A Close Call!

It was about 10:30 on New Years eve, when our neighbour up the cul-de-sac decided to light off his fireworks. I had just gone to bed when it sounded like a machine gun had opened up, accompanied by mult-flashes.

My first though was "How are the horses taking this?" I could just make out the three of them frantically racing around their winter field.

My next thought was " Hope they don't try to run through the fence". I had visions of BIG vet bills.

At this point I decided to go out and try to calm them down. When they saw me coming, they sort of relaxed. Biz came up to me for a head scritch and was the calmest of the three. The other two were in full alarm mode. I talked to them, and when they calmed down enough (the fireworks had stopped), I went into the field.

I calmed Boom down and went cautiously up to Tucker's shoulder talking calmly to her when flash, bang, the neighbour started up again. Tucker swung and ran. Fortunately I was at her shoulder on the noisy side, but for some reason, she turned into me on the way down to the far fence. I was flattened something like a Mac truck running over me. I was close enough that it was more of a push rather than a hit. So, nothing broken, nothing strained, but rather shook up.

The neighbour has been around livestock, and professed to know horses, yet chose to light off the fireworks almost overhead. This happened about two years ago in the summer when he chose to do the same thing. That time, I was run over! I talked to him, but apparently with no effect.

I could hear the other neighbour's horses responding the same way, but chose not to go see because I did not know their horses that well. They appeared OK this morning.

Anyway, I guess I will have another talk with him this week.

Happy New Year!