Separation anxiety

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Its me again! My horse has been a riding school horse for most of his 20 years. Me and my riding buddy have just had to move our 2 horses to a (fabulous!) new yard. They have settled in very well and have formed a very strong pair bond. They are always brought in together, even if one of them isn't going to be ridden, but now my horse has started shouting and kicking if his friend is taken out of the stable to be ridden. He gets in such a state and kicks so hard that he has managed to open the stable door and has gone walkabout (though not too far!) I can anti-escape the stable with chest chains and extra clips, bolts and so on but does anyone have any thoughts on whether that will make him MORE anxious? I know Ross and Heather Simpson report that although a separation-anxiety horse appears to settle once his pair bond re-appears, in reality the opposite can be true: the worried one just gets more and more worried that his buddy may disappear without warning! Or is he just trying it on? Would a good quality calmer help him in the short term? Will he settle after he understands that he's now safe and happy in his new home and it isn't "new" any more? Anyone got any experience of this?

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Can he see other horses, when his mate is away? Maybe he doesn't like being alone. A stable mirror may help.

 

[bubbledreamer]

Hello.
My mums horse sufferes extreme seperation anxiety, and we were advised take them away from eachother on a regular basis. I would take mine out some days and leave him and she would take him out so hes not with his buddy. It was hard at first but because we did it so often he soon realised she was going to come back. Good luck

 

[Llwyncwn]

Have you spoken to the YO about this? Maybe they can introduce the two horses into a larger herd which would hopefully solve your problem

 

[Tempi]

Archie used to get veyr bad separation anxiety, and still does a bit.

I make sure that him and Bloss never go anywhere or do anything together. And i make sure that they are never turned out at the same time or next to each other in a field.

Archie has a stable mirror which he loves - when i turn blossy out in the field in the mornings when he is staying in he stands and stares at his 'friend' in his mirror

i often catch him dozing with his 'friend' aswell, its made him so much more relaxed.

I personaly think you should start turning your horse out and bringing it in separatly from the other one - but then im sure others will disagree with me.

 

[sanda]

Hes only like this because of the move. Give them time, to enforce his beliefs, always bring his friend back, do it for short intervals then longer, they wil make new friends eventually

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Thanks everyone for some real help. Love the stable mirror idea. Wasn't safe to leave him in the field alone coz, 20 years old and only one eye or not, that boy can JUMP! And in the stable he had started walking in tiny circles and getting really upset. But some GREAT news! I'm SOOOOO lucky and have a FABULOSO YO who not only helps with horse worries but has a huge amount of experience too. And two other geldings have now joined the Terrible Two and already the dynamics have changed! My horse was calm and content to be left in the field with the newcomers while his best buddy was ridden and apparently - the old slapper - he was even spotted playing smoochy with one of the newcomers and doing some mutual grooming! Result or what???? Thanks again to everyone who helped and a HUGE thanks to my sane, calm YO who is the best thing since sliced bread. xxx

 

[peppercorn]

I have a rising 5 sect c gelding who suffers from sep anx., more so in the stable. When I remove my mare from her stable he will rear up and has actually caught his front legs over the door. I have now considered putting weave bars up just so that he would be safer. Do you think this would cause more stress, or should this be overidden by the safety aspect?

My other concern is that I am hoping to take him and the mare to pony club during the summer and also shows. How am I going to get him happy enough to be left when she is removed from the trailer? Is the outlook doom and gloom or is there a possibility somewhere on the horizon?

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Take mega care with weave bars as a solution Peppercorn as in my old livery yard there was a terrible accident when a horse got down for a roll and somehow caught a hind leg in the grill between the two stables. His own weight meant he was well and truly stuck with his hind leg twisted through the bars of the grill and the fire brigade had to come and cut him out. He dangled there for hours and has trashed the tendons in his lower leg and is now permanently mechanically lame and cannot be ridden. The answer for me has been more horses: horses feel safe in groups - one horse on its own is easy meat for the next wolf, tiger or velocoraptor. Thousands of these predators stalk the UK countryside as any horse will tell you!

 

[dieseldog]

Peppercorn - I would also be careful with the weaving grill if he is already rearing up he might get a foot caught between the grills.

Is there anyway you can seperae them at home so that they have different friends?