Loud noises - panicked horse

Question
QUESTION: How can excessive loud noise that sends my horse into panic affect his health?  He has always been afraid of fireworks and gunshots.  He is now 22 years old.

ANSWER: loud noises will affect him the same way they affect us. they startle us. Chronic exposure to loud noises can cause hearing loss as it does in humans, but your horse is probably not exposed to loud noise chronically. Moreover, the effect that a loud noise produces will depend on the horse, its previous experiences and some of its tendency to become alarmed and remain alarmed. these are psychological issues and can be different for different breeds of horses and vary with the individual horse's past experiences, that may associate loud noises with a threatening or painful situation. Horses that "panic" to loud noise will be at greater risk of hurting themselves by running into something, flipping over after rearing or having something else unfortunate occur while the horse is moving, running, rearing or otherwise reacting uncontrollably. However, there is no direct affect of episodic loud noise on the horse's health. I hope this helps.

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QUESTION: Is it possible that he could have a heart attack because of the constant gun shooting right beside his pasture for 1 to 2 hours at a time?  When they are done, he is dripping in sweat and doesn't calm back down for another 2 to 3 hours.  He's a QH.  I've known his since he was 4 years old, owned him since he was 8 years old.  I know that for the last 18 years he was not traumatized by loud noises.  Only been this bad since we moved into this house next door to these horrid, inconsiderate neighbors.  I am perhaps going to pursue animal cruelty charges for torturing him mentally.  What would be your opinion on that?

Answer
Horses do not get heart attacks by stress or loud noises. they really dont get heart attacks at all the way humans do. It is inconsiderate of your neighbors to do this, but only if they know they are being inconsiderate. What you may percieve as obvious may not be obvious to non-horse people. Maybe, if you havent already, you should try talking to them first. They may not realize what is happening. There are no ordinances usually in rural areas (outside the city or town limits) to keep people from shooting guns on their own property. I know this becauase I am a gun owner and avid hunter too. Your neighbors may not realize that this is agitating your horse. They dont see your horse when all this takes place and even if they do they may not recognize what its doing if they dont know horses. Talk to them- its your best bet. Their actions will not constitute animal cruelty or torture. Im sure your neighbors feel they have a right to fire their guns on their own property. I think you will have a very difficult time convincing any authorities to restrict what they will consider to be their own property rights, so your best bet is probably to be very kind and honest with them and explain the problems it causes for your horse. Maybe some compromise can be reached without making you and your neigbor adversaries.