Separating Horses

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sam72431

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How do you do it, my mares never used to be like it but since moving to my new yard where they are kept in separate sections they are very clingy they are in the same section as i didnt want to risk my bigger mare jumping over to the other one. I havent really addressed it until now as i turned them away for winter. They have now been in together for almost two weeks as one kicked the other so they both had to stay in. This has obviously made it worse, i dont want them separate all the time but i would like to bring one in without the other to ride and also i want to compete in the near future with one and do in hand showing with the other. Is it best just to separate them when i need to or i've got the use of another field for a few weeks so i could separate them that way, how have you done it? They can all see each other as its just electric fencing. Thanks
 
Hi Samps - fab post!!!! Hope you get a ton of helpful advice. It's not easy when 2 buddies get so attached. Ideally, a larger herd would solve this but I do understand that many yards separate horses into little individual spaces for safety. The down side of this is that herd animals get clingy and edgy when they feel that there aren't enough eyes and ears around to spot all the tigers and aligators that lurk in the British countryside. If you separate them, you're right, there's a danger that one or other will try to get back to her friend. If you bring them in together, then the one not ridden/taken to shows etc might do something stupid in trying to find her safety-buddy. You could try to put them so that they are a long way away from each other but that may or may not make the situation better. You could even send one off to another yard for a few weeks but horses have long memories and you may find that as soon as the other one comes back, the problem starts all over. You could just leave them to get on with it: they may settle over time or they may not! I think you have to go back to the start of the problem, ie when you moved to your new yard with its new turnout system. I don't think your neds like it and if you can't safely resolve it, you might need to think about moving to a yard where horses are turned out in a herd. Not an easy one. Maybe some forum members will have had some experience and have some ideas. Good luck x
 
My mare and gelding got very clingy, couldn't seperate them at all. I moved to a yard where they were split into mares and geldings in fields far away from each other. Mare was happy with her new friends straight away, gelding took a while to settle down but they are fine now.

Give it a try, the worst that could happen is you mare jumps the fence, as long as she is a good jumper no problem! You must keep trying though, they can be a real pain when they have to follow each other all the time. Maybe see if you could put them in seperate sections with other horses or to start with put them in the same section and introduce some others. Show them that they can have other friends and maybe they won't worry so much about being apart.
 
Thanks, its just so unatural unfortunately i cant move them anywhere else and even if i did the only other yard has the same policy. I think i may have to put them in seperate fields for a while but i just dont want them too stressed i was planning to put one in foal but unti this is sorted i think it would be too stresful i've tried pursuading others to put the horse together but no one will. No one else seems to have a problem really i could send one away but i think it would make things worse as my bigger mare would them get attached to another horse which i dont have any control over when it comes in and out if that makes sense. Such a pain! I'll just have to save some money up and buy some of my own land and have liveries, thatll be a while!
 
I know how upsetting this can be as have been in similar situation with my boy when I moved to a private yard (we're renting a house on the farm) and he only has one other horse with him now. They became stupidly attached and it was stressful hearing them whinny and panic when one was taken out of the field etc. All I can say is that we just persevered - they had to work out for themselves that the other one would return and that they were safe without the other. At first I put some hay in the field when my boy was on his own, and, probably after about 2-3 weeks in total, things are now calm and we can bring one in without the other batting an eyelid!!!

So, I would be a big supporter of just hanging in there. Try to turn a deaf ear to the noise and parading about they may do, eventually they will calm down - but they have to work it out for themselves and I think sending one away could only make the problem worse in the long run.

One other tip could be to feed one in the field when the other comes in for a ride etc. This is a great distraction and they 'forget' themselves for a bit which takes the sting out of the seperation.

Good luck - let us know in a couple of weeks how things are!

Sue
 
After being with between 2 and 4 other horses for her whole life, last summer the last remaining one was sold and my mare now lives with one other mare. Who happens to be her mother, and they both still know it!

We have to seperate them as my mare has laminitis and is an exceptionally good doer and her mum is in her twenties and needs better grazing.

We are fortunate that only a very narrow lanes separates their individual daytime grazing areas (they spend the nights together in my mare's field).

When I ride, the older mare will call when she hears us come back into the yard, but always carries on grazing and never panics or does anything stupid.

When it's the other way around though, Mol HATES it when her mom goes out! She runs around the field, not looking where she's going, neighing her head off, skids into corners, wheels round and bombs off again then starts fence-walking until her mother comes back into view.

I sometimes find this really strange, as all my hacking is done alone, and she never gets upset about leaving the yard on her own. We have just started going to shows as well, and she's really chilled about the whole experience. Just seems funny that she's ok when SHE's the one being taken away, but doesn't like Mummy being taken away from her!
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My horse and my daughters pony were very clingy made worse by the fact that it was convenient for me to bring them in and turn them out at the same time.

Earlier this year I sold the pony and thought it would move away from the yard but they ended up keeping her in the same place. This meant that all the things I did with them as a pair had to stop.

As I compete my horse she is often off the yard on a weekend and I used to keep the pony in to stop her panicing in the field (would be alone but would have neighbours). Anyway new owners just turned her out and have continued to do so...he does whinny for a while but she does settle so a problem I never thought would be resolved has been.

Just try it and persevere.
 
I think I'll just have to give it a go and get someone to keep and eye on the one thats left hay may be a good idea as well thanks I'll let you know how it all goes!
 
Hi I had a similar issue with a mare and a gelding -the gelding wasnt ridden so when the mare was taken out of the field at first he was fine and then when he called she would call back and the situtaion got worse from there. He would pace try and jump out cjharge around you name it. I found feeding him to distract him as the mare came in or one of those balls you can put pony nuts in distracted him alot. It didint cure all but did distract him for a while and he seemed less het up. Hope this helps.
 
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