Separation Anxiety help!

slumdog

slumdog

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So I've had Fred around 4 weeks now, and he's become increasingly in love with my other gelding, to the point where tonight he had an almighty tantrum (and he's 17hh so it really was almighty!) he's dominant, but he's also stressy and sensitive. He's seemed genuinely upset and stressed at being separated from him rather than just naughty or nappy, but it's getting worse and tonight he was so wound up I couldn't do anything with him, bucking, kicking out, pulling back snapping the bail twine and spinning round and shouting. Should I separate them? It's not something I've ever had to deal with so I've not got a clue how to handle it. After all my bad luck I just want a normal horse lol!
 
Honestly, the best thing I found with my mare who had seriously bad separation anxiety if her field mate went away from her (she was always ok being taken away from them), is when her field mate moved away to a new yard. She happily lives in a paddock alone now (she has others in sight though, be it over the hedge or the other side of the large field in their paddock). Yes, sometimes I would love to see her groom and run about with a fieldmate again, but I honestly do think it is better for her state of mind in general to live alone in her paddock with the others at a bit of a distance. She is settled, calm, and is a lot more amenable to being taken out and about places alone too.
 
He follows him as far as he can and then shouts and runs up and down the fence, but he does seem to settle after a little while that way round.
 
slumdog said:
He follows him as far as he can and then shouts and runs up and down the fence, but he does seem to settle after a little while that way round.
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How odd, that's the complete opposite of my mare. She would go hysterical for hours (literally) if she was left in the field, but I could take her away from others with little problem.
 
Moomin1 said:
Honestly, the best thing I found with my mare who had seriously bad separation anxiety if her field mate went away from her (she was always ok being taken away from them), is when her field mate moved away to a new yard. She happily lives in a paddock alone now (she has others in sight though, be it over the hedge or the other side of the large field in their paddock). Yes, sometimes I would love to see her groom and run about with a fieldmate again, but I honestly do think it is better for her state of mind in general to live alone in her paddock with the others at a bit of a distance. She is settled, calm, and is a lot more amenable to being taken out and about places alone too.
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I have 3 paddocks so I could separate him and see if this helps, he could still see him over the fence but it might break the obsession a bit. I wonder if he was kept alone previously. He's so lovely most of the time and he gets so upset it's like he's been possessed!
 
Moomin1 said:
How odd, that's the complete opposite of my mare. She would go hysterical for hours (literally) if she was left in the field, but I could take her away from others with little problem.
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I agree! I wish it was the other way round! I wondered if it was because he is the dominant horse and he's worried about being taken away from his 'herd'? Just a wild guess though as I don't know much about herd psychology!
 
slumdog said:
I agree! I wish it was the other way round! I wondered if it was because he is the dominant horse and he's worried about being taken away from his 'herd'? Just a wild guess though as I don't know much about herd psychology!
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Mm not sure on that one because my mare is the dominant one - she's never been dominated by any other horse at all. I wish they could talk. :-)
 
What you're describing isn't separation anxiety (which typically can be seen in the horse becoming upset both before and during separation from a specific horse. What you're describing is a normal horse (or herd animal) reaction to being left alone. Horses will not willingly be left alone, and it's something you have to train them to be able to do just as you would train anything else you do with them. I suspect the mistake most people make is assuming that either it's not necessary to train, or that someone has already done it.

With true separation anxiety, the horse will become upset when they see any signs that either they are going to be taken away from their companion, or their companion is going to be taken away from them - this may include herding the other horse away from humans.

With fear of being alone, the horse doesn't usually react until they realise they're alone - so they only start to react as they realise the other horse is on the other side of a barrier and being led away, or if they are being led away, when the other horse goes out of sight.

Training a horse to accept being alone proceeds exactly the same as all other horse training (or as all other horse training should ;) ). Small steps, repeated frequently, not allowing the horse to become so stressed they can't learn, and making sure they learn that when their companion goes out of sight, to begin with they reappear immediately with a reward for tolerating their absence. Take the time to work on it now, and your horse will have a skill for life.

And by the way, you *do* have a normal horse - a horse who doesn't react in any way to being without horsey company is the one that's not normal ;)
 
Brightbay said:
What you're describing isn't separation anxiety (which typically can be seen in the horse becoming upset both before and during separation from a specific horse. What you're describing is a normal horse (or herd animal) reaction to being left alone. Horses will not willingly be left alone, and it's something you have to train them to be able to do just as you would train anything else you do with them. I suspect the mistake most people make is assuming that either it's not necessary to train, or that someone has already done it.

With true separation anxiety, the horse will become upset when they see any signs that either they are going to be taken away from their companion, or their companion is going to be taken away from them - this may include herding the other horse away from humans.

With fear of being alone, the horse doesn't usually react until they realise they're alone - so they only start to react as they realise the other horse is on the other side of a barrier and being led away, or if they are being led away, when the other horse goes out of sight.

Training a horse to accept being alone proceeds exactly the same as all other horse training (or as all other horse training should ;) ). Small steps, repeated frequently, not allowing the horse to become so stressed they can't learn, and making sure they learn that when their companion goes out of sight, to begin with they reappear immediately with a reward for tolerating their absence. Take the time to work on it now, and your horse will have a skill for life.

And by the way, you *do* have a normal horse - a horse who doesn't react in any way to being without horsey company is the one that's not normal ;)
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Wise advice.
 
amymay said:
Has he been left alone when he does this?
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Yes he has, sorry my post sounds a bit backwards, I sent the husband to sneak back and spy on him to see if he had settled.

That's really good advice Brightbay, thank you. It never really occurred to me to be something I need to 'teach' him. He's raced and then went straight to his previous owner who loved him so much I suspect he may have ruled the roost slightly which doesn't help lol
 
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