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+The more correspondence an MP has on an issue, the more likely they are to take action. Many MPs are calling for tighter fireworks regulations and by raising awareness of individual views and experiences, we can gain even more allies. Use the link to find your MP’s contact details.

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Petitions really can make a difference so please sign and share! Government petitions can trigger an official response or even a parliamentary debate. Use the search bar to find current petitions relating to fireworks to sign and share.

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Petitions - UK Government and Parliament

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10,000

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If a petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament

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Petitions - UK Government and Parliament

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If a petition gets 10,000 signatures, the government will respond If a petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament Find petitions being signed by people near you Anyone can start a petition as long as they are a British citizen or UK resident Start a petition

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Please record any incident where a horse is affected by fireworks through the BHS so accurate statistics can be shared with government.

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Incident report form | The British Horse Society

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We captured footage of the distress caused by fireworks on some of our rescued ponies in 2023. Redwings has tragically had to put three horses to sleep in the past because of fireworks. We are committed to keeping our horses safe but know that without better fireworks regulation, there is always a risk to their wellbeing.

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Redwings Fireworks and Horses survey was completed by more than 5,000 UK horse owners in just five weeks. Our report sharing initial findings was published in February 2025 and is free to read and download.

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Record incidents affecting other animals

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Record incidents affecting other animals

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The RSPCA’s ‘Kind Sparks’ campaign has lots of additional information on their webpage. Stories of other animals such as dogs, cats, smaller pets or farm animals being affected by fireworks can also be shared through the site.

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In the last four years, we've received a total of 1,543 calls about fireworks and their effects on animals.

This year due to coronavirus restrictions and organised events being cancelled, a recent poll has confirmed 18% more people in England and Wales will be holding private displays in their back gardens. The increased number of private firework displays means we could see more calls coming in about animals and fireworks.

High numbers of pets affected by fireworks

Around 62% of dogs show signs of distress during fireworks. This alone means thousands of animals are affected by unplanned and random fireworks each year.

Results also saw other animals showing distress during fireworks:

The British Horse Society reports 20 deaths, 10 severe injuries, and 88 mild to moderate injuries in horses in fireworks incidents since 2010.

Fireworks are damaging to farm animals and wildlife

Sadly it's not just household pets that are affected by fireworks.

Farm animals are easily frightened by loud noises and sudden flashes of bright light, which can startle and cause them to injure themselves on fencing and farm equipment.

Wildlife, like hedgehogs, are also at risk of being burnt alive after making their homes in bonfires.

Fireworks are also highly disturbing to some birds and have caused the abandonment of nests or even whole colonies.

Change firework regulations

85% of people think public firework displays should be licensed. This is just one of the regulation changes we're calling for. If you agree, take action by encouraging your local council to put forward changes.

Ava's story

When Julie Lumley-Pistor and her husband, from Portsmouth, Hampshire, went out on the evening of 22 August, leaving their two dogs at home, they had no concerns. They certainly didn't expect fireworks to frighten their usually happy Staffie, Ava, who finds fireworks season very stressful.

They left at 7pm to visit a neighbour's home for dinner. Julie said:

Firework regulation changes we are calling for

Restrict private use to traditional dates

Restrict the private use of fireworks to agreed traditional dates (i.e. November 5th, New Year's Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali). These dates are already recognised as being exceptional in the fireworks regulations and we believe that the existing prohibition on sales at all other times could and should be extended to include use as well.

Reduce maximum permitted decibels for private use

We want to see the maximum permitted noise level of fireworks for public sale reduced to 90 decibels. Noise level studies have indicated that this level - equivalent to a car door slamming - is likely to minimise distress to animals.

The current allowed level, 120 decibels, is equivalent to a jet aircraft taking off. Fireworks above 90 decibels should only be used at licensed public displays.

All public firework displays to be licensed

We believe all public fireworks displays need to be licensed by the relevant licensing authority. Information about the proposed display must be provided in the local area with a process for local residents to appeal against the granting of the licence.

This process should also apply to people seeking to hold private displays at special events such as weddings.

Private fireworks boxes to be labelled

We would also like to see fireworks labelled as 'loud' or 'low noise' to allow consumers to make an informed decision if they do buy fireworks.

