[QUOTE=3chestnuts;7862687]
How much interaction does she get with other horses? I’m sorry if I may have missed this point. My older gelding is a very stressed and nervous horse. He’ll frantically pace if stalled. He used to constantly pace the fenceline. It was very frustrating to watch him so unsettled.
What worked to calm him? 24/7 turnout with a lot of hay and an ancient pony. A pony who is now the “herd leader” - my horse has always been insecure and having a more confident buddy allows him to finally relax.
I understand moving may not be an option, but is there a horse, like my pony, that she may be able to be turned out with?
How are the stalls set up in your barn? Are there bars between the stalls, or is there a solid wall? I would think bars would allow her to see the other horses, which would make her feel less alone.[/QUOTE]
A couple of months ago I had the same exact thought and I turned her out with this quiet, easy going gelding in a paddock and for the first few weeks to a month they were out 24/7 together. Now, especially in weather like this, the horses need to be brought in in the evening so she is in the stall from late evening until very very early morning.
There are solid walls between the stall unfortunately. There are bars at the top where she stands on her tip toes and reaches up to try to see sometimes when she is pacing. Otherwise she can look out her gate and see at least two other horses across from her at all times when she is in.
Unfortunately I don’t see another option with a different horse working any differently or better than this one thus far has worked. She was out with an old, dominant mare that makes every horse she ever interacts with nutso (maybe because she is so hormonal? This old mare is in heat 24/7 and it is disgusting, to say the least). She made my horse crazy as well. We had to separate them. Unfortunately the most separation we could accomplish was a different field adjacent. It, however, has been a few months since her attachment to this mare was a problem, and I don’t think that’s the source of the issue anymore.
It’s ironic, almost because: as soon as we “solved” that problem with her being really attached to that old mare, she develops obsessive behavior where she paces constantly.
It was very frustrating to watch him so unsettled.
This is the epitome of how I feel. I can’t go to the barn if she does anything like this without feeling exasperated.
