Separation anxiety

[Bluesparks]

After posting about my horse needing to gain weight/condition I now have a new problem!! Since being reunited with his mate for winter, he's tonight had a total meltdown because I rode his mate for half an hour and left him in the stable! His bed was trashed and he was white all over looked like he'd just run the national!! Took an hour to cool off and another trip back to the farm to feed him later! Nightmare, any suggestions?!! Obviously he's not going to put weight on very quickly while he's performing like this

 

[L&M]

A stable mirror really helped my son's pony - it had been kept on its own (bar a few sheep) for 3 yrs before we bought him, so latched onto my horse straight away.

We started with leaving him 'little and often' so he realised his mate was always coming back, then extended the time once he seemed a little calmer. It took a few weeks but we did get there.

Good luck as separation anxiety is a real pita.

 

[Bluesparks]

Thanks hadn't thought of a mirror, they are so stupid my 2 boys so ridiculously attached to each other!

 

[Sparemare]

Simple. You need a third horse ��

 

[PorkChop]

Simple. You need a third horse ��

This

But in all honesty, just keep doing it. Yes, its a pain in the bum, but he has to learn that his friend will always come back.

 

[attheponies]

Separation anxiety is incredibly difficult to deal with, my WB was on a livery yard and never settled unless his friends were beside him. I finally sold him to a private home where he was always with his friends. Sorry to be pessimistic but I tried everything I could think of including a mirror without success. I think it is just a case of managing as best you can.

 

[Sukistokes2]

It's a pain but I'd carry on as you mean to go on. I usually distract with food.

 

[Goldenstar]

You just have to keep taking the friend away do it every day if you can and muck out and get him dried off when you get back most of them accept it in the end .

 

[Ceriann]

My two were very clingy - one especially attached to the other. It's taken a while but they are both now comfortable with me riding one and leaving the other in the stable. I've done it piece by piece, day by day. It's the little things that have helped, turn out separately, bringing in separately, separate fields for short spaces of time etc etc. I initially bribed the one left with food but no longer need to.