Study was conducted in England and Wales via Kantar OnLineBus, an Internet omnibus survey. A sample of 1,137 adults aged 16+ were interviewed in October 2019. 345 dog owners and 320 cat owners and 20 horse owners responded to the question: 'Does your pet/animal show signs of distress during the fireworks season?'.

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Help make fireworks less frightening for animals | RSPCA

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In the last four years, we've received a total of 1,543 calls about fireworks and their effects on animals. This year due to coronavirus restrictions and organised events being cancelled, a recent poll has confirmed 18% more people in England and Wales will be holding private displays in their back gardens.

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Redwings created this film based on footage from a livery yard shared in 2025. The video has been shared thousands of times and seen by more than 3.7 million people.

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This is the effect fireworks can have on horses.

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Our special film shows that fireworks present multiple risks to horses - and their owners. Voiced by fantastic actor and campaign supporter Dan Richardson, the video contains some distressing images.

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What impact can loud fireworks have on horses?

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Horse owner Anna explains what happened to her and her pony Leon when a professional fireworks display was held close to a large livery yard in May 2024.

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The fear behind the cheer | Redwings Horse Sanctuary

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Redwings petition asking for the noise of consumer fireworks to be reduced from 120 to 90 decibels was signed by more than 184,000 people and was one of two fireworks petitions debated in parliament on 19th January 2026. Watch the debate recording or read the transcript. Did your MP take part?

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Petitions - UK Government and Parliament

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Petition: Reduce the maximum noise level for consumer fireworks from 120 to 90 decibels

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We think each year, individuals suffer because of loud fireworks. We believe horses, dogs, cats, livestock and wildlife can be terrified by noisy fireworks and many people find them intolerable.

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Redwings is part of a coalition of 19 charities all calling for tighter regulation of fireworks. The organisations represent both humans and animals and host an annual drop-in event for MPs to raise awareness of the issue and give MPs a chance to show their support.

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95 MPs attend fireworks drop-in event at Westminster | Redwings Horse Sanctuary

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95 MPs* from across the UK have attended a drop-in event at Westminster to talk about the effects of fireworks on animals and people, organised in part by us here at Redwings.The Fireworks Impact Coalition**, made up of 19 animal and people-focussed charities – including us – who are all calling for change, organised the event which took place last Wednesday (12th November). It was sponsored by Sarah Owen, MP for Luton North, who is a passionate advocate for tighter fireworks regulation.

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Redwings disputes claims that the Animal Welfare Act already offers protection from the risk of fireworks. A panel of experts explain why the Act isn’t suitable for cases where fireworks have inadvertently caused suffering to an animal in our groundbreaking report.

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Tag @RedwingsHorseSanctuary when sharing fireworks content on social media and use our #KeepHorsesInMind hashtag.

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Keep up to date with Redwings’ campaigns and other ways we work to help horses beyond our sanctuary fences.

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Our campaigning | Redwings Horse Sanctuary

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For Redwings, campaigning is about helping horses far and wide, and stopping neglect and suffering before it happens

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Use and share our special webpage which has even more information and actions to help us achieve change.

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Fireworks and horses | Redwings Horse Sanctuary

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Fireworks can be frightening for equines: three Redwings ponies died trying to escape them. Find out why we are calling for better legislation and enforcement

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Redwings was one of five charities invited to attend the presentation of a petition to Downing Street on 5th November 2024. With well over 1 million signatures, the story also generated more than 500 pieces of media coverage.

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Million-signature firework restrictions petition handed in to Downing Street

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Campaigner Julie Doorne delivered the petition calling for tighter regulations on Tuesday afternoon.

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Raise awareness of the benefits of low-noise fireworks as an effective compromise to help reduce the stress and tragedy fireworks can cause while still allowing people to enjoy traditional events together.

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New Year fireworks: Why don’t more people use quiet pyrotechnics?

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Fireworks cause anxiety for pet owners and some with autism. What’s the answer?

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Further analysis from the Fireworks and Horses survey suggests owners are limited in the protection they can offer their horse when fireworks are let off nearby.

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Further evidence of the impact of fireworks on equines was published in 2026.

