Preparing a horse for fireworks starts well before 5 November. Find out when nearby displays are planned, agree who will check the horses and decide how to keep each horse in a familiar setting. A rushed change on the evening itself can add another source of uncertainty.October gives you time to talk to neighbours and your yard manager. Remember that celebrations may fall on surrounding weekends, so make a list of dates rather than planning for one night.Choose the arrangement your horse already understandsThere is no single answer to whether every horse should be in or out. Consider where your horse is normally settled, its companions, the security of the paddock or stable and its previous reactions. Discuss horses with a history of severe distress with your vet before displays begin.If a different routine is needed, introduce it in advance. Bringing a horse into an unfamiliar stable, separating it from its usual company and adding a new radio all at once is a poor test of what actually helps.Make a one-page yard planDates and locations: record confirmed displays and ask immediate neighbours to let you know about private events.Horse-by-horse arrangements: note where each horse will be, its usual companion and any agreed veterinary plan.People: name the person checking the yard, a backup and the time they will report back.Contacts: keep the vet's out-of-hours number and an accurate yard location accessible.Supplies: prepare the normal forage ration and check water, lighting and safe access before darkness.Where more than one owner is involved, put the current version in a shared place. A message saying all horses checked at 9pm is more useful than everyone assuming someone else has visited.Walk the stable and paddock before the eveningCheck gates, fences, door catches and projecting objects. Clear unnecessary equipment from routes people may need to use. Keep hay, bedding and other combustible materials away from ignition sources, and make sure your fire arrangements are understood.Offer the horse's usual suitable forage. If you use a feeder, check it before the busy evening; our horse feeding equipment collection is a useful place to replace damaged everyday kit. A new purchase is not a substitute for a familiar routine or a veterinary plan.Observe safely, then check again in daylightWatch from a safe position. Do not put yourself in the path of a frightened horse or try to restrain a panicking horse at close quarters. If a horse is injured, appears unwell or its distress concerns you, contact your vet.Afterwards, inspect horses and their surroundings. In daylight, look for firework debris in turnout areas and water sources before the horses return. Record what happened: the setting, display timing and reaction. That gives you something concrete to discuss when planning for New Year or the following autumn.This week's job: fill in the names, numbers and display dates now. The most useful plan is one another carer can follow without needing to guess.Sources and further readingFireworks: keeping your horse safe - World Horse WelfareFireworks | The British Horse SocietyFire Safety For Horse Stables | The British Horse Society