Seperation anxiety. What to do?

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Jesstickle

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BH still won't settle without Nitty.

He won't settle in his stable, he won't settle in the little invalid paddock with other horses right by and he sure as sugar,honey,ice,tea won't settle in his own field (despite other horses being all around him).

If he just screamed I wouldn't worry too much but he was practically hyperventilating when I came back from a 20 minute ride this evening from charging the fence line :(

He is slightly better if I bring them both in and put him out with a feed but then she does her nut in the box and I have to get on to an incredibly wound up 4yo.

How do I convince him that he won't die if she is out of sight? He never used to be this bad, I know he'll calm down eventually (we only moved a month ago) but how can I speed things along? I can't just not ride for three months whilst he stops getting his knickers in a twist. Ideally I want to just leave him in the field with the other horses but just can't see how I'm going to get to that point at the moment.

I'm contemplating finding somewhere else to put him as he is being so absolutely ridiculous :(

It doesn't help her at all, I know they have to learn to deal with it but when she's just starting out hacking alone and she can hear him screaming the whole time it really doesn't help!
 
I feel your pain - as you know, I'm going through the same sort of thing at the moment.
Annoying as it is, I think moving him elsewhere for a bit is probably the smartest idea. He's clearly not planning to be any more reasonable any time soon, so I reckon you need to break the cycle by cutting the ribbons totally. He might well settle in fine to a new place where she isn't anywhere near him.
 
Well, you have two issues here. You need your 4 year old to get better at being in the box as otherwise you're going to have an issue, so it's probably good practice to bring them in anyway, get the routine and they'll settle. What's he like if left in the box?
 
He would settle fine somewhere without her. He can live without her, he did all last summer.

I think it's a combination of her leaving and (without wanting to anthropomorphise) a bit of the green eyed monster. He is very clingy to me as well at the moment. If I'm in the field he wants to be with me always. I think he's feeling a bit left out :(

I hope he stays sound when he's in work as he's going to be utterly miserable as a field ornament :(
 
SusieT said:
Well, you have two issues here. You need your 4 year old to get better at being in the box as otherwise you're going to have an issue, so it's probably good practice to bring them in anyway, get the routine and they'll settle. What's he like if left in the box?
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Sorry, didn't see this when I replied.

Left in the box he screams and screams (does that wherever) and churns about and sweats up. Sigh.

4yo was always fine in the box until she had to have extended box rest and now she hates it. Don't really know how to overcome that as she isn't terribly food orientated so it's hard to persuade her being in isn't torture. She isn't too bad when others are in but bringing her in to an empty yard stresses her out.
 
Send BH down to where we are on full grass livery for a bit? He will be well looked after and I'll keep an extra eye on him and he can join the herd of invalids when he is ready.
 
I woudl suggest for the 4yr old, feeding her after your ride in her box, then turning her out will probably help. For the older one, being in might at least stop him being injured depending on his temperment. There is little you can do other than let him get on with it and try and distract him with food.
 
That's kind of the conclusion I have reached. That I'll just have to let him sweat it out. That or send him away. But then within a week he'll be back to the same old tricks I expect so don't even know if that would help.

He really is a pleb sometimes.
 
I could try that. But I don't like leaving anything in on its own. Seems kind of mean.

Why did I think it was a good idea to buy him?! Remind me again.

Nitty has her funny little quirks but at least she can be reasoned with.

Tomorrow I'm taking OH with me and he can turn the horse back out and wave polos at him whilst I ride Nitty very quickly. If he won't even stand to be fed polos then he'll have to just stand in and thrash about I guess.
 
amymay said:
Group turnout?
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Not without moving yard again I don't think. Especially as I think he'd still do it and then someone else's horse would be belting around like a lunatic as well :eek: I am also very, very reticent to turn Nitty out with anything any more after the kick and the hock last summer. I know that's silly really but I don't think I could hack that again.
 
I do feel for you, I've just had to sell a horse because his separation issues were so bad and because I've got a baby I couldn't trust him not to flatten the pushchair when he was having a crisis about being alone.
Have you thought about getting a mirror for his stable, he might fall for it, I've found them a sucess with geldings on the whole unless they are really bad about it. :eek:
Hope you get it sorted, it is miserable and does spoil riding the 4 year old.
 
