Watty's Awakening

Watty1 · 4 November 2024 at 8:28PM

Sadly the horses were not so calm when next door let theirs off. She had told me they were "quiet" but I was incandescent. They were let off at the back of their garden which is just maybe 20 metres from my stables.

Mr Self Sufficiency (maybe 100 metres from the stables) let his off on Friday and were it not for the hiss I would not have even know so I thought her quiet ones would be like that but they were not. Very clearly not! A stream of whatsapp messages followed where I said the horses had not coped at all and I had been really distressed to see them so upset. I think she realised I was seriously upset as the messages were very self justifying (not as loud as Saturday etc etc). She is a good neighbour and I don't want to fall out so I have let it go but I think I will say something around New Year along the lines I will need a vet with a sedative if she is wanting fireworks again. The VNM suggested next year I offer to buy her and her grandchildren tickets to a display as that might be cheaper than sedatives all round.

I have no idea why rural people let them off anyway when there are so many organised displays nearby. All things considered the horses are reasonably ok as there is a local country house hotel that lets the blooming things off for any and every event and whilst I hate that at least it means they have learnt to cope with them at a distance. I think so close to their stables was just too much though.

daisy_1571 · 4 November 2024 at 9:02PM

Sorry to hear that, hope they have calmed down a bit now

Dxx

Cherryfudge · 4 November 2024 at 10:01PM

That's really distressing about the nearby fireworks. Perhaps she needs to get the same as 'Mr Self Sufficiency'. I hope that's the last of the loud ones over and done with.

Might it be worth a note to the chap with the quiet fireworks, too, to say you appreciate his choice? I picture him as the Richard Briars type...

Watty1 · 5 November 2024 at 9:52AM

He is very 'The Good Life Richard Briers' @Cherryfudge. Took to growing veg and having a few chickens to teach his son where food came from rather than have his son watch a screen all day and now runs a farm shop in the village and has converted his entire garden and a couple of local fields he has rented or bought and now has about 100 chickens in a pen by my field. He really is a great sort.

One year shortly after moving here (and before the self sufficiency stage) he had fireworks whilst my horses were still out and an elderly pony was finally caught by me terrified, dripping in sweat and lame from hurtling around the
field. I made them stop while I dealt with the horses then went back and said the horses were in they could finish the party but I added what I thought of him and all those at his party for terrifying animals and was so blunt they didn't speak to me for over a year, maybe more.

A couple of years later (and no fireworks) he sent me a very polite text saying he was doing fireworks at a given time but he had taken care to make sure they would not upset the horses and he was true to his word. I was so delighted I took round a box of chocolates as a thank you. I think he may let them off every year but honestly no one would know except his children. I wouldn't have know this year had I not heard the hiss and seen the splashes of light. If only everyone would buy similar if they wanted a garden display. So much kinder to animals.

Of if the law would change allowing them only between certain hours on certain days.

Dreading this evening.

Cherryfudge · 5 November 2024 at 10:21AM

I hope there's nothing too close. It really is a bad time for animals: I know my daughter is staying at home with their dog to make it less stressful for her. Perhaps your self-sufficiency neighbour is the one to speak to other neighbours, it's clearly made an impact on him.

WelshmansDaughter · 5 November 2024 at 10:26AM

I did have (and still do a little) the problem of thinking that something might come in useful. My solution was to think of it as adding to uncertainty- if I don’t know what I’m going to do with it now then a)it isn’t part of a current project and b)is it really worth keeping a Giant Pile of Uncertainty.

Re fireworks- I don’t mind them on a specific occasion but at home in dublin they started setting off bangers at the start of October which was ridiculous. Couldn’t take the dog for her evening walk.