Advice needed for new horse please!

[sleepykitten]

Hi,

Haven't been on here for ages, apologies.

Just wondering if you could offer some advice. I have an old mare at home and she has had a few injuries in the past so is basically a happy hacker these days. I wanted to try and get back into a bit of competing, and my mum also rides but can't keep a horse at home because she already has my sister's old pony. Long story short, we've bought a ned between us so mum can hack out with me and I can start jumping again. She is a very sweet ISH and is 9 years old. We bought her from a guy who had shipped her over from Ireland about 6 weeks ago. We have had her a week and a day.

She has settled really well, the first few days I put her in a paddock across a farm track from my old mare and they neighed at each other a bit but all fine. Then after a day or two, I took my old girl out for a mooch. New girl didn't mind at all, but old girl neighed her head off the entire ride! Anyway, at the weekend we took them both out together twice and they were both good as gold so I decided to put them in the same field together. Strangely, the new girl seems to be dominant! Anyway, now I'm having a few little issues. New girl looked a bit stiff so I got the back lady out to her yesterday, so now I have some exercises to do with her. Each time I've tried to do them she has tried to kick me. She is not great at having her feet picked up at the best of times, and I admit she may well be sore from manipulation yesterday, but I'm not keen on this behaviour! She got a slap on the bum for it yesterday then I wondered whether that might have been the wrong approach so when I tried her exercises this morning, and she tried to hoof me again, this time I ignored the bad behaviour and persevered until she did as asked.

Last night after doing these exercises, I decided to take the old girl out for a ride, bearing in mind I had done this a few days ago and new girl didn't bat an eyelid, I presumed she would be fine. Instead she ran round the paddock neighing and neighing and getting her, and my old girl, in a right state! So we cut our ride short and came home to make sure she hadn't hurt herself.

Bear in mind that this horse was bought for mum to hack out alone while I am at work as well, and I need to hack mine out too by herself (old girl will go alone but just neighs) and bear in mind that when we tried her we hacked her alone, and she was fine, I need to nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand!

The feet I am working on and think I can persevere with that no problem, not sure if she is sore, untrained or just trying it on, but I think I can manage that by myself. Our plan was to take the new girl out by herself on Saturday, (well, I think mum or I will ride and the other walk just in case), as I don't want to leave it too long before getting her out alone, and my plan for the old girl is to give her some more grass (they are strip grazed atm, as old girl lives on fresh air) so I think filling her belly should keep her quiet, just I'm not sure how the new girl is going to react. I have led her away from the field by herself before so she was out of eyeshot but not earshot of the old girl and she neighed a bit but didn't get too stressed!

Just wondering if anyone had any other ideas for me to nip this anxiety in the bud before it becomes a big issue? They will hack together as well some of the time but need to cope with being alone as well. My other thought was to split them up again so they are in separate fields.

 

[Mince Pie]

My thought would be to put the new horse in with the pony and the old girl in her own field, then hopefully she should settle down with the pony and not be too bothered if your old girl goes out.

 

[Bantry]

New girl looked a bit stiff so I got the back lady out to her yesterday, so now I have some exercises to do with her. Each time I've tried to do them she has tried to kick me. She is not great at having her feet picked up at the best of times, and I admit she may well be sore from manipulation yesterday, but I'm not keen on this behaviour! She got a slap on the bum for it yesterday then I wondered whether that might have been the wrong approach so when I tried her exercises this morning, and she tried to hoof me again, this time I ignored the bad behaviour and persevered until she did as asked.

Regardless of why she's doing it, just make sure you're wearing a helmet next time and you have someone holding her. I don't have any advice on the separation anxiety, sorry.

 

[sleepykitten]

Broke but happy, pony is at a different address completely, and is 32 with bad arthritis so don't really want to bring her over if possible as it would upset her. Thanks Bantry, should have said, have been wearing a hat, certainly don't want to get kicked in the head! Hubby was holding as well.

