Two Very Attached Mares

[Clarice1]

My mares have been pasture mates for over 4 years at two different boarding facilities. They are fine when separated because they can see or be with other equines. However when we move to our farm, they will be the only equines in sight. There are other horses/mares in the area, but none can be seen nor heard from our farm.

My husband and I have taken them to our farm, and when I take one away to ride her, the other gets very nervous, canters, even gallops around the pasture while whinnying until the other returns. We tried placing the one left alone in a stall and that did not work well at all. The younger of the two (eight year old TBxPersh) is more nervous than the older (20 year old TB) when left alone. They are both perfect angels under saddle with other equines, and the younger of the two actually does fine alone when under saddle.

We have considered getting another equine, but I don’t want that responsibility right now. We have considered a goat, but would have to modify our board fencing with lower hot wire (I hate hot wire).

I would appreciate any advise anyone could give who have had similar situations.

Thank you, Clarice

[lwk]

I have two mares that are at our home barn. They are the only two horses on the property. There are neighbor horses within sight (on the other side of a 5 acre lot).

When I ride the older mare (15 yr. old draft cross)or haul her somewhere, and leave the young mare (5 yr. WB) behind, the young mare doesn’t care much. She whinnies a little, then goes back to grazing. However, when I ride the young WB or haul her somewhere, the older mare becomes quite agitated, runs the fence, screams, carries on. Last year, the ground was really hard and the older mare injured herself with her carrying on. So now, when I ride the younger mare, I leave the older mare in her stall. Older mare was so bad at first, I was afraid she would tear the barn down, so I used some judicious hot-wire.

We don’t need the hot wire any more. Older mare stays in her stall, not very happy, but not hurting herself either.

Both horses are fine alone under saddle. It is only when I leave the older mare behind that we have issues. I had a third mare for awhile and it didn’t help - the older draft cross still ran the fence.