Horse Behaviorist / Separation Anxiety

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Vicster1

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Does anyone have any contacts / recommendations for a horse behaviorist that travels to your yard (as opposed to sending your horse away to them)? Needs to be able to travel to Surrey/Kent borders - J6 of M25

Briefly, my gelding has severe problems! To ride, he's ok, its just in the stable he's a nightmare. I believe the problem is severe separation anxiety, but it can be linked to my other horse going out for a ride, a field mate, or just any other horse on the yard (depending on his mood). It's got to the point where I would often rather not be in his stable as he frets so much that he's almost dangerous (but without going in his stable, I can't rug him up in order to turn him out / tack him up)

Anyway, if anyone does have any recommendations, I'd be mucho grateful!!
 
Do you mean that your horse will not tollerate being the only horse in his stable?

We have one like that. We just make sure that someone is in with her.
 
my gelding is like that and i bought another horse to keep him company the problem i will soon have is when i want to ride my mare,i was maybe thinking of a stable mirror and some sort of anxiety herbs like valerian or similar to calm him doen when he will be alone,any ideas??
 
"Unfortunately", he's had a stable mirror for a few years now. That did used to help, but he doesn't really 'use' it anymore. (That said, I would still recommend them to other people).

I've also tried different calmers/supplement without success.

I always leave my mare in until he's ready to go out, unless they have to stay in (worming etc) and I need to exercise my mare. (This in iteslf isn't ideal, as I can't leave her in if he ever has to stay in on box rest!) Ignoring him doesn't work as it's not a people thing - he's always been a 'horses horse'. And if you ignore him - by the time you get him out his stable, he's so sweaty that I worry he'll catch a chill if I turn him out (but he'll only get more het up leaving him in....)

I've even had someone come up to do some Reiki on him. It worked for about 3 weeks, but when the lady came back, he couldn't cope with it - it was as if he couldn't cope with not being in control of it. (I know that may sound "far out", but if you'd been there, you'd have seen!). The lady actually said that she'd never experienced energy like it in a horse!

Anyway, any other ideas/recommendations greatly appreciated!!
 
I had a horse just like this because he had been brought up in a herd situation, I battled with him and then I sold him.

The funny part of the story is that I told the girl who bought him that he did not like being on his own and she replied tough because he will having no other horses for company when he comes to me,

we agreed that if he did not settle I would take him back

I have never heard another thing from her apart from one phone call that was a month after she took him saying "Dont know what your problem was he is as calm as a cucumber and loves it on his own " !

Try taking your horse out in a lorry or trailer to somewhere on her own and see how she responds once she gets there - you may be suprised.
 
my horse is like this and we are now lucky enough to have our own fields and stables so we can control his turnout and companions etc. He has 2 friends, one of which is with him at all times (although I can ride him alone without probs) so there's little disruption for him as when he was on a livery yard before, if one horse was brought in, he would start to pace the fence line and lose a lot of weight through anxiety. He's soooo much more relaxed that I have taken him off of calmer and if you do use a calmer, only valerian worked for mine. He also happily stays in his stable for some time if one of the others goes out riding as long as the other is close by. Try to get your horse into a routine as this should also help. Mine stems from him being kept alone for 8 months prior to me getting him I think.
 
Thanks for the advice. He does have a routine and I've had him since a foal (I have his mum too), so I know he's never been left on his own (although the way he acts is often as if he's terrified he'll be left on his own)

I think it's just a case of putting up with him as he is! It's just very frustrating as when he's calm, he's lovely, but when he's having a paddy, he's impossible and he's had me stuck in his stable which I admit was a little scary (and as I'm pregnant, it's not just me I have to think about now). Moving him to a different yard from my mare isn't an option, and as I've said, if it's not her he's panicking about, it's another horse he's seen/thinks he's seen. Maybe a move to a different yard with the pair of them may help, but if it doesn't, I've left a yard I like and trust!!

I may try valerian - it's one thing I haven't tried!
 
Grace can be a bit like this when Hannah goes out... but it is getting better. However, tonight when I got there, as soon as she heard my voice she started screaming and screaming for Hannah. I ignored her and got on with my jobs and then she seemed to settle.

I am moving her to a stable away from Hannah in a couple of weeks as it is a bigger one that has come available. But I am also hoping it will reduce some of her separation anxiety because she will no longer be stabled next to her.

Are yours stabled next door to each other? If so, is there someone who would swap with you (easier said than done I know
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It is like weaning all over again, so I would treat it like that to be honest. I know I have done and it does seem to be working slightly.
 
They're not next to each other, but on the same part of the yard. However, even if I did move one of them so they were out of sight, he still panics when another horse comes in or out of the yard.
Take Saturday for example - he was really chilled out and I'd just commended him for it (!!), then another horse (who he has Never had any dealings with - on another part of yard, different field, never even been out for a ride with) walked into the yard... well, that was it - screaming, weaving, ignoring his feed/hay...... I went and walked the dog, and when I came back 1/2 hr later, he was still weaving/ignoring his hay.....
Some days he seems better than other days and I can take my other one out, or other horses can go out, and he won't care (too much!), but I just can't find any pattern behind it... maybe I should start looking at the moon.....!!!

I'm getting to the point where I either just accept it's him, or try moving them to another yard, which I'm really against doing as obviously if he doesn't behave better there, then I'm no better off and have left a yard that I like!!
 
Did you find a solution for your horse?
my horse is the same except when she gets stressed in the stable she jumps out! we also took her to a show at the weekend and when my welsh pony went into the ring without her she started rearing right up we had to pull the pony out of the ring as she was being too dangerous and take them home.
I would like to get a behaviorist to come out and help with her in south bucks berks area if anyone knows of one?
I have a dressge test coming up and want her to be good although she is better when ridden than if on the ground.
Help!!
 
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