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Introduction

In the UK, fireworks are predominantly used around November 5th (Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night) and New Year's Eve. To a lesser degree, they are also used at various other national, cultural, or religious events, such as the Twelfth of July (in Northern Ireland), Diwali, and Lunar/Chinese New Year, as well as for personal celebrations like weddings and birthdays.

The use of fireworks in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland is primarily regulated by the Fireworks Act 2003 and the Fireworks Regulations 2004 (Chapman et al. Reference Chapman, Dennis, Joyce, Donalds and Sime2010). Scotland has similar legislation under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Regulations 2004. The purpose of such legislation is to restrict the type of fireworks available to the public and to private displays, and to restrict the times of day and year during which fireworks can be used. Prevention of harm to animals (along with to people and property) is listed in these acts as a reason for their existence.

Fireworks are known to elicit fright responses in a range of domestic animals, including equids, particularly horses (Gronqvist et al. Reference Gronqvist, Rogers and Gee2016; Gates et al. Reference Gates, Zito, Walker and Dale2019; Dai et al. Reference Dai, Rausk, Aspegren, Huhtinen, Cannas and Minero2020; Lindstedt Reference Lindstedt2020). Gates et al. ( Reference Gates, Zito, Walker and Dale2019) in New Zealand reported that 49.9% of horses expressed some form of fear behaviour in response to fireworks, with escaping being the most common response. Lindstedt ( Reference Lindstedt2020) studied horses' behaviour during New Year's Eve fireworks in Finland and reported stable location to be an important factor, with horses in urban environments being more likely to experience anxiety, which is complimented by Gronqvist et al. ( Reference Gronqvist, Rogers and Gee2016) who suggests that stabling and moving of horses can be effective mitigation measures. Within the UK, horses are generally kept as animals for companionship, sport, or recreation, and less so for meat as may be the case elsewhere in the world. However, unlike smaller companion animals, such as cats and dogs, horses tend to live outside of the home and away from the owner. These circumstances can provide unique challenges for animal care as the owner cannot as readily observe how the animal responds to discrete but uncommon stimuli (i.e. fireworks) and thus not as easily react to the short-term needs of the animal in response to such stimuli. In the UK, whilst equids may be kept outdoors at night, this is reduced during the periods (i.e. winter) when fireworks are more common, meaning that they may be highly exposed to the audio and visual stimuli of fireworks, especially with the ability for sound to travel long distances over open ground (e.g. countryside).

Animal and horse charities and advocacy groups warn owners of the risk of fireworks to horses, e.g. " As flight animals, horses can be particularly sensitive to the unpredictable loud noises and bright lights of fireworks displays" (Redwings Horse Sanctuary 2025). They also offer advice, with Blue Cross ( 2025) suggesting that horses should be kept in a familiar environment, which could be outside, but that more frightened horses may need stabling. Between November 2010 and March 2024, The British Horse Society ( 2025) reported over a thousand incidents involving horses and fireworks, resulting in 35 deaths and 270 injuries - with reasonable likelihood that only a small proportion of incidents were reported. The organisation submitted evidence to the Office for Produce Safety and Standards, asking for a number of changes to be considered, including the use of silent fireworks in the vicinity of animals, a register for home firework use, a 500-m safe zone around horse dwellings, and advanced notice from display organisers to neighbours (The British Horse Society 2019). Calls for legislative and regulatory changes are strongest when supported by firm evidence. However, much of the evidence relating to the impact of fireworks on equids remains anecdotal and there is thus a need for targeted research to establish, and ideally quantify, the impacts.

Study aim

The primary aim of this study was to understand the impact of fireworks on equids in the UK. This was achieved via an online survey distributed to UK horse and donkey owners. There were four sub-aims:

1. 1. Assess horse and donkey owners' opinions regarding the regulation of fireworks.

2. 2. Quantify the behaviours that horses and donkeys exhibit in response to fireworks.

3. 3. Report the type of injuries incurred by horses and donkeys as a direct or indirect result of fireworks.

4. 4. Identify strategies that owners use to mitigate the risk and impact of fireworks on their animals and the self-reported efficacy of these strategies.

