Tips on preventing 2 horses becoming too attached?!

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MissieSFW

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As title really- I have just collected a new horse today who will be kept at home and turned out with my TB mare, and I'm keen to try and prevent them getting too attached. I'd like them to get used to being separated regularly for short periods from day 1 so it never becomes a major trauma, if thats possible!!
Until today the mare has been kept with 2 Shetlands but they've now gone on hols to my dads as I don't have enough grazing (or time!) for 4. she has always been ok taken away from ponies but gets stressed if pony friend taken away (prob because this was not a regular occurrence)
New horse is a gelding which concerns me a little as I've heard mares and geldings can get quite attached! Seems pretty relaxed so far but used to a big yard so will be a culture shock for him.
They will both need to be ridden separately at least twice a week, and will need to be turned out together and ideally come in at night. Gelding def has to be stabled as fully clipped, i have considered leaving mare out so they're not together 24/7 but she's not a v good doer and struggled living out last year so would rather not.
Can anyone suggest strategies for getting them used to being separated with minimal stress? Eg I was wondering about staggering turnout, turn one out then the other half hour later? Bringing them in one after the other rather than both together? Should I leave the one not being ridden in or turn it out? Any advice much appreciated, thank u!
 
Don't faff about with it. whatever your routine is going to be get them used to it from day one. There will probably be some stress initially, it won't kill them and they will settle down
 
I think routine and repetition have to be the key here, however it does always depend on the individual animal too. Being as one is new, I'm sure you have a fairly good blank canvas in order to teach him the new order of things in his new home.

I always tend to bring the left horse in and give it something nice, so that it always associates being left with something worth having (haynet, treat ball etc) and relying on routine will soon hopefully teach the animal to know and expect this to happen.

Good luck, I think it's all too individual for anyone to tell you exactly what to do, but there are some ideas :)
 
Ranyhyn said:
I think routine and repetition have to be the key here)
Click to expand...

Thank you for the replies, you are quite right about routine and repetition and this is what concerns me slightly as at this time of year I can't ride every day (small children and no arena) so there may be several days in a row where they're not separated, and then all of a sudden one day they're separated and its all a bit stressful! Hence why I was wondering if there was a way of building some daily separation time into their daily routine, but its just thinking of a way of doing this that doesn't make my life even more complicated! As I have young children and work part time so its all a bit of a juggle at the best of times!!
I think possibly I'm over thinking things as usual lol ;-) Maybe I should just expect them to cope and get on with it, but I do really hate having to ride/groom/tack up stressed out whinnying daft horses! Can't be doing with the aggro q frankly! So trying to avoid if at all poss!
 
I have two. They both happily hack out alone, and the other will stay in the stable, chippings winter turnout area or the small grass field/pen without any fuss. Both don't like being in the bigger fields alone. The biggest issues I get are at shows or places where there are lots of other horses, they get whinney for each other if one goes off. I haven't competed for a few years, and had more horses when I did, so am expecting a few stress moments at shows this year. Also hoping we will just ride it out!
 
I have absolutely no routine and will bring my two in randomly - i actually find this makes things very easy as neither seem to look for the other at any one time
 
Ranyhyn said:
I think routine and repetition have to be the key here, however it does always depend on the individual animal too. Being as one is new, I'm sure you have a fairly good blank canvas in order to teach him the new order of things in his new home.

I always tend to bring the left horse in and give it something nice, so that it always associates being left with something worth having (haynet, treat ball etc) and relying on routine will soon hopefully teach the animal to know and expect this to happen.

Good luck, I think it's all too individual for anyone to tell you exactly what to do, but there are some ideas :)
Click to expand...

Agree entirely with this. I have my two in stables which are separate from the rest of the horses on the yard, so they are quite attached to each other. However I do expect to be able to hack out/compete with the other horse left behind. So whichever one is staying behind, stays in the stable with treat balls/hay bricks to keep them occupied. The pony is absolute fine as she is ruled by her stomach. The TB does shout a bit, but doesn't do anything silly and is never sweated up or anything when I get back. In fact she seems to be getting a bit better about being left now as well.
 
Thank you v much everyone for the encouraging replies! I'll do as suggested and keep other in while i ride initially at least. Hopefully they will be ok and get used to it. We often had just two when I was a kid and I don't remember it being an issue, but they were always geldings and the last two mares I have had have both been a bit daft... But fingers crossed she will prove me wrong! Maybe I'm just getting stressy in my old age!:p
 
This is when you get to find out if the mare was brought up properly and taught to cope with being alone at times as a youngster.

Hope all goes well for you.
 
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