The Management of Horses during Fireworks in New Zealand.
Authors: Gronqvist Gabriella, Rogers Chris, Gee Erica
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Fireworks Management in Horses A New Zealand online survey of 4,765 horses has provided the first systematic documentation of equine responses to fireworks and current management practices, revealing a substantial welfare concern across the population. Gronqvist and colleagues found that 79% of horses exhibited anxiety or severe anxiety during fireworks displays, with running being the predominant behaviour (82% of anxious horses), leading to significant injury risks—35% of respondents reported fence breakage and 26% documented firework-related injuries. Traditional mitigation strategies such as moving horses to distant paddocks (77% adoption) or stabling them (55%) proved ineffective in approximately 30% of cases, suggesting that standard containment approaches may fail to address the underlying fear response. The high proportion of respondents opposed to private fireworks sale (90%) underscores widespread recognition of the problem, though the variation in management efficacy indicates that practitioners need more nuanced, evidence-based guidance for helping anxious horses during these events—potentially involving pharmacological support, environmental modification, or behavioural desensitisation rather than relying solely on physical separation. These findings provide essential baseline data for equine professionals to counsel owners on realistic expectations and develop more sophisticated risk-reduction strategies for this common but poorly understood stressor.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Plan ahead for fireworks periods: moving horses to distant paddocks or stabling is the most common strategy, but expect it to be ineffective in 3 out of 10 cases—consider additional measures such as chemical sedation in consultation with your veterinarian
- •Inspect fencing and shelter thoroughly before fireworks events, as the high frequency of running (82%) and fence breakages (35%) indicate significant injury risk that extends beyond behavioural stress
- •Document any fireworks-related injuries for individual horse records, as 26% of owners report such injuries; this data may support advocacy for stricter fireworks regulations in your region
Key Findings
- •79% of horses surveyed showed anxiety (anxious or very anxious) in response to fireworks, with only 21% rated as not anxious
- •Running was the most common behavioural response (82%), with 35% of horses breaking through fences as a consequence
- •26% of respondents reported horses sustained injuries associated with fireworks
- •Common management strategies (moving to paddock away from fireworks, stabling) were ineffective in approximately 30% of cases, and 90% of surveyed owners opposed private fireworks sales