#193 - Attempt to Fix Separation Anxiety - Part 2

Well this is going better than I expected. Granted that its early days yet and they aren't out of each others sights but with the way Teddy was behaving I'm proud of his progress.

For the last week I have been separating the horses from anywhere between 20 minutes to 45 minutes, any time of day or evening, with either Gran or Teddy lead away (though mainly Gran). They can still see each other clearly but they can not touch each other or interact other than to call out to each other. For the first two day's Teddy called out and he only did so for the first five minutes then he went and ate grass. I note that he didn't wander too far from the fence line. Gran on the other hand would become more alert as she was taken away but then she didn't care much after that.

This week I have started with a larger distance between them - a lane-way and in separate paddocks with a obstacles in between to block the view. Gran has been wandering into Teddy's view and this is the only time he can see her and she will do this to eat grass. She doesn't seem bothered at all.  Teddy isn't liking the separation much and has been calling out intermittently for the last 15 minutes.  He must feel he's at the start of last week all over again.

 I will continue to do this latest distance for the next week and report back on how they are both going.

I think Gran will find this a piece of cake, Teddy on the other hand, well I hope he will become acustom to it. Then I'll increase the pressure. It will take the time it takes and with Teddy that tends to be longer than what most people claim things take with their horses.

I'm going to put them back together now after only 15 - 20 minutes but I think it's better to mix things up. Then I can come in out of the cold!

Postscript - tonight was harder on Teddy than I realised. He had worked up a little sweat and was even foaming between the back legs. Poor Teddy! A ahh I mean Suck It Up Princess! 

#191 - separation anxiety in horses

I'm slowly feeling less pain and am keen on working with the horses. I know I can't ride just yet so I think my priority should be to try to address their separation anxiety. Granny is my riding horse now and she doesn't have it as bad as Teddy but I've noticed when i'm just moving them between paddocks that she is displaying separation anxiety to a greater and greater level.

From the beginning when I separated them, as soon as they were out of line of sight Teddy would run around screaming out to her. If I took her a few farms away to ride at a friends place I could hear him carrying on in the background and if I went right away from the property Steve would tell me Teddy was playing up half the time I was gone; literally hours. Gran on the other hand was fine, then she became glancey, now she is running about a bit so I want to do something about it now before it gets worse.

I've read about it and have a few techniques to try, some of which will involve both of them at the same time, others are more one on one ground work, so I wonder who I should start with in those situations. It will probably have to be Teddy. 

I'll see how things go and update progress here. 

If anyone has any suggestions that they have seen work and doesn't involve buying a third horse, please feel free to share.

Thanks