It’s Independence Day. You’ve been to the parade, participated in the festivities, eaten the mouth-watering BBQ, and now it’s time to get out the fireworks for an epic show that is sure to outdo last year’s number.
You light up your first Firefly of the night. The colors are brilliant! The sounds are thrilling! And just as quickly as it began, it’s over.
You look over into where your horse is and notice that they are zooming around their pasture, tail in the air, nostrils flared.
And headed straight towards the fence…
As an experienced horse owner, you know what comes next. Either you get to call the vet or your horse makes a last-minute turn and runs to the other end of the pasture.
Even though you may enjoy the light show, your horse may not. There are many ways that you can prepare your 4-legged friend for the big day.
Keep reading to find a few tips to help your horse before, during, and after a planned fireworks show.
Are horses okay with fireworks?
Have you spent hundreds of hours desensitizing your horse to just about everything under the sun? Then chances are they will be fine with the stunning light show.
Even though some horses are okay with fireworks, most are not.
The sounds, smells, and lights from fireworks are not something that your horse is exposed to on a daily basis (unless you’re part of a Search and Rescue crew or Police force).
Fireworks are unpredictable. As an experienced horse owner, you know that anything unpredictable means the potential for an accident. Which is definitely something you want to avoid at all costs.
Here are a few things that you can do to help your horse stay calm this fireworks season:
1) Keep your horse in their usual environment
It’s important that your horse is kept as comfortable as possible, and moving them to a new space can cause unneeded stress. Plus, they are familiar with this territory which means a lower risk for an accident if they get spooked.
2) Give them extra hay as a distraction
If your horse is not out in a pasture, then give them extra hay. By giving them extra food they are more likely to focus on that than what is going on outside.
Standlee, Certified Alfalfa Grab & Go Compressed Bale, 50 lb
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3) Check their stall for obstacles
If you keep your horse in a stall, check it over to make sure there isn’t anything they could hurt themselves on. Toys, buckets, things hung on stalls, etc. As you know, when horses spook they get themselves into all kinds of trouble. So save yourself the headache, and remove anything that they could potentially get themselves hung up on.
4) Keep a radio on to mask the sound of fireworks
If your horse is in a barn, try keeping a radio on. This will get them used to constant sound and it will be a useful tool to mask the loud booms of the fireworks. Try turning it on at least a week prior to the event. Some horses might take a bit to settle into the new routine of having something new happening in their barn.
5) Check your fences
If your horse is primarily in their pasture, check your fence about a week before the event. This will give you ample time to fix anything that needs to be replaced. You can also check their pasture to make sure there won’t be anything dangerous that they could get hung up on if they spook.
6) If you are out of town, leave detailed instructions for the sitter including vet info
It’s important to leave detailed instructions for your animals any time you go out of town. But, if you plan on going out of town on a weekend (or week) when there are fireworks happening, then make sure you leave a checklist of things that might happen and how to handle it (especially if your pet sitter isn’t familiar with horses). Including the best way to reach your vet, and emergency contact if they can’t be reached.
7) Add a supplement to help with stress
There are many supplements out there that will help with keeping your horse calm and making sure they don’t develop ulcers due to high stress. As always, check with your vet before introducing anything new into your horse’s diet.
One of our favorite supplements is from the Redmond company. Daily Gold Stress Relief is a fantastic product that will help bring your horse’s stress level down, while also helping prevent ulcers from forming.
Redmond Rock Daily Gold Horse Gut Supplement, 5lb
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If you are still concerned about how your horse may react to being around fireworks, talk to your vet about a prescription sedative to help keep them calm.
What can I do to help my horse after the fireworks?
Is your horse still stressed from all of the fireworks? Have they gone off their feed or stopped drinking their water?
If your horse still seems stressed even days after the fireworks show, there are a few things you can try.
Soak your hay prior to feeding. This will take a lot of the sugar out and will be less likely to cause your horse any digestional discomfort. Soaking your hay in a bucket of water can also help hydrate your horse.
If your horse still isn’t drinking water, you can try putting apple-flavored electrolytes in their water. This will make it more palatable, and they’ll be more likely to drink it. It is also a good idea to carry this in your trailer to add to their water at shows, as a lot of the time their water will taste like chlorine. If you’re at a horse show over the holidays, try using this prior to any fireworks that might be going off. They’ll be used to it by the time there is a fireworks show, and it won’t seem like you’re introducing anything new.
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If things are still looking bad, and your horse is refusing food and water, then call your vet and have them come out to check on your horse.
Have questions or need help finding the right solution? Stop by your local Wilco Farm Store and talk to our Animal Health Experts for more ideas on how to keep your horse safe this fireworks season.
We would love to see your horse photos, use #mywilcolife on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and tag Wilco Stores.
