Fireworks - Be Ready!

Calm is what we want during fireworks

Many people report horses being frightened by fireworks. Yet other horses are calm. What makes the difference, and how can we help those who are scared? For this article I consulted trainers of different backgrounds, and asked facebook friends to share experiences and ideas. Everyone’s situation is different, so I include many ideas in hopes that you will find something, or some combination of things, that help your horse. The goals are to reduce fear and create a positive association with fireworks.
Part 1 of this article describes observations owners have made that seem to correlate to less fear of fireworks. Part 2 is ideas for coping during fireworks. Part 3 is programs for getting horses accustomed to the sounds and lights of fireworks ahead of time. This is especially important if your horse is in a situation where someone might set off fireworks without notifying you in advance.

Part 1: Owners’ observations of horses who have little or no reaction to fireworks
1. Turnout 24/7 or close to it.
2. An environment that accustoms them to loud noises and unusual sights: Neighbors or owners who target practice. Proximity to a shooting range, military base, or other facility that routinely produces loud noises. Thunderstorms. Varied and noisy activities at home, ranging from machinery to children.
3. Herd mates who do not react to fireworks.
4. Distance from fireworks. Horses close enough to hear crackles and whistles are more likely to be frightened than those far enough away to hear only bangs and booms.
5. Activities such as Horse Agility and Investigative Behavior that build confidence and shift horses’ default reactions to the unknown from “Better run!” to “Better check it out.” Investigative Behavior is explained in detail in my book What Horses Really Want
For Horse Agility Information visit The International Horse Agility Club

Engaging Shiloh's Attention with Treats - Safely Separated

Part 2: When you have little or no time to prepare These are ideas that people have reported to be helpful when they were caught unprepared. While the first two require some advance notice, the rest can be implemented at any time. Only you can evaluate what is most promising for your horse’s comfort and safety. Pay special attention to your own safety, remembering that even the nicest horses can be unpredictable when frightened. Helmets and boots are recommended. If in doubt, keep a fence or wall between you. If you have a choice, however, please do not gamble on “winging it” when fireworks happen. Things can go badly wrong in a flash (literally). It takes far less time and money to prepare in advance than to treat an injured horse, and it’s far more fun than feeling guilty. 1. If you feel that your horse could be a danger to himself or anyone else, ask your vet about a tranquilizer. These typically need to be given a specified time before fireworks begin, and may be less effective once a horse is stressed.
2. Consider transporting your horse to a quieter place before fireworks start.
3. Keep your horse in the place (pasture, paddock, or stall) where you feel he is physically safest, and he feels most emotionally secure. Provide lots of hay, nature’s tranquilizer. Do not tie a horse or try to restrain him.
4. Provide calm companionship. Older horses he knows and trusts provide reassurance, and so can you. Horses look for emotional support when they are frightened, and the worst thing for a fearful horse is to be alone.
5. Present a cheerfully calm manner that conveys you are not worried, and fireworks are meant to be fun. Being solicitous or soothing implies you are worried.
6. Engage your horse’s attention with something he enjoys such as games, tricks, massage, grooming, and/or very special treats that he does not routinely get. The idea is to distract his attention in the moment, and to create a positive association with fireworks.
7. Play music. Research suggests that horses find country and classical music soothing, while jazz or rock can actually increase stress, so watch your horse’s body language. Ideally observe ahead of time what music calms him best.
8. Run fans. Be sure fans are barn safe (box fans are a fire hazard).
9. Use earplugs. Horses should be accustomed to them in advance, and they have not proved adequate for horses who are very frightened.
10. If your horse is clicker trained, you can station yourself outside his stall or paddock with a very relaxed posture, and C/T when feet stop or slow down; click increasingly calm behavior. Shiloh used to race frantically around her stall at the sound of heavy rain on our metal barn roof; this calmed her significantly in the course of one thunderstorm. Here’s a success story from Lesa Collins-Scheifele. Notice how quickly the people’s attitude, along with treats, changed fear to indifference. The same approach can be used from the other side of a fence or stall door for safety. “We have new neighbors who have decided that the little strip of land right next to our pasture is the best place for them to shoot off the fireworks. The fireworks go up over and bloom above the pasture. We went outside to find our horses cowering and shaking in the far corner. The first treats that we offered only got them to walk a little bit towards us and then they would quickly run away again. These are usually pocket horses. We kept offering treats until they would stay near us and then we slowly moved them closer and closer to the fireworks. Every time we heard the “thump” of the firework leaving the tube we would feed a treat and continue another treat while it exploded. By the end of the hour they were standing in the middle of the pasture with us and looking to us every time they heard the thump. Two nights later the neighbors on the other side started up. We had to start the training over, we assumed because it was coming from an entirely different side and the whole idea was still so new, but they calmed down much faster and we were able to leave them happily grazing before the fireworks were halfway over. “I’m a big believer in animals picking up moods, so we were both calm like we were there to enjoy the fireworks and we didn’t push them. Our attitude was not “oh you poor things are so scared!” but instead “hey! We’ve got your FAVORITE treats over here. Wow, look at that firework! Hey, want some apple?”

