but been very busy as usual! (please await a blog post sometime soon on my adventures this half term just gone).

Some great advice I stumbled across from Rowena Cook:

* Ask locally if anyone is intending to release fireworks so that you can be prepared.

* If you have a horse that is sensitive to noise then give some sedation, or put ear plugs in.

* Provide plenty of hay or haylage to keep the horse occupied.

* Remain on hand so that any rugs can be removed or reduced in number, as some horses may sweat up and that in itself can cause distress.

* Your presence will also have a resassuring effect.

* For a horse that is fractious, do not go into the stable to try to calm him down unless past experience has shown that this does work, otherwise you risk injury to yourself. Better to close the top door and let the horse deal with the situation and then attend to him once the fireworks are over.

* If possible, leave some lighting on rather than the yard being in darkness; this has the effect of the "flashing" not seeming to sudden and bright.

* Leave a radio on throughout.

* Opinion varies as to whether horses that are usually out should be brought in but if not used to being in, then this can cause more upset than being left out. If you are concerned, a little sedation will ease the situation.

* For horses that are out, double check your field for any potential causes of injury should they run about and make sure all fencing is as secure as possible.

* Remain on hand if possible, or at least carry out checks through the evening.

* If your horse is colic-prone, be sure to have appropriate medication to hand so that you can take action prior to the arrival of your vet (if warranted).

and from World Horse Welfare:

Stable Care
 

• Make sure you have sand and water nearby in case of a fire around the stables.
   
• If you keep your horse at livery you should be familiar with the fire drills – make sure you know where you should go with your horse.
   

Field Care
 

• In the morning check your field for any stray fireworks which might have landed there. It’s not uncommon for people to use fireworks to mark other occasions such as New Year or a wedding, so keep an eye out for public notices of such events.

- See more at: http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Fireworks#sthash.k1Al9XKc.dpuf