Moved yards - very stressed mare (and rider!)

trundle

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I'm feeling like a real failure with my Share Mare at the moment. We moved yards last Friday, and she settled really nicely into a lovely huge field with one of Super_Kat's horses. I rode her over the weekend and once earlier this week, so she's been rideen about four times since we arrived, nothing strenuous, just light schooling.

She and her fieldmate have become very, VERY attached, and when one leaves the field the other screams and calls and generally freaks out. Yesterday, the two of them came up to the yard together as the Moose was jsut too distressed to be elft in the field alone.

I tried to tack her up last night, and i couldnt get her bridle on. She then threw a HUGE strop in the school, and i chickened out of riding her, and got Super_Kat to do it. I hopped on for a quick toddle round the school after kat had worn her out, but the Moose was very tense.

Tonight, she was AWFUL. She didn't want to leave the field, and called all the way up the track. once she was tied in the yard, she wouldn't lift her feet (she is usually perfectly good), she called non-stop, and wouldn't eat her dinner. I didnt even try to tack her up, I knew it would end in tears. On the way back down the track she was a bargy, screaming horror, and she is NNEVER ever like this normally. I have a smashing blue and red hoof-mark on my foot where she trod on me, fortunately in thick mud so i just sank in....

She is a big strong horse, and I am a little person. I am confident around her, she doesn't frighten me when she plays up, but it worries me because i don't really know how to cope. I can't really manage her when she is acting up like this.

I know she is upset and unsettled because of the move, and thats causing her to act out of character. But what should i do? Should i just struggle on and see if she settles in time? Would a calmer be a good idea, and if so, any recommendations? The problem is though, she is so stressed and worked up that she won't eat her dinner, and she normally eats like a pig. Please help, i do love her, but I really don't know what to do for the best.
 
Personally, I don't like just 2 horses together in a paddock because if one of them is a bit insecure for any reason they become too clingy. Could you possibly put another 2 in the same paddock at least you've been there a while?
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I had the same problem with my mare when we moved on current yard 2 years ago. My mare would jump out if her field mate was taken out and she'd spin round for home if I took her out hacking.
Now she's with 2 other horses she's fine - might be worth a try if it's possible.
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Echo Tiffany. You need more neds in the field. Then do some little-and-often just going down to the field and putting headcollar on your ned and stroking her nose then going away. Then come back, put headcollar on and lead her to the gate. Polo. Go away again. Then headcollar, lead to stand for 5mins outside the gate. Polo and go away. Etc etc etc until you can tie her up for 10 mins, then 20, then tack up but immediately untack again, then tack up and sit on for 5 mins, then walk around for 5 mins etc etc. If you take your time and don't rush her (but don't let her be a prune either) then 2 things should happen: 1) she'll have settled in to the new yard and sussed out that it's not an illicit breeding centre for velocoraptors and 2) she'll realise that nothing bad happens and it's all quite harmless. If she's a total eejit, you could try a calmer for the early sessions I suppose but I don't reckon any of them much lol! Good luck and nil desperandum as they say!
 
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