Two horses that are attached to each other.

[Millzwoolz]

Hey!

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of how to de attached two horses from each other?

I keep my horse at my farm, where my uncle has just started doing livery and there's another horse up there. There is only my horse and hers. This girls horse is very attached to mine. When they're in the stable they are fine. But now they are in the field together.

Everytime I try to take my horse out to exercise her, the other horse goes ballistic and gallops around the field and will not calm down. Before now this other horse has jumped out of the field to be near my horse.

Has anyone got any ideas on how we can seperate them and get them less attached??

Thanks in advance!

Millie

 

[Antw23uk]

Put them in different fields and keep them away from each other? Add another horse? Stable it whilst you ride?

 

[Millzwoolz]

There isn't any more horses. Just the two. We only have one field for horses which is a pain as its a working farm. We've tried that too she just goes nuts. I would love to be able to ride my horse without worrying about the other

 

[MummyEms]

Pair bonds are a nightmare to fix. Best thing is to separate them completely or arrange to ride and bring in together at same time which won't fix the problem but they'll both be calm and easier.

 

[Antw23uk]

Someone might come along with an alternative but if you ask me they are your options and if you cant do any of that then your not going to have much luck! Happy to stand corrected of course!

 

[Millzwoolz]

We cannot ride together as mine is just coming back after injury. There must be others way to seperate them. Seperate then completely how?

I have tried your ways Ant, just made things worse.

 

[MummyEms]

So I've had direct experience of this as we have a small very small yard too. The best way is that they don't see each other at all. It can beer so frustrating and even dangerous , do feel for you. If there isn't a way to part them could she or you find some where else?

 

[MummyEms]

Could hers come in whilst you tack up then be stabled whilst you ride?

 

[Antw23uk]

We cannot ride together as mine is just coming back after injury. There must be others way to seperate them. Seperate then completely how?

I have tried your ways Ant, just made things worse.

So you have tried two separate fields .. to separate them? Im confused because your saying you have 'tried my ways' (only trying to help btw!) but you initially said you only had one field?

 

[Millzwoolz]

She's could but then she goes off on one again, but can't get out as she's in the stable.

It's my families yard, so I don't really fancy moving my horse because of someone else's. She's making no effort to sort this problem, but I want it sorted so I can get out and about

 

[Millzwoolz]

Yes I have tried your ways. I put them in seperate fields but got told off as there is only one horse field that the horses can share.

 

[laura_nash]

It is usually possible to teach two horses who live together to accept being seperated, but it is very time-consuming and you really need the help and co-operation of the other horses owner. You will need to gradually seperate them just enough that the horse starts to worry without actually getting wound up, then bring them back. Keep doing that and eventually you can seperate them a bit more and a bit longer. Ideally do this at the same time / times each day so they get in a routine. You do need someone to help keep an eye on the other horse though, and ideally distract them if they start to stress.

Alternatively your only option is to stable the other horse and go for it, if you ride regularly at the same time they may get used to it (but may not). It might help if you can give the other horse something nice to eat before you leave.

Really though, if the other horse's owner isn't interested in helping at all and you can't seperate them I would be insisting on a third horse / pony. Sometimes another animal can work too (a donkey, cow etc) though that depends on the horses.

 

[Millzwoolz]

Thank you. But there is no chance in a third horse/pony

 

[Annagain]

I think in your shoes I'd just bring the other horse in. She may not like it but at least she's safe in the stable and if her owner's not interested in sorting the problem out, then I don't see why you should. She'll probably get used to it, especially if yours is only coming back into work so is away for short periods which are increasing gradually. I'd maybe close the top door or get your uncle to put a grill in just to be on the safe side to make sure she can't jump over the door.

 

[stencilface]

If there's not another horse you can get, does your uncle have an orphan lamb or something that you could keep as a permanent horse buddy?

