An owner’s video of fireworks shooting over her stable yard, making it sound like a “war zone”, has gone viral.
Samantha Perkins of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, received a call on Saturday (2 October) evening from the landowner advising her to hurry to the yard where she keeps her eight horses.
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My poor ponies , this needs controlling , shaking the hole stable block ,, just not on! ????******just adding this petition please can people sign it to help , thank you ****https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/278293Posted by Samantha Perkins on Saturday, November 2, 2019
“I left the yard at 7pm and everything seemed quiet. It had been raining heavily and I thought no one was going to be having fireworks,” Samantha told H&H.
“I received a call at 7.45pm to say the horses were jumping around and circling their stables as fireworks shot over the stables. I jumped in the car and rushed back with my heart in my mouth.”
Samantha said the fireworks were being let off by a member of the public at a nearby play park.
“If the person had told me beforehand I could have done something like arranged a sedative and been there with them. They know we have horses,” she said.
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“I gave the horses a calmer all week so I think that had helped a bit but I was worried for one of retired horses, William. He’s 30 and I’ve had him for 20 years; the last thing I want is to lose him to a heart attack.”
Samantha said the fireworks went on for around an hour.
“It was horrendous. It was like a disco in the stables with the lights and so loud it sounded like a war zone. The stables were shaking with the bangs,” she said.
“I had to put all the horses into coolers as they were sweating so much and their eyes were bulging. Some were pinned at the back of their stables terrified. It’s daunting because you need to stay calm and deal with them, but you don’t know if they’re going to try and jump over the stable door.”
Samantha’s horses were uninjured, but she said they have been on edge since.
“If fireworks took place just one night it would be bearable but it goes on for two weeks,” she said. “I’ve got sedative in case any more go off this evening and I’ll be there with a radio.”
Samantha posted a video of the fireworks online, which has received more than 1,500,000 views and 37,000 shares.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think the video would go viral – it shows people need to be heard,” she said.
“Nobody wants to be a party pooper about fireworks, but it’s no longer about them being pretty like the ones you used to get, now it’s just about about how loud they can bang,” she said.
“I would like to see a ban on sales to the public and I think they should only be allowed to be set off on Bonfire Night and New Years Eve by a licensed person, in a controlled fenced-off area.”
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