Materials and methods

Ethical considerations

This study received full ethical approval from the University of Lincoln Ethics Committee (reference number LEAS4279). All included respondents provided informed consent after reading the participant information sheet which outlined the purpose of the study and factors such as data storage and use. All owned either a horse or donkey, as signified by their answers to questions 11 and 12 (see Supplementary material). Respondents were all from the UK and were aged 18 or over. Participation was anonymous. Respondents could withdraw at any point whilst taking part, and once answers were submitted they could retrospectively withdraw as their results would not be identifiable.

Survey

A survey (see Supplementary material) was distributed to UK horse and donkey owners. The survey was set up using the onlinesurveys.ac.uk (JISC) app, which allows for data collection with a high degree of data protection. People were invited to take part if they were owners of equids (either donkeys or horses) and lived within the UK. The survey was initially distributed via social media (Facebook and X [Twitter]) but was spread more widely using the snowball effect (Parker et al. Reference Parker, Scott and Geddes2019). The survey had five primary sections:

1. 1. Owner background and views (Q1-10): This covered basic information regarding the owner (e.g. age, gender, area of living) and their general views on firework use and regulation.

2. 2. About their equids (Q11, 22): Owners were asked a series of questions regarding their equid, including species, age, neuter status, use, and aspects of housing and management.

3. 3. Behavioural responses to fireworks (Q23, 28): Owners reported the perceived fear level their equid had in response to fireworks. They also reported behaviours that they have observed their equid display in response to fireworks and the longevity of those behaviours.

4. 4. Injuries (Q29, 33): Owners were asked if their animal had been injured by fireworks and, if so, details surrounding that injury, such as what the injury was, whether veterinary care was required, or if the animal died.

5. 5. Mitigation (Q34, 38): Owners reported the mitigation strategies that they use to lessen the impact of fireworks on their animal and to score the effectiveness of these strategies from their experience. Owners were asked to report if they perceived the intervention to be very effective, moderately effective, somewhat effective, or ineffective most of the time.

Statistical analysis

Due to the nature of the data gathered, such as much of it being ordinal, binary, categorical, or count data, non-parametric testing was opted for over parametric.

Though a direct comparison between horses and donkeys is not the primary purpose of the study, various comparisons were made as both sets of animal owners received the same questions, just with donkey/horse inserted where appropriate. Differences between owners' perceptions of their horses and donkeys' fear of fireworks were assessed using a Mann-Whitney U test. Differences in responses to fireworks were compared between horses and donkeys using a Chi-squared test with P-values adjusted for multiple comparisons using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure. Differences in injury rates between horses and donkeys were made using a Chi-squared test.

Ordinal logistic regression models were fitted using the cumulative link model with a logit-link function to examine individual predictors of fear. Individual models were developed for horses and donkeys. The dependent variable was the owner-reported level of fear. For horses, the independent variables were sex and castration status (combined), age, origin, housing, location, environment, use/discipline, and the number of other horses at the location. For donkeys, the independent variables were size (full or miniature), sex and castration status (combined), age, origin, housing, location, use, and the number of other equids at the location. Regression models were followed by likelihood ratio testing to provide a summary of which factors (not levels within factors) were significantly associated with fear.

Variations in owner-perceived fear in their animals were compared across different display types that the owners had reported in their area. This was completed independently for both horses and donkeys using a Kruskal-Wallis test; where that test yielded a statistically significant result, a post hoc Dunn's test was performed, with the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure applied to adjust for multiple comparisons.

Results

Sample summary

A total of 1,466 owners responded to the survey, this comprised of n = 1,234 horse owners and n = 232 donkey owners. Respondents were predominantly female, and there was a distribution of ages. Characteristics of equids varied and they represented a variety of sex, age, origin, castration status, housing, and environments ( Table 1).

Views towards fireworks

A greater proportion of horse owners (34.4%; 425/1,234) believed that fireworks should be banned, compared to donkey owners (15.1%; 35/232). However, the proportion of owners who felt that tighter regulations were needed were similar in both groups, as were their views regarding how regulations should change, with a restriction of firework use to specific occasions being the most common answers ( Table 2).