Heads-up Startle - The Biggest Reaction We Want to Get

Part 3: Preparing Horses in Advance Getting your horse accustomed to fireworks can be an adventure, not a chore. It is a chance to use your ingenuity, watch your horse’s responses, and enjoy seeing his fear turn to indifference or even interest as he learns to associate fireworks with good things. Meanwhile, you build his trust in you as you provide the moral support he needs. Each program below can be done with a recording of fireworks. Depending on your proximity to fireworks, you might include disco or strobe lights, blinking holiday lights, bubble machine, or smoke machine. (Some items might be rented from a party store.) Horses must be allowed to progress at their own pace so they are never too anxious to process new information. A horse’s fear will INCREASE if he feels trapped or pressured, so it is crucial to stay attuned to his body language, and recognize the first signs of anxiety. If anxiety increases at any point, reduce or turn off sounds and lights. I have seen recommendations that horses should be “worked” if they react to fireworks. Work does not reduce fear, but it could put a handler in a dangerous situation while creating an even more negative association with fireworks. The safest proven approach (#4) is listed last, only because it is the most detailed. There is a bonus fun idea after that. 1. From a police horse trainer: This method requires someone to manage recordings and lights (or actually set off fireworks), space to get a safe distance away, a horse who is safe to handle, and a skilled handler. If all this is feasible, it becomes a controlled version of the scenario Lesa described above. Start with the horse far away from the fireworks where he has only a mild reaction (heads up startle). When he no longer reacts, step closer. Include lots of rewards. Each step happens only when he is relaxed. Standing still is not the goal; we need to change the horse’s emotions, not his behavior.
2. Adaptation from dog training: Play a short, soft recording of fireworks every day right before giving horses a meal. As horses begin looking happy to hear the fireworks (Food’s coming!), slowly ramp up the volume. Add lights and/ or smoke smell if relevant for your situation.
I offer this idea with the caveat that I do not know anyone who has tried it. I just adapted it from an old gun dog trainer trick: fire a shot right before mealtime, and dogs soon associate gunshots with good things. A cap pistol is an easy way to start accustoming horses to popping sounds.
3. From clicker trainer Brandalyn Robison (facebook group Clicker Training Horses): You could counter-condition and desensitize to the sound and lights using clicker. I’d start with one stimulus at a time at a mild intensity and click/reward when they notice it but before any spook reaction (but if they are spooking, go down to a lower intensity of light/sound). The threshold for a fearful reaction gets pushed back further and further until it is nonexistent.
Rather than putting them in a scary situation (fireworks) and try to change their behavior when they’re panicky, put them in a situation where they will be relaxed so that behavior can be rewarded. Just watch for signs of nervousness so you know if you’re going too fast for them when you make the sounds louder. Then you can back off to where they were comfortable again and work your way up more slowly.
4. From Vanessa Bee, author of Over, Under, Through: Obstacle Training for Horses. She has extensive experience desensitizing horses to many things, and found this method consistently successful with fireworks.
a. Start NOW. The day or week of fireworks is too late, but horses have great memories, so they will remember later what they learn now. You can re-play your program as a refresher when fireworks occasions approach.
b. Work in the same safe place your horse will be during fireworks whether it is stall, paddock, or pasture. Do not tie or hold onto him; he needs to move his feet. Provide hay if grass is not available. If you can borrow or have another horse nearby that is already desensitised and happy then so much the better (but not in the same space). Familiarity and predictability help horses relax, so keep as close as possible to the routine you will use the night of fireworks.
c. If there is a group of horses in the same area, you must work at the level of the most nervous horse. It takes only one to panic for the others to join in.
d. Find out what helps your horse relax – massage, grooming or just being left alone while you are nearby.
e. Play a recording of firework sounds, very low for a few seconds at first then building up for longer and louder sessions (this may take weeks), reward the horse for being calm and relaxed using massage, stroking etc. as identified above.
f. Watch for signs of anxiety – they may not be as dramatic as a spook, look for circling, stamping, tense muscles, grinding teeth etc. If this behaviour occurs, turn the sound down to the level that the horse can tolerate; say nothing to him just remain calm and relaxed. You might need to turn the sounds off completely, have a rest, and start again right back at the beginning.
g. If your horse is not ready on the night of the display do not hesitate to request sedation from your vet but be prepared for next year by continuing to practice.
h. On the night of the fireworks go through exactly the same routine as every other night even to playing the firework sounds right through the display. Have plenty of hay or forage and a hot drink and food for yourself. Ensure that your horse does not need to be left alone at any time during the display. Behave normally; do not react in any way to the flashes and bangs about you.
Bonus fun idea Bubble wrap can be a fun, easy introduction to popping sounds. It can also be a confidence booster when a horse discovers that he is in control of making the sound. I put it on the barn floor and let my horses watch me walk on it. Then I invited them to walk across it with me. Always demonstrate so the horse is not surprised when he steps on it. This alone would not likely reduce fear of fireworks, but might be helpful along with another program. Plus it’s a fun activity independent of fireworks!
Thank you to everyone who shared experiences and ideas. I hope that everyone with a fearful horse has found something useful. Updates as I get new information. You can PM me on facebook, or email ljacton13736@gmail.com.