Companion Horse Gets Very Upset... - Western Training & Behavior - Western Training & Behavior - Horse Community, Horse Pictures, Horse Forum and Information

Posted : 11/17/2011 5:45:29 PM

I have pastured my retired mare in a 6 acre pasture for about 2 years. The owners of that pasture used to have goats who were her buddies. When they sold the goats, she obviously got very lonely...so I moved my 8 year old gelding to that pasture to be with her. I used to board him at a large stable with about 30 other pasture buddies, and he was never on the top of the pecking order so he is thrilled to share this 6 acres with just 1 other horse and my mare is thrilled to have a buddy!

I just moved him a few days ago and haven't had a chance to take him out on the trails yet, but my concern is that my mare will throw a royal temper tantrum when she sees her new buddy leaving the pasture. My gelding has never been herd-sour, so I am not too concerned with him misbehaving, more that my mare will actually hurt herself trying to join back up with us!

They do have stalls and I considered just putting her in the stall with some grain and hay while we go out but she gets pretty antsy in there anyway so that idea probably won't work. I also plan on ponying her sometimes (she has arthritis so she can not be ridden), but I want to just go out alone sometimes too!

Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions what I can do to ease her mind?

TanyaC97

Posted : 11/17/2011 7:08:39 PM

I think you have a good plan to stable her with food for entertainment and pony her other times. It may take a few times, but she will figure it out that he will come back to her.

danastark

Posted : 11/18/2011 2:41:12 AM

My 3 yr. old filly gets left alone often and she will gallop around, whinnying and bucking but she is really OK and I think it's good for her to get used to being left. She has never hurt herself.

The stall idea sounds good too.

DaneHaven

Posted : 11/18/2011 2:39:46 PM

We do a training exercise that we call "come and go."
We ride the barn sour horse a little ways away and stand.
Come back and ride away and stand again. Going a little farther and a little longer each time. Until you are gone for a ride.

Another exercise is the same idea except when you go "back" work the horse for awhile and then go away and stand. Depends what other issues the horse needs work on.

stonefilly

Posted : 11/18/2011 3:05:10 PM

Thanks all! I will give it a shot tonight and see how my mare handles 'her' gelding being gone...I'll stick her in the stall at first and see if she is going to stand quietly or kick the door down. If she gets herself worked into a lather, I will let her out in the pasture and just ride around the outside of the pasture, getting a bit further and further away. I'm sure she will get used to us leaving her behind...but she has a history of jumping fences! With her arthritis, I don't need anymore vet bills!!