Behaviour and responses

The majority (63.3%; 781/1,234) of horse owners stated that their horses responded negatively to fireworks, compared to a minority (21.1%; 49/232) of donkey owners. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of responses between horses and donkeys ( Table 3). For both animals, running and kicking were the most commonly reported behaviours ( Figure 1). Bucking and rearing was relatively common in horses, but uncommon in donkeys. Conversely, vocalisation was not commonly reported for horses yet was reported for the majority of donkeys. Though diarrhoea was only somewhat common in both groups, for a subset of donkeys it appeared to be the predominant response.

Fear

Horse owners typically rated their animals as being more scared of fireworks than donkey owners, with a median scores of 6 and 3 recorded for horses and donkeys, respectively (W = 83,893; P < 0.001) ( Figure 2).

For horses, likelihood ratio testing found 'use' to be the only factor that was significantly associated with fear ( Tables 4- 6). The full output for ordinal regression models can be found in Tables S1 and S2 in the Supplementary material. Fear score levels were significantly lower for horses used for hunting (x̄ = 2.0, z = -9.489; P < 0.001) and sport (x̄ = 3.7, z = -3.808; P < 0.001), and significantly higher for horses used for pony club (x̄ = 6.7, z = 4.066; P < 0.001) and pleasure (x̄ = 6.7, z = 4.028; P < 0.001). For donkeys, likelihood ratio testing found other equids to be significantly associated with fear of fireworks, with ordinal regression revealing that donkeys housed in the presence of a greater number of equids had lower owner-reported levels of fear of fireworks (z = -2.428; P = 0.152). Though not shown in the likelihood ratio testing, ordinal regression did find that donkeys originating from 'other' (e.g. not rehomed, rescue, from family, or breeders) scored higher in terms of fear level (x̄ = 4.2, z = 2.302; P = 0.021).

The type of fireworks displays that owners reported in their area had an impact upon the perceived level of fear in horses (χ ² = 225.47; P < 0.001) but not donkeys (χ ² = 2.89; P = 0.409) ( Figure 3). For horses, greater fear levels were reported for animals housed near organised displays, compared to those housed close to private displays, or both.

When asked to provide the aspects of fireworks which proved most problematic for their animals, horse owners most commonly cited 'loud bangs' (35.3%; 435/1,234) followed by 'flashing lights' (21.6%; 267/1,234), however a moderate number reported 'none' (28.1%; 347/1,234). For donkey owners, the majority stated 'none' (78.4%; 182/232), but some did also cite loud bangs (10.8%; 25/232) and flashing lights (6.5%; 15/232). 'Falling debris' and 'falling embers' were only reported by a small number of horse owners (6.3% [78/1,234] and 2.9% [36/1,234], respectively), whilst 'falling embers' was only reported by one donkey owner and falling debris was reported by none.

Injury

Injuries associated with fireworks were reported by 8.1% (100/1,234) of horse owners. Of these, the majority were cuts/lacerations (79%; 79/100). Other injuries included broken bones (11%; 11/100), hoof and foot damage (5%; 5/100), car accidents after escaping (3%; 3/100), abrasions (1%; 1/100), damage to teeth (1%; 1/100), and eye damage from a tree (1%; 1/100). Veterinary care was required for 51% (51/100) of injuries. Of the reported injuries to horses, 12% (12/100) resulted in death, nine from broken bones, and three from car accidents. Only one donkey owner reported their animal being injured by fireworks, stating that the animal experienced 'cuts', which did not require veterinary care. Injury rates differed significantly between horses and donkeys ( χ ² = 17.071; P < 0.001). Of horse owners reporting injuries, 45% (45/100) reported that the horse had managed to escape from its housing, though not asked to clarify if this was because of fireworks, this is assumed to be the case given the implication and context of the question.

Mitigation

Some form of mitigation strategy was used by 74.8% (923/1,234) of horse owners and 20.7% (48/232) of donkey owners. For both groups, the most common strategy entailed ensuring that the animal is stabled. The strategy deemed to be most effective was to move the animal from the premises. Horse owners appeared to employ a broader range of mitigation strategies, although the sample size is larger than for donkeys ( Table 7).

