Community / Warning made over fireworks after horses left ‘utterly distraught’ at noise
AN OWNER of eight horses and ponies has urged people to think twice about setting off fireworks in the future after some of her animals were left distressed by the noise on bonfire night weekend.
Hannah Anderson said her horses, who stay in Bigton, were left drenched “head to toe” in sweat following the loud bangs.
She feels “very strongly that the cons greatly outweigh the pros” when it comes to fireworks.
Her horses were left terrified on the Saturday evening (7 November), a couple of days after bonfire night, following nearby fireworks.
She was pre-warned of fireworks being set off at 7pm but another display around 40 minutes prior took her by surprise.
“The impact the fireworks had on my horses was huge,” she said.
“Both horses were so stressed they were drenched in their own sweat and my young horse, who is only three, had froth coming from her nostrils she was so worked up.
“I had gone to take them in from their field at 6.20pm before the 7pm start of the other firework display but there was already other being set off which scared them, causing them to gallop around their field and were even scared of me going close to catch them. They usually come to me.
“It took me a good 25 minutes to catch them and I even called my mother to help me as I was in a state of worry thinking they were going to do themselves harm.”
Anderson said she lost her Welsh pony in July due to an accident and “since then I have been very cautious and protective over them as it was utterly heartbreaking for me”.
“The horses the following day were a lot calmer than the previous night but still quite jumpy and they flinched at any sort of bang,” she added.
Anderson said that the horses have never liked fireworks but usually people tend to notify if there are to be any set off in the area.
In these instances she would take the horses into their stables, put the radio on loud and be with them to make sure they are okay.
“People should 100 per cent think twice before setting off fireworks – they cause so much distress to not just animals, but some adults and children too,” Anderson said.
“I’m very lucky that my dogs and a few of my other ponies aren’t too bothered by fireworks however I know first hand how some pets can be affected.
“Having veterinary experience, it’s a huge worry for the vast majority of pet owners.
“I feel very strongly that the cons greatly outweigh the pros of them, there are far too many negative causes to justify them being sold to the general public with no sort of guidelines or rules to abide by, not to mention how dangerous they are to start with.”
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