Seperation anxiety

[Meep92]

Hi I'm hoping someone can help. I've got a TB with bad hooves at the minute she needs to wear boots for turn out. She is getting better but I'm worried because all the horses in her block are going to live out soon and she freaks out if she's in on her own!

Ideally she needs to be in at night and out in the day but she stresses herself out! She bashes herself on the stable wall and spins round. She looks like she would try to jump out!

I've already asked if someone would mind having their horse in at night and the answer is no.

Her hooves are very sensitive to wet so I'm worried about when it rains and she's also had laminitis in the past.

Any suggestions? I would get a companion for her but sadly I can't afford two.

 

[be positive]

There is an awful lot to be considering here, the separation anxiety is a major issue and one that is likely to get worse if she is brought in at night then left, with possibly one or two coming in to be ridden or groomed then turned back out, her stress levels will probably cause more issues than leaving her out would but you also have laminitis to consider if the grass is rich, the feet getting wet is less of a problem now the ground is so much drier it will not be the same as it was during the winter.

I would take a serious look at whether this yard can offer her, and you, a suitable lifestyle that will enable her to recover from whatever has caused the feet to be so bad, to be safe from laminitis and also keep her mentally happy, another yard may be an easier option where some horses stay in overnight, a track system with dry areas could work well or turnout overnight with them coming in during the day are all alternatives work looking at.

I don't think it fair to expect another owner to keep their horse in as a companion as it increases the work and costs with no benefit to them so maybe turn out overnight and offer to bring another in with her, someone may want to restrict turnout time but be unable to get there twice every day to do so, your YO may also be able to swap a horse around to fit in with yours especially if you offer an incentive to the owner, as a YO I have a pony that is here as a companion so never have a situation where a horse gets left alone but not every yard will have that although most will have something needing limited turnout.

 

[Meep92]

Thank you I appreciate your response!

There is an awful lot to be considering here, the separation anxiety is a major issue and one that is likely to get worse if she is brought in at night then left, with possibly one or two coming in to be ridden or groomed then turned back out, her stress levels will probably cause more issues than leaving her out would but you also have laminitis to consider if the grass is rich, the feet getting wet is less of a problem now the ground is so much drier it will not be the same as it was during the winter.

I would take a serious look at whether this yard can offer her, and you, a suitable lifestyle that will enable her to recover from whatever has caused the feet to be so bad, to be safe from laminitis and also keep her mentally happy, another yard may be an easier option where some horses stay in overnight, a track system with dry areas could work well or turnout overnight with them coming in during the day are all alternatives work looking at.

I don't think it fair to expect another owner to keep their horse in as a companion as it increases the work and costs with no benefit to them so maybe turn out overnight and offer to bring another in with her, someone may want to restrict turnout time but be unable to get there twice every day to do so, your YO may also be able to swap a horse around to fit in with yours especially if you offer an incentive to the owner, as a YO I have a pony that is here as a companion so never have a situation where a horse gets left alone but not every yard will have that although most will have something needing limited turnout.

Thank you I really appreciate your response!

Just so you have a bit of background I'll explain what's gone on, so I got her back in December she came back with very very soft hooves to the point I could flex her soles. She had heart bar shoes on and leather pads. She was dishing and was very lame to the point some days she couldn't even walk hardly. She had slight pedal bone rotation in 2018, but her main issue for her was her soles were worn really thin.

I've had her shoes taken off and she's now barefoot with boots which was the suggestion from my farrier. She's mostly sound now and recovering but any sort of wet makes her lame again and sore. I don't really want to leave her boots on 24/7 either because of sweating, but she's too sore not to have them on if she ends up galloping round in the field she ends up bruising. Her hooves aren't strong enough yet to have shoes on my farrier thinks about 3 more trims and she will be.

She never used to have seperation anxiety but with her previous owners she lost her field companion and then was on her own. So now I think she panics thinking if they go they don't come back, that's all I can imagine is going on in her head! I think she will really hurt herself the way she panics if I left her in overnight.

She will be turned out on limited grazing and my farrier doesn't really think the grass will be too much of an issue for her, he thinks it's been bad management previously which has caused her issues as they were jumping her on concrete and feeding the wrong things. My farrier also shoed for the previous owners for awhile and then they swapped to someone else when he suggested barefoot for her and to give her a rest from riding on hard ground. I don't think they've done it on purpose it's just been a lack of knowledge really and listening to the wrong advice. He does think she needs to be brought in if it's raining to stop her hooves softening again.

There aren't any track liveries in my area and the yard suits her in every other way apart from this issue! They have been great and helped me a lot with her issues, so it would be a shame to have to move her, I would rather try and work round it if I can.

Do you think it's just going to be a case of letting her live out and just try and manage her hooves rather than trying to tackle the anxiety? I will see if I can move to another block but I'm not sure if anyone would want to swap stables but all I can do is ask the question!

Thanks again!

 

[be positive]

That makes it all clearer, the laminitis is obviously more due to concussion and poor management than metabolic or from being overweight so less of a concern, I would for now concentrate on the feet, bring her in as and when you can if the YO will arrange to have something in it will help and should be possible if the yard is generally suitable and people are cooperative.
A mirror in her box may help but it can be tricky to get in the right place, certainly worth a try.

I assume you have her on a really good supplement and diet to help build her feet up, your farrier sounds like a good one who knows how to manage a barefoot horse having him on board will be invaluable, I had a tb come here with dreadful feet, directly from racing, he ended up with really strong feet, did a lot of work barefoot with no boots despite the vet thinking it would be impossible, he was out 24/7 his first summer here only being in at night once winter set in so it will get better for yours, although he was never as bad in the first place fortunately.

 

[Meep92]

That makes it all clearer, the laminitis is obviously more due to concussion and poor management than metabolic or from being overweight so less of a concern, I would for now concentrate on the feet, bring her in as and when you can if the YO will arrange to have something in it will help and should be possible if the yard is generally suitable and people are cooperative.
A mirror in her box may help but it can be tricky to get in the right place, certainly worth a try.

I assume you have her on a really good supplement and diet to help build her feet up, your farrier sounds like a good one who knows how to manage a barefoot horse having him on board will be invaluable, I had a tb come here with dreadful feet, directly from racing, he ended up with really strong feet, did a lot of work barefoot with no boots despite the vet thinking it would be impossible, he was out 24/7 his first summer here only being in at night once winter set in so it will get better for yours, although he was never as bad in the first place fortunately.

OK thank you or your advice! I'm sure I will be able to sort something for her. I will try her with a mirror too and see if that helps.

My farrier is brilliant, I had the same issue when I bought her from a racing yard years ago. He had her hooves looking the best the ever were, but I've never seen them this bad! I'm sure he will get her right again it's just going to take time! He thinks that she will make a full recovery. Hopefully the weather stays dry for her because it's doing her the world of good!

Yes she's on a high fibre, low starch and sugar diet. I feed her premium mva vitamins by calm & healthy horses, I heard good reviews and her hooves are improving now in general. But its going to take at least a year really isn't it to see the full benefits!

Now things are starting to improve I'm starting to give her breaks from the boots. I'm really impressed with how she's managing now! I'd like to try and keep her barefoot if I can because it just seems better for her, but I'll take the advice from my farrier on what's best for her. My vet was the same and said she needs shoes on but I did my research and decided barefoot was the way forward and it definately has been!

It's nice to hear that you've had good results with this approach too it gives me hope! Fingers crossed this time next year she can live out in the summer and can just finally be a horse again!