Staying safe during the Firework season

Firework season doesn't just revolve around the 5th of November anymore. Generally, most horse owners are experiencing private displays in the weeks before and after this autumn calendar date.

Whilst this is great fun for children and thrill seekers, for animal owners it starts a spell of panic and fear of keeping our animals safe and settled.

Here are our Ten Top Tips to help you keep your horses safe and reduce stress during this Firework Season:

1. Prepare well in advance of the 5th of November - many people are experiencing events well in advance of this seasonal date.
2. Speak to neighbours and groups locally who have a history of hosting events or may host events - find out times and scale of events to help you plan accordingly.
3. Try where possible to stick to your normal routine to keep things the same to avoid unnecessary disruption.
4. If your horse is to stay turned out check the boundaries, fencing and gates to make sure they are safe. Also consider pairing with a quieter horse for comfort and confidence.
5. Don’t plan to ride at dusk or in the arena if you have floodlights around this time, unscheduled use of fireworks may catch you unaware.
6. Play music in the yard to help mask some of the distant sounds of fireworks.
7. If your horse accepts them, noise cancelling ears can be used with great effect at this time of year - but beware of stable latches and objects that could get caught on the attachment and do not turn out in them. This should only really be done whilst under supervision and for the most intense period.
8. Consider staying with your horse through the duration of these events - to help keep calm and monitor the horse's behaviour.
9. If you are not able to stay with your horses through the event - consider a late-night check before bed to make sure everyone is safe and well.
10. Feed a calmer - there are a variety on the market from those you can feed regularly to instant calmers that act straight away. Beware that the regularly fed ones will need time to work and get into the system.

During this season, we recommend adding TRM Good as Gold to ensure your horses remain as calm as possible. Good as Gold contains high levels of L-Tryptophan – an essential amino acid and vitamin B1, plus the antioxidant Vitamin E – the ideal supplement for stressed, hot or nervous horses.