LankyDoodle
Well-Known Member
We lost our mare 12 days ago after a painful battle against a short illness. She was only 15 and the most stunning Welsh D. We received a card from her old yard today and one of our old yard friends wrote in it 'X was a diamond, remember the good times'. It's so true. My gelding is also a 15 year old Welsh D, but still she acted as a nanny horse to him and gave him confidence. George had been poorly treated and it took a long time for us to get his confidence ont he ground and in the saddle - she helped with that.
They shared a 1 acre (sectioned) paddock at our yard, went on holidays together (obviously, as they both belonged to us), got ridden out together. George used to get in a right state if he was left home without her, even if there were lots of other horses around. They had such a strong bond. Over the last year he began to settle and accept that she would always come home to him, and we were always there for him. He was still a bit fretty but not as bad. When she got ill and was on box rest, he seemed to just accept it and although he obviously missed her in the field (stables next to each other with low wall), he knew something was up. When she died, we took him to see her to give him some closure and the vet stayed with us in case there was any trouble. He sniffed, then turned his back and walked away.
We were told to watch him eating, make sure he's not withdrawing from food. We were also told he would mope etc, which is common sense really - he's just lost his best mate, like we have. But he's actually gone backwards a lot. He has started getting fretty when we leave, even when other horses are around, calling for us, box walking, pulling things down off the wall, tearing up his field. He was never THAT bad to begin with (well maybe on occasion), and has not done anything even close to this for over a year. He swings from moping to going mad. He's in the field on his own and is on restricted grazing, but is still eating normally really. I am starting to see glimpses of the old insecure George, but at the same time he has matured in so many ways.
I am thinking of getting him a companion. We are still paying for our mare's stable/grazing as we want to keep our stable/grazing/sections open for when we get another horse (it is a hobby my husband and I share so we can't make do with 1 horse, but it is far far too soon to buy another riding horse to replace her). Bearing in mind we are still paying for her livery and the fact he's struggling to cope without her (evidently), I wondered whether getting a companion horse on loan might be worthwhile. There are no other horses that he can share with as they are either in with another horse/s or kick/bite so are grazed on their own. There are only 9 horses at the yard and they are separated by electric fence in the fields which are all next to each other. He is the kind of horse that seems to build an extremely tight bond with 1 other horse, probably his field mate, and just tolerates other horses around him.
We probably want a smallish pony that cannot be ridden, doesn't need shoes etc, and can be a field companion.
Just really worried at the moment.
They shared a 1 acre (sectioned) paddock at our yard, went on holidays together (obviously, as they both belonged to us), got ridden out together. George used to get in a right state if he was left home without her, even if there were lots of other horses around. They had such a strong bond. Over the last year he began to settle and accept that she would always come home to him, and we were always there for him. He was still a bit fretty but not as bad. When she got ill and was on box rest, he seemed to just accept it and although he obviously missed her in the field (stables next to each other with low wall), he knew something was up. When she died, we took him to see her to give him some closure and the vet stayed with us in case there was any trouble. He sniffed, then turned his back and walked away.
We were told to watch him eating, make sure he's not withdrawing from food. We were also told he would mope etc, which is common sense really - he's just lost his best mate, like we have. But he's actually gone backwards a lot. He has started getting fretty when we leave, even when other horses are around, calling for us, box walking, pulling things down off the wall, tearing up his field. He was never THAT bad to begin with (well maybe on occasion), and has not done anything even close to this for over a year. He swings from moping to going mad. He's in the field on his own and is on restricted grazing, but is still eating normally really. I am starting to see glimpses of the old insecure George, but at the same time he has matured in so many ways.
I am thinking of getting him a companion. We are still paying for our mare's stable/grazing as we want to keep our stable/grazing/sections open for when we get another horse (it is a hobby my husband and I share so we can't make do with 1 horse, but it is far far too soon to buy another riding horse to replace her). Bearing in mind we are still paying for her livery and the fact he's struggling to cope without her (evidently), I wondered whether getting a companion horse on loan might be worthwhile. There are no other horses that he can share with as they are either in with another horse/s or kick/bite so are grazed on their own. There are only 9 horses at the yard and they are separated by electric fence in the fields which are all next to each other. He is the kind of horse that seems to build an extremely tight bond with 1 other horse, probably his field mate, and just tolerates other horses around him.
We probably want a smallish pony that cannot be ridden, doesn't need shoes etc, and can be a field companion.
Just really worried at the moment.