Discussion

For both species, the distribution of scores for fear of fireworks was bimodal. This either suggests that fear responses to fireworks are generally very muted or very strong, with little in between or, that the owners' reports of fear of fireworks were somewhat binary (e.g. scared or not), creating a split in the sample. This is supported by Lansade et al. ( Reference Lansade, Bouissou and Erhard2008), who investigated a 'fearfulness trait' in horses; and concluded that those classified as more fearful responded more strongly to novel sounds, suggesting certain horses are inherently more vulnerable to distress. In addition, Riva et al. ( Reference Riva, Dai, Huhtinen, Minero, Barbieri and Dalla Costa2022) reported that horses generally fell into one of two categories - very anxious or slightly anxious, which fits with this bimodal pattern. The greater injury rate observed in horses may be a consequence of their increased fear towards fireworks, which may have triggered erratic and panicked behaviour, evidenced here by increased bucking and rearing and fence-breaking. However, this evidence is circumstantial without direct observational evidence. The combination of these factors may also explain why horse owners were more inclined than donkey owners to implement mitigating strategies.

Horses that were used for hunting and sport had lower scores for fear. This may be due to a greater familiarity with unexpected and loud sounds, which may have enabled them to develop a resilience to novel stimuli and stressors (Hole et al. Reference Hole, Murray, Marlin and Freeman2023). This suggests a capacity for horses to become acclimated to loud noises through lifetime exposure, though further evidence is required to establish this effect. Conversely, horses used for Pony Club and Pleasure showed higher scores regarding fear of fireworks. An alternative explanation may be that the owners of these horses differ in their perception of horses' fear and other affective states. Another notable finding was that scores for fear were greater for horses close to organised fireworks displays, as opposed to private ones. This is potentially due to the greater size and quantity of fireworks within organised displays, compared to private displays.

Donkeys had lower scores for fear when accompanied by a greater number of other equids. Donkeys can form particularly strong social bonds and, whilst these bonds are not fully understood, they may contribute towards stress mitigation (Murray et al. Reference Murray, Byrne and D'Eath2013; Burden & Thiemann Reference Burden and Thiemann2015). The higher fear scores for donkeys originating from 'other' sources (which represented 11.2% of responses) are unclear, as owners were not asked to clarify as to what 'other' referred.

Results displayed similarities with those of Gronqvist et al. ( Reference Gronqvist, Rogers and Gee2016), who reported relatively high incidences of running, fence-breaking, and injuries. However, they also reported stabling and moving horses as the most common strategies of mitigation at 55 and 77%, respectively, levels far higher than reported here. Gates et al. ( Reference Gates, Zito, Walker and Dale2019) reported a high rate of escape (73%) for horses and that owners' most common mitigation strategies included comforting the animal and moving the animal inside/outside (interestingly, an even split in that choice). Results from Gates et al. ( Reference Gates, Zito, Walker and Dale2019) and Gronqvist et al. ( Reference Gronqvist, Rogers and Gee2016) are in broad accordance with ours, although both studies took place in New Zealand which shares cultural similarities with the UK, but reduced population densities. The latter point potentially influential when taking into consideration both the frequency of firework use and the equids' familiarity with anthropogenic activity.

The differences between horses and donkeys may be a direct result of differences in their nature and temperament. When frightened or in pain, donkeys typically exhibit more subtle behaviours than horses (Burden & Thiemann Reference Burden and Thiemann2015), often being referred to as 'stoic', although this does not necessarily equate to them experiencing less fear or pain. Vidament et al. ( Reference Vidament, Bonneau and Lansade2023) reported that donkeys slowed down or refused to move when facing novelties. This could suggest that a key defence mechanism of donkeys is to remain static (freeze) to avoid being noticed, whereas horses may be more inclined to try and escape (flight). Prescott et al. ( Reference Prescott, McCafferty and Hart2022) reported donkeys as being more likely to have 'fight' or 'freeze' responses to fear and threats, compared to horses that were more likely to show a 'flight' response. Donkeys have also been reported to respond more actively to visual cues than auditory (Gonzalez-De Cara et al. Reference Gonzalez-De Cara, Perez-Ecija, Aguilera-Aguilera, Rodero-Serrano and Mendoza2017), although no studies have directly compared this with horses as yet. However, Christensen et al. ( Reference Christensen, Keeling and Nielsen2005) reported that horses showed greater responses (steps backwards) to novel auditory stimuli than novel visual stimuli.

