Handling separation anxiety in new horse?

[khalswitz]

Hi all.

So my new horse has been through her two week quarantine period away from the other horses, and finally got introduced to her new field mates last night over a gate in the barn and this morning in the field. All has gone well, they’re all nice people and no chaos.

However. When on quarantine she was quite stressed, to the point where she had to be turned out 24/7 because being alone in the quarantine barn freaked her out so much and she got into a state. She’s been very spooky to ride on her own during that period which is understandable.

But from the moment we went to turn them out this morning she was dragging me along absolutely determined not to be left alone, and it’s got me thinking about how to manage taking her away from the others to feed and ride. Any tips for managing a horse that has been pretty stressed out alone and may now be a bit nappy until we settle into a routine?

She hacked alone etc in her previous homes so I know she can do it all fine once settled, just getting to that settled point!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I'd just say to give her time, give her a month off and spend some time with her unridden. She'll get there, it's been a lot of change and a lot of stress.
I'd also probably feed her some protexin or aloe vera in case she's ulcer prone.

 

[khalswitz]

A month seems quite a lot for a horse that has been in regular work? When I’ve moved previous horses in work, I’ve ridden them within a day or two at most - and I’ve ridden her this week whilst she’s been on isolation.

My worry is just that, as expected, she got quite upset when I tried to bring her in to feed her away from them tonight. Not a chance I could have ridden her tonight. Other than feeding her away from them just to reinforce that she gets something nice and then gets returned, is there any other method of handling it?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would just keep bringing her in like your doing if she is fresh or being silly I would lunge for a bit then just get on when she is calmer.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Just hang on in there and stick to your routine and she ll learn her pals are still around, it’s just going to take some time.

 

[claret09]

she will be fine

 

[khalswitz]

Well, it’s getting worse at the moment. I tried just taking her the other side of the gate into the barn, so that her new friends were literally touchable, with her feed bucket tonight, and she was stamping and shouting and very cross. I’ve not managed to groom her or change her rug in 48 hours let alone even think about riding.

I’ve clearly been spoiled with my geldings in the past as they never batted an eyelid really about being moved, maybe we’re looky and called a bit but nothing more.

 

[Caski]

In season perhaps?

 

[khalswitz]

In season perhaps?

Ding ding ding, went up this morning and her legs are a total mess.

Here’s hoping it settles!

 

[Caski]

Ding ding ding, went up this morning and her legs are a total mess.

Here’s hoping it settles!

Fingers crossed!

 

[Lotsoflemons]

Ding ding ding, went up this morning and her legs are a total mess.

Here’s hoping it settles!

My new mare came yesterday and shes come in to season too, April is about the time that they start breeding mines an old broodmare too so we have just kept her turned out 24/7 overnight and kept to normal routine in the day she has seperation anxiety over the geldings luckily my gelding is really good and there coming in and out together atm but hes very protective over her

 

[khalswitz]

My new mare came yesterday and shes come in to season too, April is about the time that they start breeding mines an old broodmare too so we have just kept her turned out 24/7 overnight and kept to normal routine in the day she has seperation anxiety over the geldings luckily my gelding is really good and there coming in and out together atm but hes very protective over her

Yeah she’s out with two geldings, and they’re out 24/7, so the issue is getting her to come in and settle at all for grooming/riding. The feeding her seperately is currently not working well!

Going to wait a couple more days and then bridle her in the field and take her out in hand up the lane for 20 minutes or so, get her moving and thinking. A routine of that and the season ending will hopefully settle her enough to get riding!

 

[Lotsoflemons]

Yeah she’s out with two geldings, and they’re out 24/7, so the issue is getting her to come in and settle at all for grooming/riding. The feeding her seperately is currently not working well!

Going to wait a couple more days and then bridle her in the field and take her out in hand up the lane for 20 minutes or so, get her moving and thinking. A routine of that and the season ending will hopefully settle her enough to get riding!

Yeah fingers crossed! Ive been bringing in and taking my 2 out riding together and they seem fine I took her alone today but she would squeal neigh etc she seems perfectly fine in company so I think whenever shes in season she needs another horse there she is 21 but has lived with a mare for 3 years so I think its all quite new aswell

 

[khalswitz]

An update - left her with them all day yesterday, just fed her in the field. Today, I went in the afternoon and groomed her in the field, put her bridle on, and then took her out on a lunge line with a schooling whip and a pocketful of treats. Took her for a ten minute walk up the lane and back.

Every time she started shouting, I put her on a small circle round me and got her moving til she paid attention to me. When she halted on command and looked to me, I offered her a treat and a scratch, then we walked on again.

Whilst we walked I got her to leg yield away from me across the track now and again as well, and do an occasional halt and then walk again, just keeping her attention. When we did the transition if she did as I asked I gave her another treat.

She’s very clever - she sussed this out quite quickly and started paying attention to me. At no point was she barging and spinning like she had done previously when I tried to just feed her away from the others. She jogged a bit in places but was listening to me. And when we arrived back, she was tense but didn’t barge me at the door.