 

[CharliePonyPops]

Hello I bought a new horse a few weeks ago and after being told that my boy did not get attached to other horses for the first week he wouldnt let another horse who does suffer from anxiety out of his sight. I felt the best thing to do was to put them in the same field in seperate paddocks so they couldnt touch. This seems to have done the trick with mine however there were other horses in the field as well. I also did lots of groundwork nothing professional mind but have worked on building a relationship so he thinks of me as a pleasure to be with and as part of his herd. Other than i can only suggest taking things slow. Try and find out what her routine was before and if you can follow it then it might help feel more comortable. Also if she has been in the same home a long time she will no doubt be unsettled. Don't try and rush her the more time she has to feel comfortable with you and her surroundings the less time you will have to spend fixing issues in the future. I apologise for the long message and it is only my opinion but maybe it can help.

 

[calmgirl]

Did you get her vetted? The looking stiff and reluctance to lift hinds may be something and nothing which could be sorted with the seller now. Who sounds like a dealer? Did the back lady find anything? Hope it just a bit of consistent training thats required on picking up feet.
Good luck that things settle soon. Sorry no advice on the separation issues, its hard with two.

 

[sleepykitten]

Thanks Shameless, she was in her previous home around 5 - 6 weeks so hadn't been there long enough to establish much of a routine I'm guessing. I have two separate paddocks which face each other which is where I had them to begin with. I'm spending quite a lot of time grooming her and generally faffing about stroking and scratching etc and feeding the odd treat. She neighs at me every time she sees me, which is nice, but this has definitely tailed off a bit since being in the same paddock. Calmgirl, yes she passed a 5 stage vetting, and its all her feet not just hinds she is reluctant to lift. She snatches the front ones away - or tries to as so far I've hung onto them, but tries to kick with the back ones. Back lady found an area of pain which she has worked on so hoping that is that sorted or on the mend at least.

 

[CharliePonyPops]

You said she came from Ireland so she could have been in her irish home for a long time, in which case this really is all new to her. Also the long transport could have caused the muscle stiffness that you are now seeing. Perhaps trying a bit of gentle lunging might get her mind on something else as well as loosening her muscles and getting you to spend a bit of time with her. Also if she has been used to working every day she could have some excess energy which is causing her to be a naughtier than usual.

 

[sleepykitten]

That is very true Shameless, I have a sneaky suspicion she is also coming into season which may not be helping.

 

[alex_mac30]

Are there any other horses on the yard? I think most horses would struggle to be left completely alone while another leaves the yard. 2 horse together always seem to get over attached, I am having this problem with mine, been with the same horse for about 6 years but the last year its just the 2 of them in the field now they are inseparable its a right pain. They were fine when they shared a field in a group of 3 or 4. there are always other horses around but they only want each other.

I think we have created the problem our self as for our own ease we bring them in together all the time so we don't do 2 trips to the field, the same with turn out.

If she has been in a few different homes she may just be really unsettled and not sure that everything wont change again. It might take sometime to settle into understanding her friend is always going to come back.

 

[sleepykitten]

Thanks alexmac, no I keep them at home on a farm so they have some sheep and cows in the fields next to them but no other equine company. I can't believe they have become like this in the space of 5 days though! I think I will split them tonight and put them in separate paddocks again as they were fine to begin with! She seems genuinely quite chilled out most of the time though. Although it is very early days.

 

[samlf]

can she see other horses when she is left alone? If not I suspect that may be why she is getting so upset, it is a big ask!

I would build it up really gradually, just take the old mare away in sight to be groomed and when she's calm with that move to walking her 5 mins up the road etc.

I also find that they are much happier left alone with plenty to occupy them - fresh grass, or even better if you can put her in the stable with hay and her feed.

 

[sleepykitten]

I've had horses for years and I certainly don't think its a big ask for them to be happy in their own company. Old girl has lived and hacked on her own for 7 years. I was thinking about giving her some more grass to keep her occupied. But in the years and years I've ridden I have always expected, and had horses that would hack alone etc. Well, I had one that wouldn't hack alone so he had to go I'm afraid. Think its just the way people bring them up these days!

 

[samlf]

I meant it is a big ask considering everything there is new to her, and its more than likely she hasn't ever been left on her own before.

Not necessarily anything to do with how they are brought up, more to do with how they evolved - they're herd animals.

As I said, if you take it slowly and get her used to being left alone she will accept it and chill, if you just 'expect' her to deal with it she may well do herself and injury.