Horses
are herd creatures and that is never more obvious than when
we try to take one horse away from his companions. Reactions
can vary from mild to extreme, but there are very few horses
who truly don’t care that they are leaving their herd.
Extreme
reactions are most common in young or insecure horses. Loud
piercing neighs, frantic pawing, or headlong panic are not
only unpleasant but dangerous to both horse and handler.
Most horses will improve with patient work but occasionally
I run into one that simply will never be comfortable out
of sight of other horses.
When
a young horse exhibits signs of being herd-bound (and some
do not) plan a program to build the colt’s confidence
in people and training. Even if the horse is concerned about
being away from his herd, if the response of listening to
his rider is well-ingrained, he will usually be okay though
not perhaps happy.
Horses that see their humans as trusted herd members are
more likely to be comfortable alone in just the company
of their rider. This takes both time and training –
remember your horse may like you just fine but if he doesn’t
respect you as a herd leader, he might still not behave
in a stressful situation such as being alone. When working
with a young horse, spend time alone with the horse, with
no other horses around. Round pen work is ideal for this.
The horse has to rely on the only other being in the pen,
his trainer. Plan time for individual arena work too. It’s
easy to rely on the calming influence of another horse,
and there are times when I definitely recommend it such
as the first rides out on the trail, but the colt should
also be comfortable with a “herd of two.”
The
most difficult separation situations to solve are often
horses that have been together for a long time with little
human intervention – pasture buddies who have not
been in regular work for example. Often older horses will
become very attached to a particular friend, and it can
take days or weeks for one to calm down if the other leaves.
If your horse has separation panic, be sure to have him
in as safe a place as possible. A safe, secure stall or
paddock works well, but expect pacing and whinnying. Sometimes
a calming agent such as one of the herbal pastes will have
an effect, but I have seen situations where the horse required
something stronger from the veterinarian. If the anxiety
is well established there may be little you can do to make
the horse completely comfortable at being alone. In any
case, time, patience and a strong bond with the people in
the horse’s life are the best antidote for separation
anxiety.
Doris Eraldi of Eraldi Training in Potter Valley specializes
in Pleasure and Equitation horses. She can be contacted at
707-743-1337, or by e-mail dyan@eraldi.net.
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