Herd Bound / Buddy Sour Mare. Advice?

[CamdenLab]

Just moved our 13 yo mare to a new barn over the weekend. There are barns spread throughout the property and the set-up means that she can only see this one horse one run over from her and he can only see her. There are four runs. The other two may or may not be filled anytime soon. There is lots to look at at this vantage point even though they can't see other horses.

Mare and gelding are now herd-bound and it's sooooo annoying! She won't be still in the ties, just looks for him, head high like a giraffe, nervous pooping, pawing, calling, etc. After being tense and chomping her teeth at the warm-up she calms right down and is her normal, sweet, calm self for the entire ride. Then we take her back up to the barn and she's at it again, though not quite as bad because we tire her out.

Last night I'd finally had enough and got after her whenever she got obnoxious -- or whenever she giraffe and crane-necked looking for him. When she tried to leave the barn without my direction, we worked on leading, backing up, forward, paying attention until her head was down and she was relaxed, then I pet her and we were able to walk back to her stall/run mostly normal. The gelding's owners came when we were leaving the arena and she was screaming for him and then pacing in her run.

I guess all I can do is step up and be the alpha-leader here, treat her like a two year old. I've never had a reason to before -- she's always been so calm, easy, quiet and still. Beyond the occasional correction for trying to rub her head on me, we've never had an issue with ground manners.

I can't move her. My options are a long-run, 100% mud, so she'd have to be stalled 24/7 as her feet fall apart in the mud. Or a stall in a barn alone. She is very unhappy stalled all the time and stocks up something awful. She will be turned out when the pastures dry (April) and I will ask that she is not turned out with the gelding. I may be able to ask the BM to add a horse to the runs. Not sure this would happen though. If she were OK with it, what should be added? Mare? Gelding?

She's not in heat -- just came out over the weekend. But, would Mare Magic, B1 or Mg help in this situation? I hate seeing such a normally level-headed horse go off the deep-end like this.

[coloredhorse]

Went through this moving my two mares to my little backyard place. For a while, any separation was cause for great consternation ... after all, as far as they knew, all the other horses had been raptured up and they were the ONLY HORSES LEFT IN THE WHOLE WORLD. A bit stressful for a herd animal. :lol:

Give your mare time. Correct the undesirable behavior, but otherwise don't stress about it too much. She is in a brand new situation and a little stressed, as my mares were. As she settles into the routine, she will most likely relax. The more she (and her new BFF) are shown that sometimes they are separated and then they are together (or at least within sight) again, the less of a big deal it will be.

[bigbaytb]

I moved my gelding and mare to another farm where they went from never being turned out together to almost 24/7 together. geld is 17hh ottb and mare is 16hh wb. they were always perfectly behaved together until the move .. where it was 2 weeks of hell and i was doubting my decision.

but i never gave in, i just kept doing things as normal and whatever it took to get the attention of horse i was working. If that ment that every time the horse screamed when riding or leading, id turn in a tight circle, back up etc to get the mind off of "whoa is me" :yes: I never yelled back but sometimes would use my corrective "psshhht" that i use to get attention too.

but now, 8 months since the move, it is not a problem. They both are with the full 8 horse herd. both can be brought in and one can be left alone in stall with out a peep from either horse. I do note that if i have been gone for more than a week and my horses haven't been worked, they might be alittle bit of a pig about behaviour, but get over it very quick.

do what you are doing, don't let her get away with not paying attention to you. she'll figure it out, both of mine did. Just continue to play your "games" and correct undesirable behaviour as originally posted.

[CamdenLab]

Ironically, last night after I wrote this, she was about 75% better than the day before. One nervous poop, one scream, a little giraffe-heady, but that was it. So, she's getting over it.

I just didn't know what I was going to do with her if this was going to be her norm! Soooo annoying, right?

Thanks!

[goeslikestink]

your expecting a lot from your mare when shes only just moved some take time to settle in some dont be patience with her

[deltawave]

It sounds like you're on the right track. There's not a blessed thing you can do to change a horse's temperament, but you CAN insist on good manners, provided the horse already knows them and is just "forgetting" because she's caught up in her little drama-of-the-day. :)