Seperation Anxiety .... How did you train yours out of it?

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MontysKeeper

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My horse generally is ok to be brought in on his own and left but as soon as another horse is brought in to be ridden and taken away he gets very stressed out and runs around his stable. A couple of months ago he even slipped over but got straight back up! Luckily he has huge straw bed and didn't incur any injuries but still its upsetting to see your horse so stressed out. Any help how to make him more relaxed and to get him accepting being on his own? He is the same at a show also if I go out with a friend. Gets upset if horse is taken away for class but its ok for him to be taken away on his own! Ahhhhh horses!! Haven't tried any calmers yet.

Thanks!!
 
Regular training ie every day to accept the situation and don't start something you can't finish on a good note.

I have a mare who (I only found this out recently!) lived with her mother her whole life and her own foal it's whole life until the day she was loaded to sell to me. She was always a bit ott in the field and possessive of her herd etc so it all makes sense. It's typical Welsh drama with her ie looks a lot worse than it is, she has a good sense of self preservation! I've just ignored her behaviour. Would never unload her or put her back out while creating only when she had calmed down and repeatedly shifted her friends around while she was safely contained until she realised it wasn't actually such a drama after all. Repetition and consistency with a good outcome each training session (ie they are calm before getting what they think they need!) is the key.
 
I had one who had always been with his dam, until she died, then he was on his own - big lad too, 17hh heavy hunter type. When he came here he was so smitten with other horses he couldn't bear to be away from them (at at his size ignoring really wasn't an option for fear of trashed fences or buildings).
He needed to learn that he could cope with time away from them and that it would not be forever, they would be there for him. A structured programme of time away from them, with a feed as distraction to begin with, starting with the time it took him to eat the feed and building by tiny increments. The key is to get him back to them BEFORE he gets stressed, and to build that time little by little over a few weeks.
Eventually he loaded into a lorry and went to a new home, where he was treated with minimal stress and eventually was happy to hack away from the others on his own.
Adrenaline is the killer, keep it low key and relaxed.
 
Thanks for replies.

He is an odd one because he will quite happily go on his own.

Its only when I have stabled him and then if another horse comes in and then goes back out before him, he kicks off.

Is fine out in the field, as long as he isn't the last one out like most horses.

Isn't nappy to ride. It literally is when stabled if he sees another horse and at a show.

If his in on his own and nothing else comes in that day. His fine!

Its a shame and I feel bad as like going out to events with a friend but then feel guilty I can support them in the warm up or their class, as my horse stresses on his own :-(

Training and patience I think is going to be key here!

His not young either at 19!!
 
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My boy is dreadful if you take his chums away. I've had him 16 years and he's no better despite all efforts to relieve his worry. I have come to the conclusion that after all these years he will just have to get on with it now. There are some that you just can't help.
 
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