I'M off to a bonfire night at the weekend. As long as you're not Guy Fawkes, or think too much about the sectarian significance of burning effigies (and that can take a degree of effort in fairness) bonfires are fundamentally good sport.

You know what isn't good fun, though? Bloody fireworks, that's what. Fireworks are grand if you happen to happen to find yourself overlooking Kowloon Harbour on New Year's Eve, but they are a massive pain in the backside when you live with horses. Or dogs. Or cats. Or small children.

The proliferation of firework displays in the last decade or so has been noticeable, both in terms of how many people are taking a do-it-yourself attitude to the pyrotechnics, and also in the period in which such displays take place; it's no longer enough to grit your teeth over for a couple of days at the end of October and the beginning of November, but for a fortnight beforehand and the same period beyond.

HORSES

In fairness to city dwellers, the bright lights and loud bangs and whistles are probably great entertainment when the crowd witnessing them know what to expect, but the sporadic and seasonal nature of the phenomenon means that horses in particular will never get desensitised to fireworks, which assault them aurally and visually, while the smell of burning can also trigger their flight response and it isn't a minor problem. Horses are flight animals, and nothing is better designed to induce panic in them quite like fireworks, although a recent trend towards the use of chinese lanterns is taking things to a new level of stupidity.

Living alongside horses and ponies requires vigilance at all times, but this time of year in particular can prove fraught for those with equine charges under their care; at least we can rely on racecourses to have the sense not to host firework displays when they have horses on site, or so you'd imagine.

It was something of a surprise to learn that management at Ayr Racecourse had booked such a display for Friday night despite hosting a meeting the following day which would require some horses to be stabled overnight. Common sense has prevailed and the display has been postponed. Ayr's management have deflected criticism by claiming they hadn't organised the event themselves, but were just the venue, but that doesn't really wash, although it does explain why there was no communication with trainers about the existence of the event until the 11th hour.

It's obviously important for racecourses to find new revenue streams, and the fact that facilities are there to host large crowds on non-racedays means it makes sense to utilise those assets, but the tracks must also be mindful of what their primary purpose is, and act accordingly. That no thought at all was given to the likes of Kerry Lee, whose runners will be boarding in the racecourse stables overnight, just beggars belief.

PARTY

I also note that Newcastle are staging a party after racing on Saturday involving fireworks, and it's to be hoped that the festivities will only begin in earnest once the equine athletes have been set on the road home; the lack of comment about it suggests that measures have been taken to ensure that trainers and owners are comfortable with the situation and that's as it should be.

There is, of course, nothing at all wrong with racecourses being used as venues for fireworks, and in fact they are probably ideal in many ways, particularly if they have urban locations, but it should be taken for granted that those who organise such displays, or allow them to be organised, are aware of the need to keep horse welfare as a major priority, whether that means ensuring that no horses remain on site during displays, or liaising with local residents/landowners where such a display could impinge on the wider community.

In the end, a PR disaster has been averted, but the lack of awareness shown is a serious concern.