 

[Millzwoolz]

I think in your shoes I'd just bring the other horse in. She may not like it but at least she's safe in the stable and if her owner's not interested in sorting the problem out, then I don't see why you should. She'll probably get used to it, especially if yours is only coming back into work so is away for short periods which are increasing gradually. I'd maybe close the top door or get your uncle to put a grill in just to be on the safe side to make sure she can't jump over the door.

There is no top door?

 

[Millzwoolz]

If there's not another horse you can get, does your uncle have an orphan lamb or something that you could keep as a permanent horse buddy?

It's not an animal farm anymore. No lambs, calves nothing just wood, wind and the attached horse

 

[stencilface]

In your case given that every solution is shot down, I would be out PDQ advertising the livery yard and get new customers in quick!

 

[Goldenstar]

You have shoice but to either stable the horse while you ride or leave it in the field .
Not sure what else you think anyone can suggest .
I suppose if you boil it down it's not your problem if the horse damages itself tell the owner what you are going to do then do and leave it up to her to sort .
The obvious thing is a third livery .

 

[Annagain]

There is no top door?

Get your uncle to put one of these in. £45 for peace of mind isn't too much, surely?

http://www.robinsonsequestrian.com/stable-door-top-grill.html

 

[Antw23uk]

Agreed Goldenstar, not really sure what you want us to suggest OP when you keep disregarding everything we have offered which might help! At the end of the day people can only offer so much practical advise before you really are on your own to sort this out. They are the options, make it work or don't really!

 

[Crackerz]

I have had one of my boys 19 years, and believe me, we tried everything to cure his separation anxiety. a third, fourth or fifth horse in his herd does not help him either! He can only seem to fixate on one best friend. He has to come in for me to ride my other pony else he runs himself up in the field whilst the others carry on grazing.


I'm afraid i'd either get more liveries and attempt that, or ask them to leave. You could also ask them to put a weave grill up on the stable and bring the horse in for you to be able to ride without worrying

 

[lula]

What i'd do? i'd ask any local farmers if you can buy 1 or 2 old ewes past breeding or buy a couple of rare breed sheep as pets and put them in the field for company for said horse. Even an Alpaca might do. Advertise for assistance fb horsey or farm groups, ask in local tack shops or feed merchants if you're ensure where to source such an animal but as your family are farmers , although non livestock farmers, id be surprised if they didnt have some contacts you could get a couplke of easy to keep sheep from?

Seems the simplest solution to me. Horse has company. You will probably still need to work on small seperation perids throught the day as many posters have sensibly suggested above, just to loosen the seperation anxiety between them. At the end of the day, it isnt really your responsibility anyway so you can only do so much if other owner isnt interested.

 

[Auslander]

You say in your other thread that you can't ride your horse at the moment as he/she is injured - so why not spend this time trying to help the other one deal with separation.

I understand that you can't bring them both in together, but why not try bringing the other one in first, then getting yours in - bit of a pain, but at least the other one is in and safe while you do your own horse.

 

[Millzwoolz]

That's what I have done.

 

[Wagtail]

Horses are not meant to be kept alone. It is cruel, so don't ask the other person to leave or your horse will be lonely. Is there any way you can keep your horse in sight of the other whilst working him/her? When we only had two horses here, that worked really well even though they were very attached.

 

[GeorgiaR95]

It does take a lot of time. Maybe you could start with just taking yours out of the field but tying her to the gate and just groom her? so they are seperated but the other horse can still see where she has gone, groom her for a little while and then put her back in. I found if you take them out for short periods of time and then put them back in they dont seem to mind as much in comparison to if they are gone a couple of hours. Its all about little and often. Once the horse gets used to her going out of the field but to be at the gate then you will eventually be able to take her to the stables to be groomed etc.. then you can go out for rides or whatever you plan to do. But little and often worked a treat for me, because they know they are going but are going to be back within half and hour or so at first, and then its just about gradually extending the time they are out of the field.