cpendle
Well-Known Member
I have owned my horse for about six months. He's a warmblood, bought as a project, he's 10 years old, but had been kept pretty much as a pet at a stud for the past five years and had lived in the same place since the age of three. I've been gradually bringing him back into work, and generally he's great, but has major separation anxiety/nappiness. For example, if he's in the school with another horse and it leaves, he freaks out. If he is in the school and other horses are being turned out nearby, he freaks. Initially when I rode with another horse in the school, he'd try and nap across the school to be next to them... I thought that had stopped, but it happened again today worse than ever! When I say he "freaks", basically he runs backwards and rears/spins. When he's in the arena totally alone, he starts quite tense and he calls out for other horses - in a good session after about 30 mins he'll relax.
He is great to hack in company and now usually much happier to school with other horses in the arena, as long as they don't leave him. He's better in an arena with a mirror as he sees he's own reflection and I guess thinks its another horse!
Any advice on how to overcome this? In all other ways he's very sweet and obliging.
He is great to hack in company and now usually much happier to school with other horses in the arena, as long as they don't leave him. He's better in an arena with a mirror as he sees he's own reflection and I guess thinks its another horse!
Any advice on how to overcome this? In all other ways he's very sweet and obliging.