I didn't get to see the fireworks last night, but Miss Sundae made it
through in one piece. :-) It was touch and go for a while though.
Sundae is afraid of loud noises, and we knew that going in, so we chose
to stay with her for the show. We live less than a mile from the county
nursing home where they launch the explosives and it gets pretty noisy.
I wanted her to learn to deal, so I held off on the ear plugs to see
what her reaction would be. Sundae is just one of three new horses here
who had not been through the fireworks before. Clover, who normally
lives in and out, was locked in her stall for the night, and we just
kept an eye on Hammy. Clover and Hammy handled it pretty well. We
planned for the show by feeding hay late (at 8:30, before it got dark,)
and by leaving the lights on in the barn. We also set out ear plugs for
Sundae and Clover just in case. Sundae did panic, but you could see her
working it out. She'd whirl in her stall and flinch every time there
was a boom, but then she'd take a bite of hay and settle a little.
Fireworks started at 9 and finished around 9:40. I stayed with her
(outside her stall,) talking to her and petting her when she allowed
that. She is not a cuddly horse, though, so there really wasn't that
much petting. Mostly I just talked her through it. She tried to go
over the door once, but knew she couldn't, so it was more of a
half-hearted attempt, kind of a lifting of the front legs and flinging
the head up sort of thing. I didn't end up plugging her ears, because
I really wanted her to get used to the noise and deal with it. And she
did. She survived. Her stall is a mess this morning though!
|