So I’m going to just do this every evening for the next few days and see how we get on. Hopefully she susses out that we go out, she gets treats when she does as asked, and then she goes back to her mates after. Fingers crossed but I think this is a good sign, considering how stressed she was on her own in isolation before this.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Well done hopefully after a while she will really calm down and be fine about leaving them.

 

[khalswitz]

Update, in case anyone is interested.

That’s us a month now since I got her, and three and a half weeks since she moved into the new yard. Horses have settled great in the field, I can bring her out and groom/tack up/ride but cannot leave her in the barn or tied up by herself (she put her foot through a door the last time I tried).

The ground work has worked great, really reduced the stress behaviour she was showing and she’s now mostly pretty obedient to me on the ground thanks to that.

Riding is another matter. Started off very sticky and spooky, has gotten less spooky but the last two days has started stopping dead at the start of the track away from the yard, and then bucking when I use my leg or whip (and it’s gentle!). It’s not ‘trying-to-get-you-off bucking, my last one did that and it’s totally different. It’s just a big f-you basically.

I’ve been walking her to the top of the track and mounting on the wall there, but she’s a nightmare to mount as she won’t stand and constantly swings her quarters out.

Once we’re out hacking she’s getting better - she does stop dead to look at things, but if I give her a moment she then gets going herself. Will try to jog if I let her on the way back but will be corrected without a fuss. Coming up the hill on the return I’m getting some good blowing and she’s happily dropping her head and seeming fine.

However just getting her out the yard is a nightmare, and with my being a broken human I absolutely do not want to get into a fight where I need to sit bucking.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

 

[Clodagh]

I’m not sure how confident and competent you are but if you feel up to it I’d trot briskly past the nappy spot, making sure she’s really working and on the leg.

 

[MagicMelon]

I'd just say to give her time, give her a month off and spend some time with her unridden. She'll get there, it's been a lot of change and a lot of stress.
I'd also probably feed her some protexin or aloe vera in case she's ulcer prone.

Napping is a difficult one, its the one thing I dont think Id want to deal with again. Although with her, it does just sound like she's feeling super insecure with everything being new so she may well get over it. But of course, you dont want it becoming ingrained into her either! Id have a bum bag full of treats and I personally like clicker training for issues. Id start with the not standing to mount, my current mare did exactly the same to begin with and it was really annoying. Clicker training sorted it within a week and she's now 99% of the time excellent to get on. Once you sort that (and she understands the clicker training thing) then Id try doing it riding, maybe halting then say walk on and when she does click and treat. Might help when she naps as when you say walk on, it might snap her out of her strop and she will. Like you say, Im similar to you - I dont want arguements these days and nappy horses can argue if you push them so if theres another way then Id try that.

 

[Horsegirl25]

Hi I feel you! Bought my mare last August, wouldn't settle in the field at all would pace up and down the fence and if you brought the mare over the fence in all hell would break loose - she would gallop around wild shouting in a total blind panic. After you eventually caught her this would continue in her stable shouting and running circles.
This was unbelievably stressful as I had to work my day around getting this mare out after everyone else out and in before everyone else.
Fast forward to this year, she is living out overnight, not fussed if someone gets brought in - still not keen on being the only one out but its a start!
She spent the winter in as I couldn't have her churning up my fields with her galloping about like a maniac and she would hurt herself with the ground being so wet.

Not really much in the way of advice but do hang in there - they settle, they always will. It gets better!

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

My now retired mare was exactly like this on arrival. She is an ex hunter and had spent her whole life only ever working in the company of a good few other horses. I tried various methods to get over the planting and in the end I used a method I had used with another very stubborn mare many years ago. I planted with her. If she stopped I just stopped with her, I did not allow her to turn her head sideways, spin or even reverse, if she reversed (which she was very good at unfortunately), I quickly spun her around and got her walking backwards in the direction we wanted to go.

Eventually we got to the long, long stand off stage, she would plant and I would sit a couple of times up to an hour, I never lost my temper with her, just quietly sat and left her mouth loose as long as she was pointing forwards even if not moving. She finally cottoned on that I was as stubborn and wiley as she was and after a very big sigh and total boredom setting in for both of us, she decided she was going out alone and that was that.

With geldings I have often had planters arrive but always found it very easy to just quickly push them on even before they reached their favourite tantrum spots. These two mares were a different matter altogether, tell either of those mares and they would bury you, ask patiently but firmly and eventually they will respect you and comply without either of us getting too overheated and stressed.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Only thing that worked with Louis was to hand walk a short route everyday for a week then get on and do that route, I still had to get off sometimes if he would stop at something but I at least got him on a hack, after he got good at doing that route I would hand walk a slightly different one and repeat.

He got marginally better but would still get in a state about things so I eventually just hacked him in company, it wasn't an enjoyable experience for either of us to go alone so just gave up on it.

We were both happier for it

 

[khalswitz]

Thanks all - these stories make me feel more optimistic! Its just so frustrating when a month ago she was a total dream to hack alone…

I’ll try beating her at stubbornness, sure I can do that.