Horses freaks out when other horse is taken out?

Question

Whne I take Scatze, my horse out, my mom shorse ranger flips out. He runs along the fence and bucks. We eventually are going to start bring my horse places to get her a bit better trained, what can we do to keep him calm

oops i typed my horses name wrong, its schatze not scatze, i just typed to fast

I cant take them both to the lesson, and we dont have enough room for another horse

Answer 1

I take it your horse is the Alpha in the pasture with your mom's horse. Horses- like any herd animal, listen to the Alpha's body language. So when your horse was out in the pasture and alert- so was your moms horse. When your horse was relaxed that gave your moms horse the confidence to be relaxed- and so on and so forth. You took away the horse that made him feel safe and comfortable so of course he's going to start freaking out.
You could adopt or buy him another pasture companion- such as a donkey or there are also agencies that adopt out companion horses for cheap or free.
If you mom doesn't want to get another pasture companion for her horse I'd suggest doing confidence building ground work without your horse present. Such as trailer loading, water crossing, going over ditches and ground poles. Do this while your horse is away or out of sight so you can teach your mothers horse to be confident without a companion.
Some horses are codependent on another animal some aren't. But if you want to make your horse and your moms horse safer and easier to separate from each other- they'll need to have confidence in you and themselves.

Answer 2

Tire him completely out before you take your horse out. Get ranger huffing, puffing, and sweating, then ride your horse away. He's gonna have to learn sooner or later. Completely separate them if it is possible. Don't even let them see eachother. As soon as ranger has settled down, bring back schatze, leave her there for about a day, then take her away again. When schatze and ranger are separated have your mom go out there and play with him, groom him, ride him, keep him busy and let him know that he can depend on humans as well for companionship. Be sure ranger is in a very good fenced in area too, so he does not injure himself. I'd also suggest trailer schatze away for a day or two on a trail ride or to a friends house far away so ranger can't even smell her. Then bring her back after a few days. When schatze is gone to training ride ranger everyday for at least an hour. Keep him busy. Getting another animal isn't always the answer, especially if you are out there with ranger for a good part of the day ( a few hours after school or something) I have a shetland pony that I got when I was 4 years old. He was the only horse on the property for 5 years until my parents decided they wanted horses too. Then we sold their horses after a few years and the pony paniced much like ranger but after a few days he calmed down and didn't fret as much. but now I have my mare, my older horse, and a donkey to keep him company. A horse that dependent on another horse is dangerous, as they could panic on the trail, or arena because their 'buddy' isn't there. I'd stop that behavior cold turkey

Answer 3

I agree with GoldenPonehRider. (; Just because someone has had a great experience with a draft horse doesn't mean they're all that way. Same with a Quarter Horse. Any breed could be a suitable beginner horse, it depend's on the particular horse, it's history, training, disposition and temperament. The best thing for you to do is try a bunch of horses. Look for something around the 14.2-15.2 hand range. That would be a good size for you. Often one horse isn't suitable for multiple riders. For example, if you're 5'4" and your brother is 6'1" it's unlikely that you'll find a horse that will work out for both of you. If you're brother doesn't ride much, then don't try and find a horse that will work for both of you, find one that will work for you. 10-15 is a good age range for you to be looking at. I wouldn't consider anything under the age of 8, even if it's a very calm horse that you like a young horse needs training and a novice rider can not train a horse. You could go above 15 years old too if you'd like. There are plenty of older horses that still have plenty of years left in them. And you'll probably have better luck finding an older horse that fits your needs, instead of a younger horse. I'd stay away from the draft horses. B Grand Blue's point of a draft horse was a good idea, but whether or not you'll find a draft cross that's totally beginner safe with smooth gaits and that's not too much horse for you, I don't know. I exercise a Belgian cross mare who can be quite a handful. She is used in lessons for intermediates, and she's fine with supervision but she does try to take control of her rider at times. She is only 6 or 7 years old. On the other hand, I know a different Belgian cross mare who is in her late 20s and she's the best beginner horse I know. When you are looking for a beginner horse, your first horse or an all-around horse similar to what you are looking for, you are going to start running into problems when you limit yourself to a breed. Sure, some Arabians are energetic, spirited and too much for a beginner. But I learned to ride on an amazing Arabian mare that taught countless little girls how to ride. And yeah a ton of Quarter Horses are very calm and relaxed and make great beginner horses, but some of them are sensitive, energetic and spunky and not trustworthy for a beginner rider. Good luck with your search!

Answer 4

Much like weaning a foal from it's mother...... Horses, that have bonded, often need to be "weaned" from one another, in order to except seperation with calm. Depending on their ages, temperments and insecureities, some may never completely relax when their close mate has been removed, especially if removing their mate leaves them alone in the pasture. They are herd animals by nature and desire companionship.

Firstly, is it possible for you to get a sheep or goat to live in the paddock with both horses for companionship? That way, when one is removed, the other will not be left completely alone.

If this is not a possiblity for you, then you need to play some games to help teach the frantic horse, there is no need to feel frantic. Have someone assist with this process, like your mom. When the two of you go out to groom, have your mom turn her horse away from your horse. Then, gradually walk your horse farther away from his mate, little bits at a time. Keep grooming, then allow your mom's horse to see that everything is ok. Keep making this manuever until you have your horse at the gate, then outside of the gate, and away from view of the other horse. Then, bring them back together. Again, these things take time, effort , and reassurance that all is ok. The more your mom's horse gets used to seeing your horse leave, and realizes that she will always come back, things will get better.

Otherwise, you may need to seperate them all together....i.e., Out of sight, out of mind.

Answer 5

Take all the energy and use it. Lunge him, ride him, do a lot of lateral flexing, sidepassing, roll backs, etc. When he calms down and isn't worried about the other horse, let him rest. If he acts up start working him again. He has a very common equine problem, he's herd sore. Totally fixable if you make him realize that getting excited when the other horse leaves only means work. If he stays calm he doesn't have to work. Good Luck

Answer 6

Horses that live together often act like this when they are separated and there is really no way to prevent it other than keeping them separated at all times. You can throw some hay for Ranger to eat when you take your horse out. He will calm down after some time and the hay will distract him.

Answer 7

Poor Ranger....he probably just likes Schatze too much and misses him when he gets taken out....horses are wild and b4 ppl took them out of the wild, they were ALWAYS in herds....mayb Ranger is just lonely whenever Schatze is gone...i dont blame him.....btw Schatze is a cute name for a horse...so is Ranger

Answer 8

i reccomend weaning the horses just like you would wean a foal from its mother. you also may want to consider buying a companion for Ranger. I highly suggest buying a cat. Cats and horses bond quickly and often have long lasted relationships. At my barn, we have 3 barn cats to keep all the horses company, and comforted when the horses are left alone.

Answer 9

Horses are herd animals. As such they tend to be more at ease when there are other horses around. You may wish to consider getting a goat, donkey, or even rescuing another horse or a pony to keep Ranger company when your horse is elsewhere.

Answer 10

The extra horse will just have to get use to it. Just hope that he doesn't hurt himself on the fence or anything. I have had a lot of horses like this and they eventually get use to being alone. GOOD LUCK!!