10/17/2018
This is a great summary of the basic procedure to calm a horse's separation anxiety (sometimes called "herdbound"). This method is perfect for building skills & confidence between our visits.
In the absence of this foundation, the best temporary solution is to bring a buddy in with your "herdbound" horse. We frequently recommend this option to help ensure everybody's safety during trim appointments. 😊
Are you struggling with horses who have separation anxiety?
This is a very common issue that horse owners face but it can be addressed successfully in small steps. Firstly, it is not recommended to separate horses who are attached to each other in an attempt to stop this behaviour. Horses are social animals and contact with other horses is a very important part of their lives - we need to teach them to cope with being apart at times.
Each situation is different but there are five key elements to the solution:
1. We need to identify the point at which each horse becomes anxious. If it is when a head collar is brought into the field to catch one horse, we need to break the association of the head collar being a predictor of separation by repeatedly putting the head collar on and taking it off but not resulting in separation.
2. We must gradually build-up the time away from each other; starting from just a few metres away for just a few minutes and building up the time and distance gradually. For example, if a horse becomes anxious when he is removed from a field on his own, steps might include being caught and groomed in the field before being released again, then being caught and taking some steps to the gate before being released again, then being caught and going through the gate before turning around and being turned out etc. Each step should not be repeated in sequence, rather, when the horse has completed a few ‘steps’ they should be mixed up so that sometimes less is asked, sometimes more.
3. Making the time apart pleasurable - this might include being fed, groomed, or trained using compassionate training methods.
4. Ensuring that neither horse has any bad experiences when alone as this could reinforce the fear and anxiety of separation.
5. Building up each horse’s confidence in people so that he/she can draw some reassurance from people and not just other horses.
It is important to be able to read your horse’s body language to be aware of the point at which he is first becoming anxious so that you don’t expect too much too soon. Early signs of anxiety in horses are triangulation of the eye, muscle tension, tail swishing and displacement behaviours such as pawing the ground. Working with a behaviourist is advisable to guide you through the process especially in how to manage unavoidable separations that are not part of the training plan.
For more information about equine behaviour and training visit www.ebta.co.uk
