Dilemma - What would you do?

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Tangaroo

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I'll try and keep this brief :o
I have two horses, one i have had for 8 yrs the other i have had for nearly 3 months.
The new boy is rising 6 and not seen anything of the world so is very green.
When i take the old boy out the new one tends to box walk and he doesnt eat. He doesnt scream and hes not sweating when i get back but obviously is quite stressed.
I bought him a stable mirror last week and i think that has helped a bit. He still isnt eating if i leave him but he doesnt seem to be box walking quite so much.
I could buy him a shetland for company but just wondered if i should stick at it with the mirror and hope he gradually becomes accustomed to it. I only worry because i start eventing the other boy soon and he will be left a lot longer on his own.
My field is very wet in winter so i dont want to try leaving him out, although i will once it dries up. I also worry that he might try and jump out.
What would you do?
 
I would leave it and see how it goes aslong as hes not doing anything silly and harming himself. I'd imagine he'd get used to it, and try not to make it an issues unless his behaviour gets worse. x
 
If you think he really is starting to improve,then carry on as you are going.
It is still very early days,and he probably isnt fully settled into his new home either.
Maybe re-think again a few months down the line?
 
Thanks guys, thats sort of what i was thinking. I could get a shetland cos i have my own land but its still more work and another mouth to feed
 
My mare is the same she can't be left in/out on her own. She paces up the fence and box walks in the stable screaming her head off she won't settle! After 10 years she can be left out in the field on her own but not in the stable! All you can try is bring him for short periods and turn back out again, this worked with my friends mare!
 
TBH i would leave buying a companion for the time being & see how he goes it's still early days, he's young & lacks confidence.
I would bet even with a companion he would still act stressy when you went out with the other.
 
dressagecrazy - thats what i wondered. No point getting a shetland if he is still going to worry, that defeats the object.
Alwaysblue - i know it wont cost much to feed but still another one to muck out and keep organised :p
 
Give him a bit longer to see if he gets used to being left, but as you say you are planning to leave him more often when you start Eventing, it might be kinder to think about buying him companion to prevent him for getting too stressed.
 
I once bought a Shetland as a companion - what a nightmare! Having had horses for years, I thought how much trouble could a lickle ickle shetland possibly be? I bought this little skewbald gelding from its breeder as a 2/3 year old, when I went to se it, it was in a pen with some others close by. The breeder told me it was a bit nervous but that was just because she didn't handle her young ponies much and that with a bit of attention and regular handling it would be fine - i thought it was quite sweet looking and not fat and at £250 would do the job - ha! I was well and truly done.

Brought the little monkey home (he was named 'King'!), he was fairly quite and not too bad on the lead if a bit bargy. Turned him out the next day with my Gelding and they seemed happy enough. It took me the best part of a week to catch the little sh**t. I tried everything and was very patient but no amount of gentle handling, feeding, grooming and attention would tame that pony, I think it just hated people and wanted to be as far away from them as possible. I got rid sharpish to someone else who thought he looked cute, needles to say i didn't suggest they caught him from the field.

I know there are lots of lovely shetlands and little ponies out there but the point of my post is just to say they can be quite a lot of extra work if you make a mistake like mine!

If it was me I would give it a while longer and see if your chap settles, It is so much easier if they get used to being left and don't make a fuss than always having to worry about leaving them with company. He may only get attached to the companion you get and fret when they are seperated too. Good luck :D
 
I had this and got 2 shetlands on loan. Had zillions of calls when I advertised. That way if I took the two out then sheltie didn't get upset. Worked a treat BUT they are absolute monsters - quickly became 'free range' as just couldn't fence them. Worst part was that in November when I turned mine out unrestricted then one of them got severely laminitic and in the end I sent them back once l had cured the lami. Now have 7 so no problems (but don't recommend that either!)
 
Thanks for all the comments. We have had a Shettie in the past and have to say she was adorable and no trouble at all. We have actually got a post and rail pony paddock just for that reason as she used to go throught the electric fencing:rolleyes:
I think i will stick at it until the dry weather comes and see if he is better being out.
 
My youngster used to do this (and an awful lot more - she'd kick large holes in the wall, have violent squits and box walk until she was pouring with sweat). One day I put the radio on for her at a similar volume of people talking on the yard. Came back from the show with not a poo out of place and her covered in shavings where she'd been fast asleep all day!
 
Hi not sure it is practical with your yard lay-out but could you graze your other horse away from the other one and gradually build the time up as he gets more confident to be left alone. I did this last year with a pony who screamed his head off whenever I hacked out on my mare. I used electric fencing to graze her round the corner so he couldn't see her from his stable and started off with 30 mins, then gradually built up to 4 hours. That way I could go and potter around the yard with him until he settled down. It was quite hard work but after 3 weeks or so he really improved. I also found the stable mirror helped too. Good luck!
 
I have to say that generally speaking, two horses together can often be a nightmare. I've had that problem many time over the years. I'd get one (or two) shetlands/companions. My last youngster that was like that soon returned to normal when it was part of a herd...
 
Had the same with my youngster when I started taking his mum out for hacks after weaning. First few times out were very short obviously, but very stressful (top door closed) but gradually he got used to it. Lengthened the rides slowly and in just a few weeks he was relatively calm (still box walking not eating but could have top door open) for her to be gone for half an hour plus. After a couple of months he completely got used to it and I took her out all day for competitions etc. I think as long as you take it slowly they will adjust gradually, and it's better in the long run that they get used to being separated occasionally in case of emergency if it needs to be done (what if you had to take him to the vets and leave him on his own?).
 
They are separated by electric fence in the field, mainly cos i dont want them getting too attached.
I think its very early days really. Just feels like hes been with us for ages cos we all love him so much :rolleyes: but bless him, before he came to me he had been in 6 different yards in 18months :confused: (long story!) so he probably doesnt really feel at home yet.
I make a point of bringing them in separately so he has to wait in the yard or field for a few minutes.
I just wish the field would dry up, then i would be happier about trying leaving him out. I dont want him pulling anything in the mud or ripping shoes off etc. Roll on spring. :o
 
I would give it a bit longer. It doesn't sound like he is terribly stressed, just fretting a bit and he will get used to it in time. Personally I would leave him in the stable as I would feel he is safest there.
 
I'd also give it a bit longer.

For what it's worth I once loaned a shetland as a companion when one of my two was moved for the summer - the pony left at home didn't see the point of the shetland at all, and completely ignored her - I think she was just too small and slow to be any fun to play with!
 
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