Racking [limited] brains...umm how about bringing him in away from her, giving him a feed and a haynet and a stable mirror every night for a week then bringing her in and riding her the following week building up the time you are out?

Other than that I'm inclined to agree with the let him sweat it out approach...which out of stable or field is better to do the sweating it out in depends on the horse though :confused:

Sympathies too with the non-food orientated TB thing, my brown pony hated being in on her own and food did nothing to pacify her. She's more or less over it now since they've changed to being out at night and in during the day (not stabled on the same mini-yards) and she just HAD to get used to it but it does help that my grey pony doesn't scream back and that I wasn't there to listen to it!

ETA: Just seen that while I was typing my essay Doormouse has also suggested a mirror :)
 
Sorry I dont know your story so dont know if this might be an option.
My horse is confirmed the worst case seperation anxiety ever by a professional reschooling yard who deal with problem horses and issues all the time! (he's bad!)
The ONLY way we've been able to deal with it to an acceptable level was to seperate him from his friend completely for weeks, This was a night mare he was actually border line phsycotic during this time but after 3 weeks he settled, as in wasnt mad any more.
Then i put him with a different pony who is unridden and therefore is never taken away from my horse. I often have to bring both in together which isnt the best but i finally have a calm horse who is happy.
I know in a way ive given in to him but i couldnt deal with it and neither could professional people- he was going to kill himself!
 
Have you thought of trying a bit of sedation for him?
Give him a 'special tube' in the field & if you can wait 45 mins+ then either bring in & leave in stable or leave in field? Or is this method not up for discussion?

Might not work tho.... Giant Fuzzy STILL rushes up & down his fence if I bring my 2 fuzzies in - he's been with me since mid Feb :( He's had all sorts of happy juice etc & nothing works- if he wants to kick off then he will :rolleyes:
'if' his owner can get him down to the yard without him fecking orf, then he is a complete tit in a stable too & rushes around & weaves frantically (not funny for 18hh in a 12 x 12 box!) Mirror no good either nor food.

I'm at my wits end as cannot enjoy my peace with my 2 - due to Giant Fuzzy shouting, fence running of clattering the stable :(
Tiny Fuzzy is Big Fuzzy's 'comforter' - and that works as TF is ok to leave on own (ok, she shouts a lot but settles after around 10 mins as have had peole keeping an eye/ear on her.) TF also keeps GF happy if I leave her up the field - but thats NOT the point - shes mine & I want to do things with her straight after doing BF :rolleyes:

Hope you get a solution missus, if so - let me know what to try on GF as haave just about run out of ideas & am just ignoring him now (tho it does my head in!)
 
I have a stable mirror, I can try him with that. He is thick so you never know!

TFF- no issue with sedating him at ALL, apart from the expense of doing it four times a week!

He is quite grub motivated fortunately so I think that is where the key is going to lie.

I will try some things and keep you all posted! Stoopid great lump!
 
Ref the sedation, I know its pricey, but if it can help break a habit over a fortnight or so, then its cheap at half the price.
eg:BH thinks "that bossy cow gives me jollop, I have a snooze & nitty goes & comes back.
I have jollop, nitty goes & she comes back... I am a grown up and can manage after all! (you just substitue something like apple etc instead of jollop)

Unfortunately, GF needs a whole tube of sedalin & we have to make sure this goes in while he is quiet in the field & then not do anything for almost an hour - otherwise he just goes 'through it' & it doesn't work.
His owner only uses it as last resort if I am going to keep my 2 fuzzies in yard for a long while or if he has to be stabled while mine are out :(

Am a little tired of trashed paddocks along fences & of a running sweaty horse skidding a big hole at each end of fence...........
 
TFF I love you. You are the only person in the world I have ever known to use the word jollop outside of my own family :D

That doesn't help you with GF one little bit but I thought I'd tell you anyway.
 
You've cheered me right up. I was proper pee'd off after dealing with BH. And Nitty backing me into a hedge but that's a separate story!
 
I've never heard the word jollop :confused:

AND I have just realised the answer - send Nitty to meeeeeee, BH will be back to himself in a few days for you :p
 
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