🔥 Bonfire Night around a Smallholding: Keeping Calm When the Sky Lights Up

For most people, Bonfire Night means fireworks, sparklers, and toffee apples. For smallholders, it can mean a few tense evenings worrying about livestock, dogs, and horses, and hoping your fencing doesn’t take a fright-induced battering.

Here are a few practical steps to help your animals, and your nerves, get through the season safely.

🐮 1. Know When and Where Fireworks Are Happening

Check local noticeboards or Facebook community pages for advertised displays. If you’re in a rural area, neighbours often set off fireworks over several nights, not just the 5th - so stay alert for the weekend before and after.

If you’re near a town or village display, plan ahead:

• Keep stock in a sheltered field or stable furthest from the noise.

• Close gates and double-check latches as animals can panic and bolt.

• Move tractors, implements, and trailers well clear of fencing lines.

  
  

🐴 2. Give Livestock a Sense of Security

Animals cope best when things feel familiar. Stick to your normal feeding and turnout routines where possible, sudden changes can stress them even more.

For horses or ponies:

• Bring them in before dark if they’re used to the stable.

• Keep a calm companion nearby if you can.

• Soft background noise (radio, yard chatter, even a generator hum) can help mask bangs.

  
  

For sheep, goats, or alpacas:

• Close them into their most secure paddock.

• Make sure water troughs and feeders are well away from perimeter fences.

• Remove any loose equipment or electric wire that could cause injury if they spook.

  
  

🐕 3. Don’t Forget the Dogs (and Cats)

If your dogs are kennel-based or spend time outside, bring them in for the evening. A cosy spot in the utility or stable tack room with some background noise will make a world of difference.

Tip: If you’ve got working dogs, pop an ID tag on even if they’re normally off duty - startled dogs have been known to take off across fields.

🚜 4. Secure Your Yard and Machinery

Bonfire Night chaos isn’t just about noise. It’s a good excuse for a quick yard safety check:

• Park machinery inside or under cover.

• Close barn doors to reduce echo.

• Store fuel cans well away from the bonfire site.

• If you’re lighting your own, keep it downwind of any buildings or hay.

  
  

🌌 5. Be a Thoughtful Neighbour

If you’re planning your own small display, give a heads-up to nearby smallholders and equestrian yards. A quick message or post in your local Facebook group goes a long way, especially when animals are involved.

If you can, opt for low-noise fireworks or light displays. They’re just as spectacular without the distress.

💬 6. Keep Calm and Carry On

Your animals will take their cue from you. Stay calm, keep lights on around the yard, and move quietly between jobs. If you’ve got a Siromer on site, that steady diesel rumble is as grounding as it gets - and handy for checking paddocks or shutting gates before dark.

🧤 Bonus Tip: Make It a Maintenance Evening

Once the animals are settled, put the kettle on and check your kit. Firework season usually means winter’s here - ideal time to:

• Check oil and filters on your tractor.

• Grease loader pins and linkages.

• Test lights and replace any blown bulbs.

  
  

You’ll thank yourself when the next job pops up on a frosty morning.

🙌 From One Smallholder to Another

Bonfire Night can be stressful, but with a bit of planning, it doesn’t have to be chaotic. A calm yard, a checked-over tractor, and a mug of tea go a long way.

Stay safe, keep your animals steady - and here’s to clear skies once the smoke clears.