Mitigation strategies reported by owners varied. To some extent, this reflected the causes of injury that were reported. For example, stabling was the most commonly described mitigation strategy, which could reduce the chance of escape (and thus car accidents), injury on trees and fences, and limit the potential for the animal to gather enough speed for a serious accident on potentially uneven ground. However, the benefits and risk of this are yet to be studied and confining a frightened animal carries the risk of injury. The strategy of moving equids to different premises was deemed most effective, which is complemented by results from Lindstedt ( Reference Lindstedt2020), who reported an association between stable location and firework noise anxiety. This is similar to the results shown by Gronqvist et al. ( Reference Gronqvist, Rogers and Gee2016) in New Zealand, who reported moving horses away from an area affected by firework noise, or stabling them as the commonest strategies deployed and those considered the most effective in terms of reducing the negative effects of fireworks on equine behaviour. However, such strategies must be balanced against the risks of harm and stress that could occur during their implementation. Moving horses or providing hay were the two management strategies suggested to be effective against anxiety behaviours reported in another UK-based study (Riva et al. Reference Riva, Dai, Huhtinen, Minero, Barbieri and Dalla Costa2022), although this study broke the horses into a very anxious and slightly anxious group, which our study did not.

Some owners (24.5% of horse owners, and 18.8% of donkey owners) reported that their main mitigation strategy entailed staying with their equid, and while this may prove effective, it does expose the owner to the risk of physical injury from spontaneous reactions by the horse, such as bucking. Further studies may be required assessing other interventions, with some studies showing that music can have a relaxing effect on horses (Fiedler & McGreevy Reference Fiedler and McGreevy2016) and that noise dampening ear defenders may also help to reduce noise-induced, anxiety-based behaviours (Hole et al. Reference Hole, Murray, Marlin and Freeman2023). Other studies have reported the positive effects various drugs can have on reducing firework anxiety in horses, with detomidine oromucosal gel being highlighted as one to show potential success in mitigating anxiety behaviour (Dai et al. Reference Dai, Rausk, Aspegren, Huhtinen, Cannas and Minero2020).

When owners were asked what legislative changes they would wish to see, the most common response was for fireworks to be restricted for use on special occasions only. Having specific dates during which fireworks could only be used would allow owners to prepare and minimise the risk to their animals. Stronger views were more prevalent from horse owners compared to donkey owners, possibly reflecting the higher injury rate and perceived fear that was reported. This is in line with recent UK Parliamentary debates regarding firework regulations, in particular those which make large amounts of noise, which are likely to be the ones which cause issues for the equids in this study ( change.org 2018; Uwazuruike et al. Reference Uwazuruike, Samuel, Conway and Lalic2025).

Study limitations

There were several limitations, most notably, fear scores were supplied by the owners themselves and not measured directly. Thus, differences in owner perceptions may have impacted scores provided, in particular the contrast seen between different horse uses/disciplines. Whilst owners were asked for their views regarding the tightening of firework regulations, they did not have opportunity to express an opinion in favour of relaxing firework regulations.

Recognition of fear, and other affective states, in equids is limited and people commonly fail to recognise signs of distress (Bell et al. Reference Bell, Rogers, Taylor and Busby2019), especially the more subtle signs (Rogers & Bell Reference Rogers and Bell2022). Equine stakeholders have also identified recognition and interpretation of stress and pain-associated behaviour to be a potential welfare issue (Horseman et al. Reference Horseman, Buller, Mullan and Whay2016). Lower fear scores for donkeys, compared to horses, may not necessarily be because they are less fearful, but may be because the manifestation of that fear, especially freeze responses, may not be interpreted by owners as fear. Another limitation is that recruitment was performed online via a variety of animal and equine charities and advocacy groups. Members of the public that interact with these groups online may be more engaged in equine welfare than the wider equid-owning population. Finally, many owners do not live with their animal and therefore may not be aware of the response of their horse to fireworks, especially if it is a temporary behavioural response as opposed to any form of physical harm.

This study does show that equids within the UK are subjected to additional stress and stress-induced behaviours largely due to fireworks and the noises and the visual effects which they generate. These issues appear to be more of an problem for horses than for donkeys and raises the question of whether co-habiting a donkey with a horse would have an altered effect. Clearly, many owners were proactive and took mitigating steps to protect their horses, however spontaneous, unnotified firework events pose a risk to animal welfare. These results are most generalisable to the UK, however, will still be somewhat applicable to other locations where horse management and the annual calendar of firework usage is broadly similar.

