Separation anxiety while on rest for an injury - advice needed!

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emilykerr747

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Hi everyone,

I’m having a separation anxiety issues with my young TB and I don’t know what to do!

He’s injured his annular ligament and is currently on rest. The vet advised box rest for 2 weeks then rest in a small paddock for the next 6 weeks before a re-scan.

Before the injury he was turned out 24/7 with 5 other geldings. I tried to box rest him but he constantly box walked and was visibly stressed. His best friend was also kept in the field with him and is stabled next door to him (their two stables are in a separate area like a converted separate barn, because of this they don’t see any other horses which isn’t ideal but there’s no other free stables). He gets very worked up when his friend comes and goes from the stable and he can’t go with him. I just don’t believe it’s helping his leg at all as he’s always pivoting on it.

I spoke to the vet and they said to move him to a small paddock so that he can see other horses. So I’ve moved him into a small paddock and put his friend in a slightly larger field around him so that he doesn’t go too far away and mine doesn’t stress.

However even still, my horse is still stressed even being right next to his friend in the field. I haven’t seen it but I can see the marks of where he’s been walking around the edge of his small field.

I don’t know what else to do as I need him to rest the leg but his separation anxiety is so bad. Every time his friend is ridden he will need to come in to his stable and will just box walk around his stable and be stressed.

Even looking at the bigger picture I don’t know how help him to overcome his anxiety and learn to be okay on his own.

I’ve ordered a large stable mirror so I’m hoping that will help. I’ve also tried a treat ball but he wasn’t interested and I’m going to try a friend’s carrot toy.

Does anyone have any advice or tips?
 
Can you look at sedation around the times his friend leaves? Just to get you through the rehab time.

Once leg is healed, you can do wider work on the separate anxiety. Personally I wouldn't be trying to cure it when he's already injured.
 
millitiger said:
Can you look at sedation around the times his friend leaves? Just to get you through the rehab time.

Once leg is healed, you can do wider work on the separate anxiety. Personally I wouldn't be trying to cure it when he's already injured.
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I would consider sedating him but I’m worried how expensive it would become when his friend would be ridden regularly (4-5 times per week). I do not own his friend, he belongs to another livery so I sadly have no control over when he’s ridden.
 
It's often easier to send them away for this phase of healing- he needs to be on a settled yard where he has company. There are specialist rehab yards that might suit
 
TheMule said:
It's often easier to send them away for this phase of healing- he needs to be on a settled yard where he has company. There are specialist rehab yards that might suit
Click to expand...
Thanks. I’ll give it a go with the sedalin and see how he goes for a week. If no improvement I’ll consider other options.
 
My mare was awful on box rest so for the first week I give her a dose in the morning then again at night, I find then I can reduce it down and she is much more settled.
 
emilykerr747 said:
Hi everyone,

I’m having a separation anxiety issues with my young TB and I don’t know what to do!

He’s injured his annular ligament and is currently on rest. The vet advised box rest for 2 weeks then rest in a small paddock for the next 6 weeks before a re-scan.

Before the injury he was turned out 24/7 with 5 other geldings. I tried to box rest him but he constantly box walked and was visibly stressed. His best friend was also kept in the field with him and is stabled next door to him (their two stables are in a separate area like a converted separate barn, because of this they don’t see any other horses which isn’t ideal but there’s no other free stables). He gets very worked up when his friend comes and goes from the stable and he can’t go with him. I just don’t believe it’s helping his leg at all as he’s always pivoting on it.

I spoke to the vet and they said to move him to a small paddock so that he can see other horses. So I’ve moved him into a small paddock and put his friend in a slightly larger field around him so that he doesn’t go too far away and mine doesn’t stress.

However even still, my horse is still stressed even being right next to his friend in the field. I haven’t seen it but I can see the marks of where he’s been walking around the edge of his small field.

I don’t know what else to do as I need him to rest the leg but his separation anxiety is so bad. Every time his friend is ridden he will need to come in to his stable and will just box walk around his stable and be stressed.

Even looking at the bigger picture I don’t know how help him to overcome his anxiety and learn to be okay on his own.

I’ve ordered a large stable mirror so I’m hoping that will help. I’ve also tried a treat ball but he wasn’t interested and I’m going to try a friend’s carrot toy.

Does anyone have any advice or tips?
Click to expand...
My boy suffers with severe separation anxiety, and after we lost his soulmate of 17 years I was at my wits end. Even taking my sisters other horse on to the yard, he would go into meltdown as he couldn't see her. I couldn't use vet sedation every time my sister took her horse to a clinic or competition, so on advice I tried 50ml of Coligone 30mins before taking my sisters horse out. Well there is no one more shocked than me that 50ml can have such a huge impact on him. I can now safely leave him for several hours and he just does what any other horse does in a field, chilled and grazing. Worth a try for definite as it has made such a huge difference, and without it I would have had to seriously think about having him PTS. He's 27 so doesn't iump anymore so we couldn't take him out with my sisters horse.
 
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