Inseperable Horses can anyone help?

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jillcox

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Hi, After 10 years of livery stables, i have been fortunate to now live on a farm with my new partner, however the equestrian dream is a nightmare!!
My wonderfull warmblood mare, has gone mad and will not seperate from a gelding i had to get to keep her calm as she would not settle on her own, now i have had her since she was 3 she is now 13, she has always ridden out on her own, occasionaly with company and would still quite happilly ride away from any one, i have done endurance one day events, had a go at everything, yet suddenly we can not leave sight of this gelding,, i am so frustrated i don't know what to do, i tried shutting the boy away, he would wreck the yard till he gets out, she will walk away but call and call, then start to wind up rear, and be generally stupid.. I can ride her in the field with him loose, but she has always got one ear and eye on him and will not concentrate, he will quite happilly graze so long as she is in sight. my days of hours out hacking are gone.. Please can anyone help?? We have only been on the farm for 7 months..
 
I really sympathise with you. I brought 2 brothers a couple of years ago, we brought them straight from the field and when we got them home they were a bloody nightmare! The older brother was fine to take away to ride but the other boy would just go crazy and i mean crazy, they just couldn't be seperated. It was one of those situations that when it was time to ride them or doing anything with them we just dreaded it!
Very sadly we lost the younger boy to colic last year and we really thought his brother would die of a broken heart, it took him a while but he got over it and turns out he is the most fantastic horse, it was hard to see when his brother was alive.
I'm sorry i can't really offer you any solutions but just wanted to let you your not they only one who has had this trouble.........
 
I always try to keep 3 tbh. It is much easier. It is often the one left behind that is frantic and causes the problem with lots of calling. That sets of the horse being taken away. Maybe you could try to find something to loan for a while. Dont know if that is an option. I also find my geldings are worse for making a fuss about being left (just my experience and not saying it is always the case)

It is the worst thing about keeping them at home tbh. You want them to have a companion but you end up with two companions because you cant leave one on its own. :)
 
If you live on a farm, I am guessing that land may not be a problem? I would get yourself another horse, maybe older, a pony etc that doesn't care whether its left on its own or not. That way, you can take one out, or both and the remaining companion won't mind about being left on its own.

You could probably work your way through it, but I think a happier solution all round would be to get another cheap to keep horse. Yours is obviously used to being around many horses, and now feels unsettled when just with one. We have one older horse who rarely goes out, and whilst he'll neigh if we take the other 3 out at the same time, maybe happens once a month, he'll get over it and doesn't stress out when we're gone ie he carries on eating etc. :)
 
When I lived at my parents farm. We had to have three, as it meant I couldn't go to camp or go out easily if one had to be left alone. Two were ours, and we had a third as a livery. Is that an option for you?
 
Maybe get another and keep those two separate from your warmblood (I just mean by a fence) to break the bond a little but so that she still has company? My mare recently became totally besotted with a shettie gelding that we got - when it came to riding out, she would take a few paces and then he would call and she would turn around and try to run back. We then separated them as the shettie needed restricted grazing with another pony anyway and now it is not a problem. He sometimes still calls but she will leave him (we hack out with another person on foot/bike). Good luck! :)
 
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