Animal welfare implications

Findings highlight animal welfare concerns associated with the use of fireworks in proximity to equids, particularly horses. Owners reported a variety of fear responses in their equids, which were manifested by behaviours, such as bucking and rearing, that could be indicative of distress. Owners also reported injuries and even deaths of horses in relation to fireworks. Whilst many owners employed strategies to mitigate these risks, such measures are not always feasible or effective, especially when fireworks are unexpected. This evidence can contribute to supporting and educating owners regarding the risks their animals may face and how best to manage them. The observed differences between horses and donkeys suggest that guidance and management strategies should be specifically tailored to each species. These findings may also inform future legislation by providing evidence of the potential harm caused by fireworks to equine welfare.

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Horse and donkey owners' perspectives on fireworks and their impact on equids in the UK | Animal Welfare | Cambridge Core

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Horse and donkey owners' perspectives on fireworks and their impact on equids in the UK - Volume 35

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Find out more about the case for low-noise fireworks and alternatives to fireworks such as drones and light shows.

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The Department for Business and Trade regularly conducts and shares its own research into fireworks, including this 2021 report.

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Research carried out in New Zealand is one of the few published scientific papers looking at the impact of fireworks on horses.

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The Management of Horses during Fireworks in New Zealand

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Within popular press there has been much coverage of the negative effects associated with firework and horses. The effect of fireworks has been documented in companion animals, yet no studies have investigated the negative effects, or otherwise, of fireworks on horses. This study aims to document horse responses and current management strategies to fireworks via an online survey. Of the total number of horses, 39% (1987/4765) were rated as “anxious”, 40% (1816/4765) “very anxious” and only 21% (965/4765) rated as “not anxious” around fireworks. Running (82%, 912/1107) was the most common behaviour reported, with no difference between property type (p > 0.05) or location (p > 0.05). Possibly as a consequence of the high frequency of running, 35% (384/1107) of respondents reported having horses break through fences in response to fireworks and a quarter (26%, 289/1099) reported that their horse(s) had received injuries associated with fireworks. The most common management strategy was moving their horse(s) to a paddock away from the fireworks (77%) and to stable/yard them (55%). However, approximately 30% reported these management strategies to be ineffective. Of the survey participants, 90% (996/1104) were against the sale of fireworks for private use.

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Use and share the Fireworks Impact Coaltion’s infographic showing some of the wide-ranging impacts of fireworks on animals, people and the environment.

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Advice on the government's own website says 'fireworks must not be let off near livestock or horses in fields' but without any clarity over what 'near to' means.

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As consumers, we have influence. Sainsburys stopped selling fireworks in 2019 in response to growing evidence of their harmful impacts and the views of their shoppers. Encourage other outlets to review their policies too.

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Sainsbury’s bans fireworks across all stores - Retail Gazette

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Sainsbury’s has banned the sale of fireworks ahead of Bonfire Night next month as a pet charity warns of the harmful effects on pets.

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If you have horses in your care, use our template letter to politely ask neighbours to let you know if they are planning to let off fireworks. The letter could also be adapted if you own other animals or have family members who could be distressed by loud fireworks.

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MPs working for better regulation of fireworks can introduce Private Members Bills, such as this one from tireless campaigner for change, Sarah Owen MP. Private Members Bills rarely become law, but they are an important way of keeping a topic on the political agenda.

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Legislation could be put in place to help reduce stress to animals.

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A new Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Act was introduced in Scotland in 2022. The Act gives local authorities the power to introduce Firework Control Zones, restricting use of fireworks in specified localities. The implementation of a licensing system for private use of fireworks has yet to be implemented.

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Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill passes

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New laws will ensure safety for people across Scotland.

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Both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have some of the strictest fireworks regulations in the world, making it an offence to buy, possess or use fireworks without a licence.

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Fireworks have been the subject of parliamentary questions and petition debates for more than a decade. MPs and members of the public alike are frustrated by lack of progress on this issue despite clear evidence and widespread support for change.

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E-petition debate relating to the sale and use of fireworks - Monday 9 December